Matt Perkins
06-07-2005, 11:38 AM
I just spoke with Linda Fee, a recreation planner with the Forest Service, and a person who is involved in the current forest planning project for the Okanogan, Wenatchee, and Colville National Forests. They are at an early stage of the planning process, and they envision a plan that will largely designate areas by zone as to where, for example, ORV's will be allowed, etc. They will be presenting their work at public meetings and circulating drafts and preliminary findings and the like as they proceed. Climbers are invited to participate.
A year ago, a rec planner in the Wenatchee office asked us to try to assemble a specific inventory of climbing areas, including those currently in use and areas where we might envision future crag development. He indicated that, if we don't disclose specific crags now, they may zone them off limits to climbing due to wildlife or other recreational management concerns without even knowing that there is a climbing area involved. This has happened in the past, and the Access Fund folks tell us that the invitation to have specific climbing areas incorporated into a management plan like this is a unique opportunity.
Many specific climbing areas have already been pointed out, and they have assembled a list of areas where they will try to manage the Forest in a way that maintains climbing access. Linda Fee says that, for the most part, she has seen few conflicts between climbing area development and other recreation and resource planning. Climbing areas tend to be located where they do not conflict with other uses, she says, and other than some wilderness-management issues related to power drills or the "fixed anchor ban" discussions from ten years back, they have had few significant concerns although they ARE concerned about vegetation impact, user-built trails, and protecting raptor nesting sites and archeological resources.
Climbers are encouraged to send comments or direct questions to:
Margaret Hartzell,
Colville Okanogan and Wenatchee Forest Plan Revision, Team Leader
Okanogan Valley Office
1240 S. 2nd Avenue
Okanogan, WA 98840
A year ago, a rec planner in the Wenatchee office asked us to try to assemble a specific inventory of climbing areas, including those currently in use and areas where we might envision future crag development. He indicated that, if we don't disclose specific crags now, they may zone them off limits to climbing due to wildlife or other recreational management concerns without even knowing that there is a climbing area involved. This has happened in the past, and the Access Fund folks tell us that the invitation to have specific climbing areas incorporated into a management plan like this is a unique opportunity.
Many specific climbing areas have already been pointed out, and they have assembled a list of areas where they will try to manage the Forest in a way that maintains climbing access. Linda Fee says that, for the most part, she has seen few conflicts between climbing area development and other recreation and resource planning. Climbing areas tend to be located where they do not conflict with other uses, she says, and other than some wilderness-management issues related to power drills or the "fixed anchor ban" discussions from ten years back, they have had few significant concerns although they ARE concerned about vegetation impact, user-built trails, and protecting raptor nesting sites and archeological resources.
Climbers are encouraged to send comments or direct questions to:
Margaret Hartzell,
Colville Okanogan and Wenatchee Forest Plan Revision, Team Leader
Okanogan Valley Office
1240 S. 2nd Avenue
Okanogan, WA 98840