SMCC Members,

Your help is needed now to protect the future of rock climbing on Bozeman Pass.

As many of you know, a large land conservation project involving over 2000 acres has been underway on the Pass for the past few years. The project will protect a critical wildlife corridor and provide new access points to public lands. The project will also directly benefit the climbing community.

Many of you contacted the Montana Congressional delegation last year in support of this project. Thanks to those efforts, Congress appropriated $1 million in the 2005 Land and Water Conservation Fund Budget. The project requires an additional Congressional appropriation of $1.6 million. Your help is needed again this year to secure the last increment of funding necessary to complete the project.

Without the conservation project the long-term prospects for climbing on Bozeman Pass are not good. The popular climbing area on the north side of I-90 is entirely on private land. Most of the crags on the south side, including Frog Rock, are situated on public land, but access to the rock is across private land. Parking for all of the climbing is along I-90, and the Montana Department of Transportation has stated unequivocally that it will eventually curtail use of the present parking areas for safety reasons. In short, future climbing on the Pass is at risk.

The conservation project, once completed, will secure permanent access for climbers who wish to enjoy the limestone crags on both the north and south sides of I-90. The climbing area on the north side of I-90 will become public land administered by the Gallatin National Forest. Plans call for the development of a new parking area, a trail allowing permanent public access to the crags, and cooperative management of the area for climbing. Another new trail will provide public access to Frog Rock and other crags on the south side of I-90.

To achieve that result, however, as many letters, e-mails, and calls as possible from climbers are needed now. Please contact, and ask your friends to contact, Senator Burns, Senator Baucus, and Representative Rehberg encouraging their support of this project. They need to hear from you to help them convince Congress that this budget item deserves priority. If you can write only one letter, address it to Senator Burns, since he is on a key committee with respect to this funding.

An action alert further describing the project and providing addresses and other information is attached. Also attached are sample letters, but we encourage you individualize your letter and inform our representatives that you use these lands and that they are important to you.

Southwest Montana climbers cannot afford to lose climbing areas. The small amount of time required from each of us to write letters could yield a big benefit. Thanks for your help!

Bill Dockins
Access Committee
Southwest Montana Climbers Coalition

The Honorable Conrad Burns
United States Senate
187 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Re: Bozeman Pass/Schmidt Property

Dear Senator Burns:

This year, the U.S. Forest Service and Gallatin County are trying to complete an exciting land conservation
project in the Bozeman Pass area, only five miles east of downtown Bozeman. The project covers
approximately 2,055 acres, straddling Interstate 90. It occupies a key part of a critical wildlife corridor, which
many biologists regard as being one of the most important linkage sites in the entire Yellowstone region.
Ensuring that there is enough undeveloped land between the Gallatin and Bridger/Bangtail mountain ranges is
critical to the continued survival of elk, moose, deer, black bear and other wide-ranging animal species.

In the coming months, approximately 250 acres, in the first phase of the project, will be purchased and
conveyed to the Forest Service. Another 390 acres are available for purchase this year in the second phase of
the project. If these acres are successfully acquired, then another 175 acres will be donated to the Forest
Service outright, with an additional 1,240 acres conserved through a conservation easement to be purchased by
Gallatin County. The County has already committed $800,000 for this purpose. While LWCF funding will only
be used to purchase a total of 640 acres, it will ultimately be responsible for stimulating the permanent
conservation of more than three times as many acres.

Thanks to your leadership, the U.S. Forest Service has already received $1 million from the Land and Water
Conservation Fund (LWCF) to help pay for the project. This money will be used to purchase the first 250 acres
in the coming months. Another $1.6 million is currently being sought from the LWCF to pay for the remaining
land that is slated to go into public ownership.

In addition to protecting a key part of a critical wildlife corridor, this project will provide significant public access
benefits, including guaranteed access to a popular rock climbing area and the establishment of a new public
trail, which will greatly enhance access to the Gallatin National Forest.

Even though funding will be tight again this year, I strongly urge you to continue supporting this project and
doing whatever you can to make sure that the needed funding is secured. With your leadership, we have
an opportunity to conserve critical wildlife habitat, while enhancing public access and recreational
opportunities in one of this nation’s most important natural resource areas. Thank you once again for
your help in conserving some of our state’s most special places.

Sincerely,
Name:
Street address:
City, State, Zip:
Phone:
E-mail:

YOUR MESSAGE IS KEY TO SECURING CRITICAL FUNDING THIS YEAR!

We need you to tell Congress know just how much the community supports this project!
Congress will soon be considering its priorities for the LWCF for FY 2007. Please contact your
Congressmen, thank them for securing partial funding for this project last year, and encourage their
support for $1.6 million for the Bozeman Pass/Schmidt property funded through the Land and
Water Conservation Fund in the FY 2007 Interior Appropriations Bill.

(NOTE: Letters to Members of Congress can take months to get through due to security concerns.
Instead, please fax, call, or email. To send email, go to the websites listed below.)


The Honorable Conrad Burns
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202 224-2644
Fax: 202 224-8594
Website: http://burns.senate.gov

The Honorable Max Baucus
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202 224-2651
Fax: 202 224-0515
Website: http://baucus.senate.gov

The Honorable Dennis Rehberg
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202 225-3211
Fax: 202 225-5687
Website:
www.house.gov/rehberg

IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE CONTACTED OUT
DELEGATION -- PLEASE FAX A COPY OF YOUR LETTER TO 406-582-1136
OR EMAIL THEM TO: LANDTRUST@GVLT.ORG - THANK YOU!!!

I'll make this the feature for a while.

I'll send in my letter tonight when I get home.

I'll make this the feature for a while.

I'll send in my letter tonight when I get home.

Time to put up some fliers in the University Climbing gym and Spire. I like the pass for its fun sport climbs and easy access. Lets keep this area from being closed!

What happens if this grant doesn't go through? Wouldn't it just stay private land or is the owner threatening to kick the climbers out? I realize the parking situation, and putting a more permanent trail to frog rock, but is that all? And how far does the area go? Will it affect Bear Canyon too? I'll send some emails.

Without the conservation project the long-term prospects for climbing on Bozeman Pass are not good. The popular climbing area on the north side of I-90 is entirely on private land. Most of the crags on the south side, including Frog Rock, are situated on public land, but access to the rock is across private land. Parking for all of the climbing is along I-90, and the Montana Department of Transportation has stated unequivocally that it will eventually curtail use of the present parking areas for safety reasons. In short, future climbing on the Pass is at risk.

What were the EMail addresses again?

I don't know. Bozeman Pass is pretty much a choss pile. Do we really need to waste tons of tax payers dollars just so frat boys have another place to leave (broken) beer bottles? The rock isn't even that good!

It's only redeeming quality is it's proximity to Bozeman.

I don't know. Bozeman Pass is pretty much a choss pile. Do we really need to waste tons of tax payers dollars just so frat boys have another place to leave (broken) beer bottles? The rock isn't even that good!

It's only redeeming quality is it's proximity to Bozeman.

I don't know. Bozeman Pass is pretty much a choss pile. Do we really need to waste tons of tax payers dollars just so frat boys have another place to leave (broken) beer bottles? The rock isn't even that good!

You should go and read the first post, it explains that this is much bigger than rockclimbing. Be sure to read the sample letter too.

The time you spent making an account and posting this could of been spent sending a letter to Baucus.

I've climbed there and the rock isn't bad. It's limestone, so you can't expect granite quality

The greek system in Bozeman isn't that big, only about 300 members, so the chances of "frat" boys running around is pretty slim

I did. It talks about a wildlife corridor. I'm not sure exactly how the corridor runs (it’s not very clearly spelled out in the post) but I think having an interstate running through the corridor might cause more of a problem than it being on private land.

But here's the thing. Half the money is already raised. This is a new initiative. It’s not like Bozeman Pass has been bought by private owners and now its in danger of being shut down. Its the exact opposite. It was always on private land, always at risk of shutting down because of the silly parking lot on the side of an interstate, but now there is an initiative to make the land public. Where's the crisis???



Why would I do that? I don't think the money should be wasted. My intention was to get people to think exactly what you're asking them to spend money on. Hence the post here instead of to Baucus.