NJ Climbers Seek Legal Equality in State Parks

This is more an issue of parity rather this access. As the rules stand now, climbers have to sign a waiver before climbing in a State Park. The argument Access NJ makes, is that equally dangerous activities such as mountain biking and horse riding are allowed to take place without a waiver.

Dana Loschiavo, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection, said the Department is trying to strike the right balance between the competing interests of recreation and the safety of visitors. She cited parachuting and scuba diving as two other activities that require waivers to pursue on state land.

While that may be the case, unlike climbing, scuba diving and parachuting are not specifically mentioned in the NJ access code. Despite being reviewed every five years, climbing has been specifically mentioned as an illegal activity in the code since the 50's. Access NJ have asked the Department of Environmental Protection to change the park code to explicitly authorize climbing.

The Department of Environmental Protection will decide on its latest revision of the code by April 15.