Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship; Managing Climbing Activities in Wilderness

The commenter supports broadly authorizing hardware replacement and modernization for climbing in wilderness areas to reduce administrative delays. They argue that the current process is overly burdensome and should be streamlined to allow for upgrades and improvements.

The commenter supports broadly authorizing hardware replacement and modernization for climbing in wilderness areas to reduce administrative delays. They argue that the current process is overly burdensome and should be streamlined to allow for upgrades and improvements.

An experienced rock climber supports the proposed guidance but suggests specific modifications, including grandfathering existing routes, allowing power drills for bolt replacement and rescues, and adjusting bolt density requirements for casual use. The commenter also proposes a fee system for wilderness rescues to discourage frivolous calls.

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 opposes the proposed guidance because it makes routine hardware replacement for climbing routes excessively administrative and undefined. They request that the Fish & Wildlife Service streamline authorizations for maintenance and clearly define "replacement" to include modern safety practices and upgrades.

The commenter, a private individual, supports the recognition of climbing as a wilderness activity and the use of fixed anchors for safety. They argue that the policy should allow for the installation of anchors without arbitrary restrictions and advocate for streamlined authorization processes for new routes and replacements.

The commenter supports the recognition of climbing as a wilderness activity and the allowance of fixed anchors for safety. They advocate for streamlining the authorization process for replacing anchors and establishing programmatic authorizations for climbing areas to reduce administrative barriers.

The commenter, an individual climber, supports the recognition of climbing as a wilderness activity and the use of fixed anchors for safety. They advocate for streamlined processes for replacing anchors and programmatic authorizations for new climbing routes to improve safety and accessibility.

The commenter, an individual climber, supports the recognition of climbing as a wilderness activity and the allowance of fixed anchors for safety. They advocate for streamlined authorization processes for replacing anchors and establishing programmatic authorizations for specific climbing areas.

The commenter, a private individual and climber, supports the recognition of climbing as a wilderness activity and the allowance of fixed anchors. They advocate for streamlining the authorization process for new routes and providing programmatic authorizations for established climbing areas.