Mt. Erie Falcon Nesting Area 2009

[Matt Perkins]

Once again, the area around Snag Buttress and several routes on what is called the "west end" of the main wall, left of Snag Buttress, are closed for falcon nesting this Spring. However, the land managers have redrawn the closure area slightly in response to our inquiry and we don't have the new "map" but climbers are permitted to climb the old classic "ZigZag" and all routes to the right, along with a few shorter routes to the left of it.

This represents a slightly smaller closure area than was included previously.

Thanks, Anacortes.

[Matt Perkins]

Yesterday, I received this from John Lundsford, Anacortes Parks and Recreation:

A pair of peregrine falcons have returned to Mt. Erie and established a new nesting site according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff. The Anacortes Parks and Recreation Department in cooperation with Fish and Wildlife is asking climbers on Mt. Erie to avoid the area around the Orange Wall, the Cirque and Madrone Wall. The closure is likely to last until the end of July. Last year peregrines successfully reared two chicks on the mountain. Climbers were extremely cooperative with the voluntary closure and helped monitor the falcons for biologists. Voluntary observers have noticed that off-leash dogs in the vicinity of the closure elicited a strong response from the falcons. Please keep your dog on leash at all times while climbing. Thank you for your cooperation. Please contact the Parks and Recreation Department with questions at 360-293-1918.