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ErikF
Jun 22, 2011, 1:15 PM
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Registered: Oct 29, 2009
Posts: 41
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Access Alert and Action Request - Vulture Peak
Maricopa County Parks Department is requesting public input on the Vulture Mountain Regional Park's Management Plan. This is a proposal for a new county park which includes Vulture Peak. Maricopa Parks and BLM are working together to put a management plan in place. The Parks Department is requesting input from the public as to what activities should be included in the management plan. Thanks to Tom Kreuser (Tom's Thumb) for bringing this to our attention. Bill Sewrey and Larry Treiber put up a climbing route up the middle of the East Face of Vulture Peak in October of 1967.
Tom remembers Vulture Peak fondly. Vulture Peak is a large rock formation near Wickenberg that has some historical climbing routes. There are long multi-pitch and aid routes, climbing types that are in short supply here in Central Arizona and should remain. While it is probably true that few of you have climbed there, as climbers we should fight for every climbing area we can and we should do so within the process that maximizes the potential impact on the land owners/managers. Working with land owners is part of that process.
In this case, Maricopa County Parks Department and the Bureau of Land Management have put together a survey for potential "park" users. The survey tries to identify elements of the future park that are important to the public. They range from higher intensities uses to low impact preservation goals.
As climbers, we should make our opinions known. We are leaving it to your individual judgment as to the feautures that you woujld like to see in a future Vulture Peak Park, but
PLEASE - TAKE THIS SURVEY AND MAKE IT KNOWN THAT ROCK CLIMBING IS A HISTORICAL USE THAT THE LAND OWNERS SHOULD ALLOW TO CONTINUE IN THE NEW PARK.
There is a deadline early next week. Take this survey immediately and help us protect our climbing resources.
http://www.maricopa.gov/parks/vulturemtn.aspx
If you are able within the context of open ended questions to state that rock climbers work with various raptor preservation standards around the country, it would help mitigate one criticism of rock climbing in that Vulture Peak will be designated as a raptor conservation area. We should not fight that. But we can state that we will work with whatever restrictions are necessary to protect the birds and keep rock climbing as an authorized park activity.
Thank you,
AMC Land Advocacy Committee Action Group
Erik Filsinger, Chair, John Keedy, Vice Chair, Susan Harnage, Tim McCabe, and Ron Auerbach.
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ErikF
Jun 23, 2011, 3:47 AM
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Registered: Oct 29, 2009
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Hi folks,
Tons of climbers taking survey. Thank you.
But in response to the spike in survey responses, the County folks are now telling me that they see rock climbing as mostly compatible with the 3rd and 4th more intense uses. Personally I don't see that as logically necessary, but in keeping with that feedback you might want to swallow hard and go with one of those two options as you tout rock climbing in the new park.
Thanks again,
Erik
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