Safe Harbor Rock Climbing

Peregrine Falcons, an Endangered Species in Pennsylvania, are gradually making a
comeback after being completely wiped out in eastern North America by DDT in
decades past. There are only 46 nesting pairs of peregrines in the entire
state, and only 9 of them nest on cliffs; the remainder nest on man-made
structures. Further, only 3 of the nest cliffs are used by climbers, so those
are the only cliffs that need to be closed, and only for the nesting season,
February 15 to July 31. Once the young have fledged, the cliff can be opened
to climbing again. During the nesting season, peregrines are very sensitive to
disturbance: human disturbance during this time leads to nest failure or
abandonment. Additionally, peregrines fiercely defend their nest sites from
intruders, and can be quite dangerous to anyone disturbing them. Cliff nesting
is crucially important to the recovery of peregrines; when they nest nest in
unnatural, man-made locations (bridges and buildings), many of the young
falcons die by falling into the river and drowning, getting hit by cars,
flying into glass, and other hazards of the urban environment. We ask your
cooperation in allowing these magnificent birds, the fastest animals on earth,
to nest at this cliff. This is a collaborative effort between climbers,
wildlife biologists and conservationists to protect our outdoors and the
wildlife we share it with. For more information and updates email:
ctsnature@yahoo.com