Outdoor Alliance and American Alpine Club Working Together to Protect Rock Climbing Landscapes

Will Plantz trys hard as the sun fades on Johnny Cat in Indian Creek, within Bears Ears National Monument. Photo by AAC member Will McKay

Climbers have a meaningful relationship with the landscapes they love, and advocating for public lands is a critical piece of that relationship. Outdoor recreationists have a powerful connection to place, and that connection makes us a powerful force for conservation. Outdoor Alliance is a national coalition of outdoor recreation advocacy groups that American Alpine Club has been a part of for six years, and together, we work to protect public lands and waters and advocate for climbing and other outdoor recreation. The AAC is the largest community of climbers in the country, and is dedicated to advocating for climbing landscapes and resourcing climbers with essential climbing knowledge and rescue coverage.

Since Outdoor Alliance started ten years ago, the coalition has helped protect 40 million acres of public land and water, secured $5.1 billion in funding for the outdoors, and has converted hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts into outdoor advocates.

Here are some of important victories that the American Alpine Club (AAC) and Outdoor Alliance (OA) have notched together:

Passing the EXPLORE Act in the House

Climbing on the Diamond of Longs Peak. Photo by Louder Than Eleven

The EXPLORE Act is a first-of-its-kind package of outdoor recreation policy that has been a priority for Outdoor Alliance for many years; the package recently passed the House. It includes sections that will directly protect rock climbing experiences on public lands, a big priority for the AAC. 

The Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act is a significant piece of the EXPLORE Act, and has been a focus for the AAC, Access Fund, and the wider Outdoor Alliance coalition. The PARC Act is intended to ensure safe and sustainable access to rock climbing in designated Wilderness areas. It requires federal agencies to recognize recreational climbing as an appropriate activity in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964, which states that the placement, use, and maintenance of fixed anchors is appropriate, and ensures that a public comment period is made available to stakeholders prior to any final climbing management guidance being issued.

The AAC has also educated their members about the SOAR Act, joining the AMGA who is one of the principle long-time supportess of the SOAR Act. This is another piece of the EXPLORE Act which will streamline recreational permitting for outfitters and guides, benefiting other Outdoor Alliance members like The Mountaineers, Mazamas, and Colorado Mountain Club.  

Now that The House has voted to pass EXPLORE, the AAC and OA are advocating for the Senate to also get it across the finish line. Learn more and write your lawmakers about it here. 

Restoration of Bears Ears National Monument 

In 2018, the Trump Administration rolled back protections for the Bears Ears National Monument by more than 80% and Grand Staircase-Escalante by nearly half. Since then, the AAC and its partners at Outdoor Alliance have been continuously educating outdoor enthusiasts about the fight to preserve Bears Ears. This included a lawsuit led by Access Fund against the Trump administration, advocating for the monument to be restored, and participating in a public comment on a new management plan for the restored monument.

In 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration restored protections for Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase, which honored the voices of Indigenous communities, climbers, and conservationists alike. The coalition work led by Outdoor Alliance was hugely impactful in bringing outdoor recreationists together on this issue. The AAC is committed to keeping their members updated on future management plans and staying active in this ongoing discussion. The AAC will continue advocating for the role of climbing and responsible conservation by sharing their expertise on land management issues pertaining to climbing, and interfacing with land management agencies, the BLM and USFS, as well as other partners and local and national climbing organizations, to continue to refine the Bears Ears National Monument Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. 

Advocating for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

Photo credit: Grey Satterfield

In 2020, the American Alpine Club, and another Outdoor Alliance coalition member, Winter Wildlands Alliance, joined forces to sue the Trump administration for making devastating changes to NEPA. For the past 50 years, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has ensured that climbers and skiers have a voice in how the federal government manages our public lands. Whether it’s issues like climbing regulations in forest planning, balancing recreation with cultural preservation, or accounting for impacts to the climate from energy development on public lands—NEPA ensures that the federal government incorporates science and public outreach in the decision-making process. NEPA assures that the federal government operates with transparency and is held accountable for the decisions made on public lands. Having transparent decision making and accountability is particularly important to the climbing community as many of our cherished climbing areas are located on federal public lands across the country. The AAC and Winter Wildlands Alliance also petitioned the Biden administration in 2021 to take action to repair the law by restoring critical regulatory requirements that were removed in 2020.

The White House Council on Environmental Quality heard our requests, and began a two phase process to reverse the damaging 2020 changes to the regulations that implement NEPA. The final rule restores critical pieces of NEPA, and the AAC and other Outdoor Alliance members will continue to defend NEPA and ensure strong environmental protections and public comment periods. 

Amending the Colorado Recreational Use Statute (CRUS)

Photo credit: Grey Satterfield

Recreational Use Statutes across the United States protect private landowners from liability when they open up their land to the public for outdoor recreation. But a gap in Colorado’s Recreational Use Statute was causing landowners to feel insecure about the liability they faced, and therefore unwilling to accept the risk of keeping their land open to the public for activities like hiking, mountain biking, and climbing. This gap resulted in the closure of such Colorado hiking icons as Mount Lindsey, Mount Democrat, Mount Cameron, and Mount Lincoln. Outdoor Alliance and the the AAC both joined the Fix CRUS Coalition to activate Colorado recreationalists and advocate to update Colorado’s Recreational Use Statute. In 2024, the Fix CRUS Coalition successfully updated the Colorado Recreational Use Statute, when the CO Congress passed SB-58, ultimately strengthening protection for landowners, ensuring Colorado’s recreational opportunities that exist on private lands remain available to Colorado’s outdoor enthusiasts. 

Get Involved with Outdoor Alliance

Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of organizations that includes American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, The Mountaineers, American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, Colorado Mountain Club, and Surfrider Foundation. For 10 years, Outdoor Alliance has united the human-powered outdoor recreation community to achieve lasting conservation victories. Our work has permanently protected 40 million acres of public land, secured $5.1 billion in funding for the outdoors, and has converted more than 100,000 outdoor enthusiasts into outdoor advocates. 

For more information, visit www.outdooralliance.org

Outdoor Alliance Fly-In: AAC Trip Report

During the week of June 11th, the Outdoor Alliance gathered the leaders of its member groups to virtually connect with lawmakers, agency officials, and policymakers in D.C. For over ten years, Outdoor Alliance has regularly convened its coalition members to meet with decision-makers in D.C. and advocate for human-powered outdoor recreation and conservation issues on behalf of recreationists.

When OA’s member groups come together and are unified on the issues that matter most to recreationists, lawmakers listen, and we can better protect the places we love. 

Here’s a conversation between AAC CEO  Mitsu Iwasaki, and AAC Policy Associate Amelia Howe. 

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Interview with Mitsu Iwasaki

Amelia: What was the OA Fly-In all about? 

Mitsu: Our goal was to build connections with legislators as well as administrative and agency officials, and to ensure public lands and waters are protected for the climbing and human-powered outdoor recreation community.

Amelia: What were the priorities you and your colleagues focused on during your conversations that will benefit the climbing community?

Mitsu: There are several key priorities that we focused on.

1. We want to strengthen recreation and conservation policies to protect more places and increase equitable and sustainable access to outdoor recreation. In particular, we wanted to repair some of the damage to core conservation tools over the last few years.

   • An example of a damaged conservation tool is the shortened required public comment period for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As you already might know, we have a lawsuit with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to reestablish the public comment component of NEPA. During the week, we also championed the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act (SOAR), Colorado Outdoor Recreation Economy Act (CORE), and Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act (PAW+). These together will help to expand the protection of public lands and water protection while simplifying the permitting process, which would lead to more equitable access.

2. Many of us have some understanding of 30x30, which works towards protecting 30% of public lands and waters by 2030. We clarified our support for 30x30 and ensured lawmakers recognize that the outdoor recreation community has a role to play in reaching those goals while also helping rural communities navigate economic changes.

3. We pushed for the notion that management agencies are severely underfunded and need better funding to fulfill their stewardship responsibilities. During these conversations, we communicated to Park and Forest Services that a few of our member organizations, like Access Fund and IMBA, have the experience and capacity to support infrastructure projects. 

Amelia: Are the agencies and government officials familiar with the climbing and outdoor recreation communities? 

Mitsu: Yes! Many have deep, personal relationships with outdoor recreation. The agencies and government officials we met with can sympathize with the interests and needs of the outdoor recreation communities.

Amelia: That’s great to hear. 

Mitsu: When we look closely at legislation like the CORE act or the Mt Hood NRA, we can see that conservation and outdoor recreation are very much part of the thinking. In my experience, the recreation community’s presence has grown and continues to grow in DC. 

Amelia: What are some of the more pressing challenges the climbing community is facing that were discussed during these sessions?  

Mitsu: Funding and capacity building, access, and climate are among the most pressing challenges we discussed. For instance, while we knew the Forest Services’ budget has transformed from less than 20% in fire suppression to more than 50% towards fire suppression over the last decade, at least in part due to climate change, we learned that the Forest Service has lost over half of their planning staff over the last handful of years. While they’ve been appropriated more funds, they’ll be prioritizing rebuilding capacity this coming year. 

Amelia: Can you speak to the importance of bringing OA partners together for these meetings?

Mitsu: Together, we’re able to unite and coordinate strategies and actions with policy experts from across the human-powered recreation spaces from across the country. This helps us create a larger and more informed presence through our joint policy shop. We’re able to track important issues locally, regionally, and nationally and how they may overlap across our sectors in a way that we simply couldn’t as independent organizations.

Amelia: Stronger in numbers? 

Mitsu: Definitely. Through combining our resources, we’re able to maintain a strong presence in DC through incredibly effective individuals like Adam Cramer, OA’s CEO, and his team. I believe together we represent 300,000 members from across the country.

Amelia: What should climbers keep their eyes on during this administration? 

Mitsu: I think as climbers, we should be continuously asking ourselves what kind of action we can take to better support the National Park Service, Forest Service, and local governments and land managers. 

Amelia: Any specifics on why and which policies? 

Mitsu: We know agencies have limited funding, are pulled in many directions by varied interests and there is a continued growing impact and demand. Keeping an eye on SOAR, CORE/PAW+, and 30x30, as well as communicating support to your congresswomen/men and senators is critically important. In addition, becoming or staying active and up to date with policies that help to protect and provide access is critically important for our future as climbers. 

Amelia: What was your favorite meeting or personal fly-in highlight?

Mitsu: Meeting Malcolm McGeary from Senator Wyden’s office and learning about what’s been happening in Oregon was my highlight. I just moved to Colorado from Oregon last year, so those issues are close to home for me. 

In addition, hearing from Vice President Harris’ office that activating towards 30x30 is among their highest priorities, which was crystallized throughout the week as the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture communicated their intent toward 30x30 goals. This gave me a huge amount of optimism towards meeting those very ambitious goals.

Amelia: That’s wonderful! 

Mitsu: Right? In my experience, it’s quite rare to hear or experience such unified multi-agency enthusiasm and direction toward a common goal. 

Amelia: Last question for you, Mitsu. If you had one tip for climbers who want to contribute to policy and advocacy work what would it be? 

Mitsu: There are many ways for climbers to contribute to policy and advocacy work, but one place to start would be to volunteer or support the policy work of both the AAC and your local climbing organization! 

Photo: AAC Member Grey Satterfield

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The American Alpine Club is thrilled to be a contributing member of the Outdoor Alliance. The Outdoor Alliance consists of Access Fund, American Canoe Association, American Whitewater, IMBA, Winter Wildlands Alliance, The Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, Colorado Mountain Club, and Surfrider Foundation–while the groups range from climbers to backcountry skiers to mountain bikers, the members share many common priorities and values. 

A Brief Update on Bears Ears

On July 26th the Bureau of Land Management released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and proposed Monument Management Plans (MMPs) for Bears Ears National Monument. This document is 800 pages in length, and while we have yet to read the full document, the AAC believes that the shrinking of the Monument was an illegal move made by the administration. We believe the BLM should work to protect and conserve the whole monument that was protected in 2016. A management plan should not have been completed prior to the court ruling of the lawsuits that are currently in the federal courts system.

The NRDC, one of the organizations who chose to sue alongside the Hopi and Utah Diné Bikéyah tribes has written a brief update of the EIS information here. Several other tribes and environmental groups have also filed suit against the Trump Administration, many of them claiming that the reduction in the monument size was an abuse of Presidential power and an illegal application of the Antiquities Act of 1906.

Access Fund also agrees that the management plan “fails climbers”. In their latest update, AF announced that they are “evaluating options to appeal the BLM’s flawed plan to the Department of Interior” in the name of appropriate management for not only world class climbing areas, but also the cultural, scientific, and natural resources of the landscape. You can read the comments written by Access Fund, Friends of Indian Creek, and Salk Lake Climbers Alliance on the draft management plan here.

You may recall that the AAC, in conjunction with our partners at the Outdoor Alliance, submitted an Amicus Brief on the case last year. You can review our comments to the court here. You can also read the AAC’s stance on the fight for Bears Ears National Monument here, and be sure to keep following the policy blog for future updates and action alerts as they arise.

Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy (CORE) Act: The bill that Could protect 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado

You can find more interactive mapping options here in the GMUG National Forests Planning Revision GIS database created by the Outdoor Alliance GIS Lab.

The Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy (CORE) Act, H.R. 823 was recently introduced by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) and U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO-02). The CORE Act “protects approximately 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado, establishing new wilderness areas and safeguarding existing outdoor recreation opportunities to boost the economy for future generations. Of the land protected, about 73,000 acres are new wilderness areas, and nearly 80,000 acres are new recreation and conservation management areas that preserve existing outdoor uses such as hiking and mountain biking” [1]

This legislative package was created by Coloradans though over a decade of collaborative effort and a rigorous process of compromise. As such, the bill has broad support from the outdoor recreation community, conservation groups and local businesses. For instance, the Access Fund has been involved in the vetting of the bills components over the past decade. The CORE Act also tactfully designates Wilderness while using other designations where more appropriate. Louis Geltman, Policy Director at the Outdoor Alliance points out the uniqueness of the strategy stating, “This approach is essential…” and, “should be considered a model for other protective designation efforts around the country.”

 The AAC strongly supports the protections embodied in the CORE Act. The Bill conserves outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities, safeguards water resources, preserves key public lands and complements the values associated with our state lands. This legislation places a high value on recreation and conservation, and supports the $28.0 Billion outdoor recreation economy in Colorado and the 229,000 jobs associated with it. Coloradan’s largely agree too. According to the 9th annual Conservation in the West Poll, 73% of Coloradans say “the ability to live near, recreate on, and enjoy public lands like national forests, parks, or trails was a significant reason they live in the West.”[2] The proximity to amazing cragging, big alpine objectives and steep backcountry ski terrain was certainly a driving factor in my fiancé and I’s relocation to Colorado last October. Public lands are the infrastructure for Colorado outdoor recreation and are a critical component to the state’s economic well-being. The CORE Act will only enhance those recreational resources which Coloradan’s value.

Over the past year, the AAC advocated alongside our partners at the Outdoor Alliance, for the passage of the Public Lands Package, which was recently signed into law. Of the 2.5 million acres of public lands across the country that received lasting protections in that bill, only a few hundred acres were in Colorado. The CORE Act gives Congress a second chance to take care of those overlooked opportunities.

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The CORE Act unites and improves four previously introduced bills:

1.     Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness, and Camp Hale Legacy Act

• Designates 100,000 acres of wilderness, recreation, and conservation in the White River National Forest along the Colorado Continental Divide.

• Designates the first ever National Historic Landscape around Camp Hale to preserve and promote the Army’s 10th mountain division’s legacy. 

2.     San Juan Wilderness Act

• Provides protections for nearly 61,000 acres of land in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in Southwest, CO including Mount Sneffels and Wilson Peak.

• The bill designates 31,000 acres of Wilderness, 21,000+ acres of special management and 6,500+ acres of mineral withdrawal.

3.     Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act

• Withdraws approximately 200,000 acres from future oil and gas development.

• Creates a program to lease excess methane from nearby coal mines to address climate change.

4.     Curecanti National Recreation Area Boundary Establishment Act

• Establishes the boundary for the Curecanti National Recreation Area.

• Improves coordination among land management agencies.

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Climbing and Skiing resources that would be protected:

A preliminary analysis conducted by the Outdoor Alliance GIS lab has identified over 200 climbing routes spanning terrain from the crags at Camp Hale to alpine rock routes in the 10 Mile Range. In the San Juans, the Sheep Mountain Special Management Area conserves backcountry ski terrain near Lizard Head Pass while the “Liberty Bell and Whitehouse Wilderness additions protect world class hiking and climbing opportunities in the iconic Mt. Sneffels range.”[3] In the Continental Divide bill, the Tenmile Wilderness and Recreation Management Areas provide opportunities for long ridgeline technical traverses and challenging backcountry ski terrain. Check out the interactive website below to explore the crags and mountains that would be protected by this legislation:

Click on image above to access and interactive map prepared by the Outdoor Alliance GIS Lab. 2017.

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How We Can Help Move The CORE Act Forward:

1.     Cultivate Bipartisan Support for the Bill

While the CORE Act has received support from Colorado Democrats, opposition was expressed by some Republican members at a recent US House Natural Resources Committee hearing. Concern was raised that some Coloradans, “such as the Garfield County’s commissioners, who oppose the permanent withdrawal of oil and gas leasing in the Thompson Divide area west of Carbondale – were not being heard.”[4] A number of other groups raised opposition to the bill “due to limits it posed on certain recreational and work activities, such as motorized vehicle use.”[5] Because wilderness designations require an act of Congress to create, it is critical to build bi-partisan support for this legislation if it is to go anywhere. 

2.     Participate in the GMUG Forest Planning Process 

Chris French, Acting Deputy Chief of The US Forest Service provided testimony during the hearing and pointed out that the USFS supports the bill where it is consistent with the applicable Forest Plans and have broad based local support. This is a relatively expected response as the Forest Plan, which acts similarly to zoning for the forest, partially governs the decision making within the unit. So, where wilderness is proposed by the Forest Plan and aligns with the CORE Act designations, the Forest Service will support the proposal. This is an important reminder to participate in the GMUG Forest planning process and to let your local land managers hear your opinion about wilderness designations in Colorado.  The GMUG is currently being update and your opinion is needed!

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A Closer Look At The CORE Act Designations:

National Historic Landscape: 28,700 acres

• Camp Hale was the former base of the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division and would receive the first national historic landscape designation in the country. The Camp was dedicated to training military climbers, skiers and mountaineers for combat during WWII and had a massive impact on shaping the climbing and skiing community. This designation would instruct the responsible agency to manage the area for its historical purposes including performing restoration and enhancement of its resources.

 Special Management Area: 50,200 acres

• Special management areas are “federal public lands designated by Congress for a specific use or uses. Typically, special management legislation is contained in individual wilderness acts and directs the responsible agency to manage the area in accordance with the congressionally designated purposes. Included among the special management areas are backcountry areas, reserves, conservation areas, wildlife areas, fish management areas and national recreation areas.” [6]

 National Recreation Area: 43,000 acres

• This designation generally includes areas that have outstanding combinations of outdoor recreation opportunities, aesthetic attractions, and proximity to potential users. While not as restrictive as wilderness, it is considerably less resource-exploitive than traditional multiple-use designations and requires the agency to manage the land to serve its recreational use.[7]

 Mineral Withdrawal: 206,600 acres

• A mineral withdrawal refers to a statute, executive order, or administrative order that changes the designation of a parcel of federal land from “available” to “unavailable” for location, settlement, selection, filing, entry or disposal, under the mineral or non-mineral public-land laws.[8] This designation closes an area to new mining claims and requires existing claims to be demonstrated as valid before beginning mining activities.

 Wilderness: 73,000 acres

• An area of Wilderness is defined as “an area of undeveloped federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habituation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions…”[9] This is the most stringent preservation mechanism on Federal public lands.

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Citations:

[1] Geltman, Louis. Outdoor Alliance Testimony Re: Legislative hearing on H.R. 823, the “Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act.” April 2, 2019. Available here.

[2] Dutta, Deepan. “Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy (CORE) Act gets day in Congress, supporters and opponents testify about act’s merits” Post Independent. April 6, 2019. Available here.

[3] Dutta, 2019.

[4] 8 Pub. Land L. Rev. 61 (1987)

[5] Coggins et. al. “Federal Public Land and Resources Law.” 7th edition. Foundation Press. 2014.

[6] Coggins et. al.

[7] The Wilderness Act. Pub.L. 88-577. 1964.

[8] CORE Act summary. Available here.

[9] State of the Rockies Project. “Conservation in the West Poll.” January 31, 2019.

Let Congress Hear It - Climbers Want The Public Lands Package!

Moon Rising over Zion National Park, UT. Photo Credit: Taylor Luneau.

Back in November, I went to Washington D.C. to represent the American Alpine Club (AAC) as their Policy Manager in the U.S. Congress. Together with member organizations of the Outdoor Alliance, including the Conservation Alliance, we visited congressional offices and lobbied for a variety of bills supporting human-powered outdoor recreation. Importantly, on our agenda was the “Public Lands Package” (S.47), which many of you may be very familiar with by now. If you’re not, you can take a look at the Outdoor Alliance’s webpage to get caught up.

As for that particulars, the Package includes a variety of important bills for people who love outdoor recreation, including reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and protecting places like the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area, the Methow Valley, Emery County, and Oregon Wildlands. You can read the comment letter that the AAC co-signed to Sen. McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Schumer (D-NY) voicing our support for the Public Lands Package below. The Package was set to pass with bipartisan support back in December, but fell short due to an objection from Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) regarding the Antiquities Act. 

The 116th Congress is finally up and running (following the longest government shutdown in the history of the U.S.!) we are hopeful that the Package will finally get approved. Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) has already re-introduced the Package in the Senate and we hope to see a vote on it in the coming week. If the Senate approves the Package, it will be a huge step towards protecting valuable public land assets well into the future.

Now is a critical time to make your voice heard on this issue. Please take a moment to write your lawmakers and let them know that climbers want the Public Lands Package passed. Fill out the form below to take action.

Taylor Luneau

AAC, Policy Manager

Outdoor Advocates Network

Ryan Burke descending from Middle Teton and heading to the saddle of South Garnet on a push for the Grand Traverse. Grand Teton National Park, WY. Photo credit: Taylor Luneau.

Looking back towards Middle Teton from the base of Garnet Canyon I surveyed the skyline from the Grand to Nez Perce. We had just completed the Grand Traverse, a technical ridge climb totaling 12,000+ feet of elevation gain/loss which crosses the Teton ranges most prominent peaks. After two days of intense effort, technical climbing, and challenging route finding, here we stood, unable to wipe the grins from our faces or understand the floating feeling under our feet. It was in this moment that I understood my supreme appreciation for our nation’s public lands; it cemented my commitment to their protection. I thought to myself “every climber should have the opportunity to feel this way.”

Prior to my graduate studies, my understanding of our national public lands was elementary at best. I knew I loved wild places but I didn’t know the ins and outs of environmental law, policy or natural resource science. I can’t say I’m an expert now, but with a dual master’s in the stuff-- and the job of Policy Manager at the AAC-- I have the privileged opportunity to share resources with other climbers who may be in the stage that I once was; passionate about their climbing areas and curious how to protect them.

As a member organization of the Outdoor Alliance, the American Alpine Club collaborates with other outdoor recreation advocacy groups across the country. Recently our partner, The Mountaineers, released the Outdoor Advocates Network featuring a “Public Lands 101” course. The eLearning course highlights a bunch of great material including:

• Descriptions of the primary land management agencies

• Breakdowns on important conservation designations

• The basics on critical conservation laws, and

• How to take action on important issues

These days it seems like the political landscape changes as quickly as thin ice on a south facing wall in full sunlight. However, with an understanding of the fundamentals, you can keep up with subtleties of public lands protection and advocate for your home mountain ranges. If you’ve got the appetite, the Outdoor Advocates Network is a great place to start. Not only will the Network help you understand the basics, but it will direct you to the best places to get involved on important public lands legislation. So, if you feel like you’re cruxing out when it comes to discussing public lands issues, or if you have that terrible gut feeling like you’re off route with your advocacy project check out the Network to catch up.

The climbing community has a massive stake in the conversation of our public lands management. The more of us that can advocate for our climbing landscapes the more protections we can expect them to recieve. Together we’re stronger. Come join our fight.

Taylor Luneau

AAC Policy Manager

Secretary Zinke Releases Interim Report on Bears Ears

June 12, 2017: This afternoon, Secretary Zinke released his interim report on Bears Ears National Monument. Despite overwhelming public support to keep Bears Ears as designated, his recommendations include a reduction to the size of the monument. 

Read our joint statement with Outdoor Alliance here.

American Alpine Club Official Member of Outdoor Alliance

May 19, 2015, Golden, CO—The American Alpine Club (AAC) has joined as an official member of Outdoor Alliance, a coalition that unites the voices of the American outdoor recreation community. As a member organization of the coalition, the AAC will strengthen its voice in the national conversation about human-powered recreation on public lands, helping to secure climbing access for its members.

Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of seven national and regional outdoor recreation organizations that brings the outdoor recreation user voice to public land policy to protect, promote, and enhance the human-powered experience on our public lands.

“The American Alpine Club is a legendary mountaineering organization, with impressive roots in the conservation movement and a large and active membership," said Outdoor Alliance's Executive Director, Adam Cramer. "Their highly-engaged membership will complement our work protecting climbing and other human-powered recreation across the country." Outdoor Alliance coalition work has helped protect places like Browns Canyon in Colorado, increased protection for Colorado Roadless Areas, and improved access to outdoor recreation across public lands.

"In joining the coalition the AAC adds its voice to the much-needed effort to protect our public lands and ensure they are managed responsibly for recreation," said AAC CEO Phil Powers. "Just as importantly, our new partnership with the Outdoor Alliance gives our public policy staff a team to work with as we advocate for climbing in the United States." In uniting the voices of outdoor organizations of varying disciplines from across the country, OA stands as a testament to the AAC's belief that together we're stronger. This new partnership moves the AAC and its members another step toward the vision of a united community of competent climbers and healthy climbing landscapes.


About Outdoor Alliance:

Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of organizations that include American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, and the Mountaineers. We are backcountry skiers, hikers, paddlers, mountain bikers, boaters, and climbers who share a commitment to protecting public lands. In uniting our voices, we are building and nurturing a conservation constituency for the 21st century.