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Protect the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and WSAs from unlawful and unauthorized bolted climbing routes!

Recently, officials at the Bitterroot National Forest (BNF) took steps to protect the national forest, including the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and two congressionally designated Wilderness Study Areas, from a massive influx of climbing use that is damaging resources and elevating social conflicts.

The BNF issued a news release reminding climbers that it is unlawful for visitors to develop new climbing routes or trails or install "permanent hardware or apparatus such as bolts, glue, manufactured hand holds; or modifying routes through chipping, cleaning, hammering, or drilling new or existing holds," on climbing routes while work proceeds on a forest-wide Climbing Management Plan (CMP). It’s a common-sense "time-out" approach that allows climbing to continue while minimizing further damage until a comprehensive climbing plan can be developed with public input and environmental review.

Sadly, a local climbing organization and the national Access Fund have launched a campaign urging the Forest Service to remove the protections, arguing that—get this—the agency shouldn’t take any action to stop the escalating damage until after the environmental review process has been done!

The Bitterroot’s wildlands need your help! Please take a few minutes to let the Forest Service know you support its efforts to enforce prohibitions on new climbing route development and bolting. Also urge forest officials to maintain its prohibition on fixed anchors in Wilderness, WSAs, and recommended wilderness in the upcoming forest-wide Climbing Management Plan.

At a time when wildlands and wildlife (including cliff-nesting raptors and bats) are under growing pressures from an increasing human footprint and a rapidly changing climate, it only makes sense to call a "time out" until a plan can be developed to protect the area.

Moreover, it’s rare these days when a land manager stands up to special interest demands and does what’s right for the land. Forest Supervisor Matt Anderson and District Ranger Steve Brown have done that. They deserve your words of support and encouragement. Please write today!

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Protect the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and WSAs from unlawful and unauthorized bolted climbing routes!

Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor, District Ranger and Regional Forester

Subject: Thanks for initiating a fixed anchor moratorium and beginning the process to develop a Forest-wide Climbing Management Plan

Message:

Dear Supervisor Anderson, District Ranger Brown and Regional Forester Marten: Thank you for taking a strong stance to enforce prohibitions on the unauthorized installation of fixed anchors and beginning the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to develop a Forest-wide Climbing Management Plan. As an equal owner of these federal public lands I support your decision.    You are no doubt aware that some parts of the Bitterroot National Forest – including the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, two congressionally designated Wilderness Study Areas and recommended wilderness areas – have been negatively impacted by a massive influx of sport climbing use. This includes unauthorized creation of intensive sport climbing areas, which are damaging resources, displacing native wildlife and elevating social conflicts. For example, raptors such as bald and golden eagles are displaced by sport climbers during critical nesting periods. In just the Mill Creek drainage, which is recommended for Wilderness, there are over 500 bolts and 60 routes, some within 20 feet of a golden eagle nest. A dwindling population of mountain goats and other wildlife are also being impacted by the unauthorized creation of intensive sport climbing areas. As you know, in Congressionally-designated Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas, the permanent installation of fixed hardware degrades wilderness values and in recommended wilderness reduces the wilderness potential of an area. In addition, Montana Wilderness Study Areas are managed to maintain wilderness character, as it existed at time of designation (1977). I support the efforts you’ve taken to begin work on a Forest-wide Climbing Management Plan and ask that you consider permanently banning new fixed anchors in Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas and recommended wilderness, as well as requiring authorization for new fixed anchors in the rest of the Forest. There are ample existing routes left open which provide a variety of climbing opportunities. Thanks again for taking some common-sense steps to protect Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, recommended Wilderness and wildlife habitat on the Bitterroot National Forest.

Remaining:

Protect the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and WSAs from unlawful and unauthorized bolted climbing routes!

Protect the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and WSAs from unlawful and unauthorized bolted climbing routes!

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