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Subject: Access Fund Action Alert! Ross Lake, WA From: "Access Fund" Date: Fri, November 7, 2003 3:11 pm To: "List Member" Priority: Normal Options: View Full Header | View Printable Version | View as HTML | Add to Addressbook CLIMBER COMMENTS NEEDED BY DECEMBER 5 TO NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CLIMBING MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ROSS LAKE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA IN WASHINGTON STATE’S NORTH CASCADES On October 28 the National Park Service (NPS) announced that it will begin the scoping process for a Frontcountry Climbing Environmental Assessment and Management Plan (CMP) for the Ross Lake National Recreation Area (Ross Lake NRA). Over the past few years, rock climbers and boulderers have been developing new routes and bouldering areas in the Skagit River Gorge between Newhalem and Diablo along the North Cascades Highway. Potential controversial issues in the CMP may include bolting, cleaning of moss and vegetation away from rocks, and clearing rock and debris to create trails and improve bouldering landing zones. An extensive website has been developed for one of the crags (www.misha.org/Climbing/Newhalem/Map1.html) and word has spread quickly among the climbing community. There are many opportunities for additional climbing routes and bouldering in the Frontcountry (i.e. non-wilderness) of Ross Lake National Recreation Area (NRA), given the ease of access and abundance of rock. Your comments are needed no later than December 5th to provide input regarding the scope of the CMP. The Scoping Process The NPS seeks public input to help them identify issues and concerns concerning recreational climbing in the Ross Lake NRA. Climbers should take this opportunity to tell the NPS what they think are important issues that the CMP should cover – that is, the “scope” of the CMP. Once the NPS receives all the public input during this scoping phase, it will then produce a “draft CMP” with range of alternatives that progress from “no action” to increasingly higher levels of regulation and/or management. Once the NPS releases this “draft CMP” – later this winter -- the public will again have the opportunity to comment, both in written form and public meetings. Hopefully a final CMP will be in place by next spring. See the Access Fund’s scoping comments to the Indian Creek Corridor Plan (http://accessfund.org/whoweare/COMMENTS/IndianCreekEA.htm) for an example of how to write scoping comments. The NPS has identified the following preliminary issues that will be addressed in the Ross Lake NRA CMP: Fixed anchors Climber paths Route "cleaning" Human waste Cultural resources Safety New Climbing Routes See __________________ for the NPS press release announcing the scoping process. In addition to the issues specified by the NPS noted above, the Access Fund also suggests addressing some of these issues with more specificity: What level of fixed anchor use is appropriate, and what process, if any, should be used to authorize new fixed anchor placements. Should bouldering have its own set of management actions? The physical extent of the CMP. What level of cleaning, if any, should be allowed for the development of climbing routes and bouldering. Where and how should access trails be built, and by whom. Washington Department of Transportation (WDOT) will need to be a partner on this aspect of the plan. How and when should human waste management issues be addressed. Where parking should be provided. Both Seattle City Light and WDOT will need to partner on many of these parking issues. Safety issues pertaining to auto traffic, hiking access and parking. Natural resource management actions Your scoping comments should also indicate your name, where you live, why climbing is so important to you, and why the climbing and bouldering at Newhalem is so special. Make sure to comment during both the scoping phase as well as during the draft CMP public comment period. The more letters the NPS receives from reasonable sounding climbers offering practical solutions to current or potential impact issues the better. Send you comments by December 5, 2003 to: Superintendent North Cascades National Park Service Complex 810 State Route 20 Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Comments may also be sent via e-mail to: NOCA_Superintendent@nps.gov Or by fax: 360/856-1934 If you have questions, please contact Roy Mason Zipp, Natural Resources Specialist at (360) 873-7490 extension 31 or e-mail roy_zipp@nps.gov.
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