Don on the Undercover variation of Zig Zag.
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Summary:
Mt. Erie is currently being addressed in a new forest lands plan that is being undertaken by the City of Anacortes.
Some climbers have raised concern that the planning process may lead to a severe restriction in climbing access to the
cliffs found on the south slope of Mt. Erie, many of which have seen active rock climbing usage for approximately
fifty years.
Historically, the City has not done much in the way of management of climbing at Mount Erie but they have received complaints,
chiefly related to the use of the area by large instructional groups but also relating to trails, trash, erosion, and other
climber-related impacts. The current planning documents would place greater restrictions in these areas and we do not know
whether there may be some involved in the creation of these documents who envision even more restrictions in the future. We at
the Washington Climbers Coalition have been climbing there for years and hope to continue doing so. We encourage climbers to
get involved and to appear at events such as the current discussion over a management plan for Anacortes forest lands.
John Lundsford, staff member at Anacortes Parks and Recreation, has been willing to work with climbers
and recently the falcon closure area boundaries were redrawn at our request but there may be some validity to concerns
that the new planning documents appear to move toward a more restrictive approach toward climbing management on the south
slope of Mount Eerie than there was in the past.
For more information:
Anacortes Community Forest Lands
Copy of draft plan for download
Upcoming Meeting
The Anacortes Planning Commission will be meeting to discuss the plan in an upcoming public meeting where public comments will be heard.
THe meeting will take place at City Hall, (904 6th Street in Anacortes), beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2009. Those
interested in the matter are invited to attend.
More information is available on Anacortes website.
-Matt Perkins
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