Colorado senators say new wilderness proposal could put climbers at risk

Mountaineers who have expressed concern over proposed changes to the rules federal agencies use in regulating rock climbing safety equipment in wilderness areas got some powerful allies this week when more than a dozen U.S. senators took their side.

A letter signed by both Colorado senators and 12 of their colleagues argued that a plan put forward by the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service would severely limit the use of fixed anchors for climbing, raising safety concerns. The letter was sent to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose department administers the park service, and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, whose department manages the forest service.

“(The) proposed draft guidance on the use and maintenance of fixed anchors in wilderness areas (makes) significant policy changes that would restrict climbing safety practices,” the letter states. “Finalizing these proposed changes jeopardizes access to our public lands and puts the climbing community at risk.”

The proposed guidance would change the way fixed anchors have been viewed since the Wilderness Act of 1964, treating them for the first time as “installations,” which are prohibited in wilderness areas unless specifically approved. Fixed anchors are typically steel hardware that are permanently embedded into rock faces; climbers can attach ropes to the anchors to help ensure their safety in case of a fall.

Read more from John Meyer at DenverPost.com