Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship; Managing Climbing Activities in Wilderness

The Western Montana Climbing Coalition supports the proposed climbing management guidance, particularly its recognition of safety-based fixed anchors and existing routes. They advocate for flexible, locally-informed standards, efficient permitting processes, and continued collaborative stewardship with local climbing organizations.

The commenter supports the USFS's recognition of climbing as a wilderness activity and the inclusion of fixed anchors, while praising the focus on collaboration with Local Climbing Organizations. However, they urge the agency to provide more clarity on the specific processes for creating Climbing Management Plans (CMPs) and handling anchor replacement in areas without existing plans.

Sam Lightner Jr, an experienced climber, opposes potential restrictions on replacing aging anchors and limiting the number of bolts in a given space. He argues that such restrictions would compromise climber safety and suggests that agencies should instead promote the use of modern, durable hardware and power drills.

The commenter, an experienced climber with a background in land management and advocacy, supports the USFS's recognition of climbing as a wilderness activity and the use of fixed anchors. They request more clarity on the specific processes for creating Climbing Management Plans (CMPs) and handling new routing in areas without existing plans.