Christmas Tree Pass Action Alert from the Access Fund

Important Action Alert from the Access Fund dealing with a local area that might not be on most folks radar. Take note and make your voices heard Nevada climbers.

Action Alert Christmas Tree Pass

From the AF website:

In January 2014, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, a National Park Service (NPS) unit, issued a draft Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement that does much to preserve Wilderness values and protect cultural resources in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. However, the plan also states that the number of ‘bolt-intensive face climbs’ should be reduced to protect Wilderness character (solitude specifically) and natural and cultural resources. (A previous version of this plan was released in 2010 and scrapped due to issues raised by climbers and Native Americans.)

The draft Wilderness Management Plan calls for NPS managers to identify concentrations of their dubious interpretation of ‘bolt-intensive face climbs’ in order to decide which routes to erase for the sake of protecting Wilderness character. This interpretation of the national-level NPS policy on wilderness climbing management and fixed anchors, outlined in Director’s Order #41 (DO#41), is potentially damaging to climbing routes located in National Parks nationwide.

This plan does not treat climbers as equals to other Wilderness visitors, does not reflect widely accepted interpretations of DO#41, and is not consistent with how Wilderness climbing is managed by other National Parks across the country. Furthermore, the proposed plan is not based on well-substantiated resource impacts, scientific analysis, or visitor use patterns and impacts. The Access Fund has conducted site visits, met with park planners, and provided a lengthy list of management plans—also used by Department of Interior-managed climbing areas—where managers effectively balance public access with resource protection. See Access Fund's official comment letter for a detailed analysis of the Wilderness Management Plan.

BUMP to remind climbers that there is a form on the above Access Fund's Action Alert page to submit comments to the NPS about this issue.

Thanks Access Fund I sent them my thoughts.

Regarding Christmas Tree Pass, Nevada

To whom it may concern,

3/12/2014

Let me just start out by saying what a good time my family and I had out at Christmas Tree Pass last weekend. We took the dog for a walk down the closed off dirt road heading towards the peaks. We made a loop along the cliff sides to show my wife and kid some old historical and virtually non-existent climbs I have done many years ago and to bring those memories back into my mind.
During our loop hike (carrying the puppy, due to cholla), I did not see but a couple of bolts on the rocks and believe me I was looking for them. Granted we did not visit the entire place and removal of bolts on "bolt intensive face climbs" may be in order, though I did not see any evidence of this but, if this is the case, I am sure the climbing community will take care of it.
We saw nobody the entire outing and mind you it was a beautiful Sunday.
This type of place is not for the faint of heart due to the preserving nature of the climbers that have put up routes in the area and it draws the type of people that hold preservation of these wonderful places above all else.
I do plan to go back there to climb again but this time I am leaving the dog at home.

Dustin Wilkinson

pardon my horrible wording, structure and spelling

I spent a lot of time at Christmas Tree Pass with Dick Richardson (RIP: 05/11/1998) circa 1977-1980. We probably installed about 200 bolts; most of which were between 30 and 50 feet apart on what we considered to be 5.10b or 5.10c face climbing at that time. Back then, we were climbing in EBs and hand drilling on the lead with a star drill and a 20 OZ rock hammer. I still have scars on my left hand from whacking myself with the hammer.