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bware
Apr 6, 2009, 5:34 AM
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Registered: Aug 17, 2005
Posts: 9
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Williamson Rock has been closed for three years now. This is due to the endangered Mountain Yellow Leg Frog living in pools upstream and downstream of Williamson Rock and because critical habitat for the frog has been identified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in the streambed. Because they are legally required by the Endangered Species Act to preserve the critical habitat, these factors significantly complicate the US Forest Service’s (USFS) ability to re-open climbing at Williamson Rock. Though it might seem that very little has happened since the closure, the group formed to deal with this closure, Friends of Williamson Rock (FoWR), has been working with the Access Fund (AF), the USFS, and USFWS to re-open Williamson Rock in an environmentally sensitive way. Thanks to your efforts and patience, we are now seeing progress. This has largely been due to your continued contact with your legislative representatives and your donations to FoWR and the Access Fund. They've been keeping this issue active. Due to these efforts, this year the USFS/Angeles National Forest has budgeted $85,000 for Williamson Rock studies. This is the first necessary step towards finding a way to re-open WR. The USFS has formed a new team with appropriate specialists. The WR issue has been elevated to the Angeles National Forest Supervisors office, and new leaders assigned. Recently Congress passed the Omnibus Public Lands Bill. Using FoWR and USFS inputs, WR was excluded from the wilderness area, which allows much greater latitude in dealing with climbing. There are several other positive signs that things are moving forward. More detailed information and the latest news can be found at http://williamsonrock.org/blog/. We are more effective as a unified group. Please sign up to be on the FoWR mailing list, add the blog to your RSS feed, join the Access Fund (http://www.accessfund.org), donate to FoWR, and keep up the pressure! Brent Ware on behalf of the Friends of Williamson Rock Board of Directors
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bandycoot
Apr 6, 2009, 5:49 AM
Post #2 of 2
(1498 views)
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Registered: Nov 25, 2002
Posts: 2028
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Keep up the good work. Thank you! I hope to climb there again someday. Josh
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