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Voter turnout sets records: Biden-Harris Administration turning their attention to climate and NEPA

As the AAC wraps up our landmark get out the vote campaign, Send it to the Polls, we’re feeling inspired and motivated by the climbing community. In the midst of a global pandemic, you committed to vote, educated others about how to vote, and importantly, you showed up to make your voice heard.

COVID-19 changed the way many Americans participate in the democratic process but against all the odds there was a record setting voter turnout! According to the non-partisan United States Elections Project, 160 million people voted, and there was a turnout rate of 66.9%. Turnout has not been this high since 1900 — 120 years ago. Investments were made across the country to increase voter accessibility like online and same day registration, mail-in ballots and earlier than normal voting. All measures the AAC supports carrying forward into future election cycles in order to continue breaking down voting barriers.

With the 2020 election in the books, we’ve been asked what a Biden-Harris Administration means for the climate and for fixing important environmental regulations like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The efficacy of a Biden-Harris environmental agenda partially depended on who controls the Senate - an outcome that was recently decided by two run-off elections in Georgia. With two Democrats winning Senate seats in Georgia, there will be an even split in power in the Senate with Vice President elect Harris acting as the tie breaker. This could mean big things for the conservation lands designations that we advocated for during the previous congress and for the composition of important committees like the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Check out the Summit Register issue #1 for an article about climate change impacts on the climbing community in Georgia.

With a shift in power in Congress, we’re hopeful to see the Biden Administration’s extensive legislative agenda realized. President Elect Biden’s website lists climate as a top four priority, and many of the policies highlighted to change in the first 100 days relate to repairing the countless rollbacks we witnessed over the past four years. In fact, the same day that President Trump announced changes to the Council on Environmental Qualities regulations that implement NEPA, then presidential hopeful Joe Biden “outlined an environmental policy that would roll back President Trump’s environmental reforms, invest trillions in clean energy and transportation, and set aggressive emissions goals, including emissions-free power by 2035.”

While we’re hopeful that the incoming Administration will correct these environmental rollbacks, it’s important that they hear from you to prioritize this goal.

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The American Alpine Club alongside our partners at the Winter Wildlands Alliance, Western Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice, will continue to fight the previous administration’s NEPA rollback in court and expect to see challenges from intervening parties with a vested interest in a poorly functioning NEPA process. We’ll need your help to keep them at bay.

The National Environmental Policy Act ensures federal decision making is transparent, scientifically informed, and that the public has an opportunity to share their expertise and concerns. It's a bedrock environmental law that requires Federal agencies to engage in a project review process to identify the environmental, cultural, economic, and health impacts of a project, as well as offering alternatives to the plan before a decision is made.

NEPA is also a fantastic tool to help federal agencies consider and account for cumulative impacts like climate change but it needs to be restored to its original form.

Alongside correcting NEPA, President Elect Biden and Vice President Elect Harris have committed to re-entering the Paris Climate Agreement, and ensuring a just transition to renewable energy. With climate policy receiving a potential spotlight in the coming year - we look forward to advocating for public land management as a solution to the climate crisis. Policy objectives like the 30 x 30 resolution to protect 30% of public lands and waters by 2030 are a fantastic opportunity for conservation and recreation groups to conserve critical ecosystems, combat climate change and promote human powered outdoor recreation.

There’s a lot more work to be done, and we’ll need your help pushing the incoming Administration to stand up for the outdoor recreation communities needs, but we’re hopeful about the opportunities on the horizon.
















AAC is suing the Administration over change in NEPA, the peoples environmental law

When the government proposes a project that could impact the health of your community and environment, one federal law keeps you in the loop and allows your voice to be heard—but last week the Trump Administration pulled it apart. As a result, the AAC is joining forces with Winter Wildlands Alliance and 20 other conservation and environmental justice organizations to sue the Council on Environmental Quality and the Trump Administration.  

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ensures federal decision making is transparent, scientifically informed and that the public has an opportunity to share their expertise and concerns. It’s a bedrock environmental law that requires Federal agencies to engage in a project review process to identify the environmental, cultural, economic, and health impacts of a project, as well as offering alternatives to the plan before a decision is made.

Sounds pretty reasonable right?

Well, after years of environmental deregulation under the guise of “efficiency” and “job creation,” the Trump Administration finalized its biggest rollback yet. On July 15, the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality released the final text of their updates to the rules that implement NEPA. 

These rule changes raise major concerns not only for the protection of public lands and outdoor recreation, but for the health and well-being of communities across the country who rely on clean air, water and a healthy climate. The destruction of NEPA is not only an environmental issue, but a social justice issue as well.

“This rule change is a massive step backward not only for public lands and the climbing community but for all Americans. NEPA ensures meaningful community participation and representation, it considers public health data and other important scientific research to make informed decisions, and it considers the composition of the affected area to determine and address disproportionate impacts on low-income and minority communities. These changes fly in the face of every American’s right to a healthy environment - especially now in the midst of a public health crisis.”
— Taylor Luneau, AAC Policy Manager

WHAT IS CEQ

Essentially, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), is the keeper of the nation’s environmental goals. Created by NEPA, the CEQ is meant to advise the Executive branch on how best to protect the quality of the nation’s environment. Importantly, it’s tasked with overseeing how NEPA is implemented by federal agencies such as the National Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. As you can imagine, the CEQ plays a major role in how our natural resources are managed, and that role can change dramatically from administration to administration. 

CUMULATIVE IMPACTS

The CEQ’s new regulations limit the scope of environmental review and remove meaningful science and data from decision making. Importantly, it no longer requires agencies to consider certain long-term effects of a project due to eliminating what are known as “cumulative and indirect impacts” from environmental analysis. These are the effects of a project that result from incremental actions, or impacts that are reasonably foreseeable in the future. These impacts may be minor individually, but collectively result in significant impacts over time. 

For example:

Say there’s a new logging proposal on Mt. Hood which will cut a road directly through the approach trail to your favorite climb! In the previous NEPA process, the Forest Service would need to create an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) where they consider the immediate impacts of the logging proposal on things like wildlife, recreation, and the watershed. In addition, the EIS would also analyze the indirect effects, such as the long-term decline of a species due to habitat fragmentation, as well the cumulative impacts, like the impact on the climate due to removing a carbon rich forest.

In the updated NEPA process, the Forest Service is now only responsible for considering immediate and direct effects of the proposal and can ignore those indirect and cumulative impacts, of which there are many.

Removing the requirement to consider long-term project effects opens the door for extractive industries looking for fewer environmental constraints. This favors the interests of industry over the health of our communities and impedes our important work to address climate change.

PUBLIC PROCESS

Discussions surrounding NEPA cannot be had without acknowledging the systems of environmental racism that have been in place in this country since its inception. Disruptive federal projects like the interstate system or power plants, have historically landed in the communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The history of racial injustice caused by these federal projects was part of the impetus behind NEPA’s creation. The law provided the chance for community members and allies to have a say in projects being proposed in their own backyards. Trump’s rollback sidelines the public and gives corporate polluters the ability to cut corners and complete their own analysis without listening to opinions of constituents. Industry does not deserve to have the final say on the future of our communities and public lands. 

“The elimination of public comment periods silences citizens while giving a megaphone to corporations who profit from the destruction of public lands and pollute neighborhoods across the country.”
— Amelia Howe, AAC National Campaign Coordinator

HOW CAN WE INTERVENE?

Congress must take action to hold the Administration accountable and defend the National Environmental Policy Act, an act that once was celebrated for its overwhelming bi-partisan support. Our elected officials must understand that public process and the need for thorough environmental analysis are not partisan issues. We must elect officials who will stand up for laws that aim to protect our environment and vulnerable communities. 

The AAC is committed to fighting for the National Environmental Policy Act at all costs which is why we are suing the Trump Administration. There is a long fight ahead, but together we can protect our climbing landscapes and communities.






Stand up for the National Environmental Policy Act!

WHAT IS NEPA?

For 50 years, the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) has provided important guardrails that protect the environment, cultural resources, and public health, but the current administration is attempting to overhaul the law in a way that will provide benefits to big polluters by severely limiting environmental reviews, curtailing public comment, and allowing industry to conduct their own impact statements - introducing bias into federal decision making. Perhaps most concerning is the removal of the indirect and cumulative effects analysis which requires the federal government to account for their impact on climate change.

NEPA is a bedrock environmental law that was built to provide government oversight in a system that otherwise affords the government ample discretion. It’s important we oppose revisions to NEPA and fight to maintain science and public comment in federal decision making.

ACT NOW TO PROTECT NEPA

Great American Outdoors Act Passes in the Senate!

Today, the Senate took its final vote on the Great American Outdoors Act and passed the bill 73 to 25. The outdoor community has been instrumental in getting the bill passed and should celebrate this victory! The AAC is extremely grateful to everyone who took action to support the Great American Outdoors Act.

“Fair and equitable access to community parks, green spaces, and public lands should be afforded to all, and those outdoor spaces need to be well resourced and protected. The GAOA is a big step in the right direction for public land conservation.” Taylor Luneau, AAC Policy Manager

The Great American Outdoors Act means billions of dollars in funding for trails, parks, and public lands and waters across the country. It includes permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and funding for the maintenance backlog on National Parks, National Forest, and other public lands. In total, the bill means as much as $2.8 billion a year will be made available to spend on public lands, outdoor recreation, maintenance and restoration, and new green spaces.

ask your representatives in the house to support the gaoa today with the tool below

While this is a big win, our work is not done. The bill will now travel to the House, where lawmakers need to pass an identical version before it goes on to the President’s desk for approval.

Please send a message to your Representatives to vote YES.

It is also important to hold our lawmakers accountable.
The following Senators voted “NO” on this historic public lands package:

Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Moran (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Romney (R-UT)
Rounds (R-SD)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Toomey (R-PA)

Barrasso (R-WY)
Blackburn (R-TN)
Braun (R-IN)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Enzi (R-WY)
Fischer (R-NE)
Hawley (R-MO)
Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)

Use the tool below to send a quick thank you note to your Senators if they voted yes (it will automatically update to express disappointment if they voted no)

THE AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB CELEBRATES A YEAR OF CLIMATE ADVOCACY

Policy Manager Taylor Luneau Leads out of the ice cave on Mindbender at Lake Willoughby while belayed by IFMGA mountain guide Kel Rossiter. Photo Credit: Alden Pellet

Policy Manager Taylor Luneau Leads out of the ice cave on Mindbender at Lake Willoughby while belayed by IFMGA mountain guide Kel Rossiter. Photo Credit: Alden Pellet

THE AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB CELEBRATES A YEAR OF CLIMATE ADVOCACY

The American Alpine Club is swiftly approaching its one year anniversary of the Climbers for Climate campaign. After sifting through over 5,000 survey results in 2019, it became clear - climbers care deeply about the issue of climate change. Survey responses indicated that our community is concerned about the impact of climate change on our climbing landscapes, communities, and the outdoor recreation economy. We, as an organization, decided that it was time to take action. We heard you.

On June 1st, 2019, we released AAC’s first official policy position statement on climate change. Using responses derived from member surveys, scientific research, and AAC mission as a guide, we created a comprehensive document that outlines AAC’s climate action items on an internal, national, and global level. 

What have we accomplished?

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  • Created a Climate Change Task Force consisting of leading researchers who provide AAC with evidence-based guidance for how the policy team decides where to focus our advocacy work.

  • Advocated for legislation and policies that mitigate climate change. During Climb the Hill we asked representatives to regulate and reduce carbon pollution and to support a plan to regulate carbon pollution that reduces burdens on low-income communities while mitigating the effects on climate change. 

    • Bills we advocated for: Methane Waste Prevention Act of 2019 (HR 2711), The Climate Action Now Act (HR 9), and The Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act (HR1146).

  • Launched research projects focused on measuring the impact of climate change on the winter climbing environments and the outdoor recreation economy.

  • Created meaningful partnerships with organizations working to push the needle on climate, like Protect our Winters, Winter Wildlands Alliance, and Outdoor Alliance.

Climbers are deeply connected to the outdoors and are credible witnesses to the effect climate change has on climbing landscapes and communities around the world. 

Thank you for standing up as a community to

demand climate action. 

Your support gave us the strength to start our work on climate. And, in the coming year, we’ll use your feedback and what we’ve learned over the past year as a lens to push forward on our commitments, further develop policy campaigns, and develop an updated strategic plan for the AAC Policy department.


We heard you then, and we hear you now. Let’s continue to push for action on climate!


Speak up by March 10 to protect The National Environmental Policy Act

Recently, the Trump Administration announced a plan to rewrite the rules for how a bedrock environmental law called the National Environmental Policy Act is implemented. The rule changes would restrict public engagement in federal projects and limit the scope of environmental review for development projects on public lands and waters. More importantly, the rule changes would eliminate what is known as the cumulative impacts analysis, which has historically required the government to consider the effects of their decisions on the climate.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) held a public hearing in Denver at the EPA Region 8 headquarters where the 100 or so speaking slots filled in under four minutes! AAC Policy Manager Taylor Luneau provided testimony on behalf of the human-powered recreation community, saying:

“At its core, NEPA mandates informed decision making, based on sound science and requires that, to the fullest extent possible, all agencies of the federal government take a hard look at environmental consequences prior to issuing a decision. NEPA declares a broad commitment to protecting and promoting environmental quality and the CEQ rules are influential in shaping agency implementation of the statute.”

NEPA is an essential pathway for the outdoor recreation community to engage in public land management and these changes will limit our ability to do just that. The CEQ will be accepting public comment on their revisions to NEPA until March 10. Please take a moment to let the CEQ know that we oppose these changes in the brief action alert below.

Policy Manager Taylor Luneau providing his testimony on the proposed changes to the CEQ implementation of NEPA at the EPA Region 8 Headquarters in Denver, CO.

The comment period for NEPA is now closed! Thanks so much for taking action, and be sure to sign up to receive action alerts for future comment periods:

https://www.outdooralliance.org/sign-up

Protecting America's Wilderness Act Passed in the House!

The AAC celebrates the passing through the House of the Protecting America’s Wilderness Act (H.R. 2546) and strongly supports the Act as it moves to the Senate floor. This impressive public lands package combines six bills, collectively protecting 1.3 million acres of land and more than 1200 river miles in the Wild Olympics in Washington, the central coast and Redwoods in California, and Wilderness areas throughout Colorado. It defends outdoor recreation opportunities, safeguards water resources, protects public lands, and supports the multibillion dollar outdoor recreation economy. The land  protections in the act prohibit logging, mining, and drilling, in certain key landscapes and serves as a key climate change mitigation tactic. Thank you Rep. Diana DeGette for being a champion of this legislation, and thanks to all other representatives who supported this act. The climbing community is hopeful that the bill will successfully navigate the Senate in order to place a value on wilderness, and protect these indispensable lands and waterways for generations to come. 

Please join the AAC and the Outdoor Alliance in thanking your representatives for voting to advance this bill. Stay tuned for more information and actions as the Protecting America’s Wilderness Act makes its way to the senate floor. 

Montana Hill to Crag - Climbing Ice with Public Land Advocates

The American Alpine Club hosted their 5th Hill to Crag, and the FIRST ice climbing event this past weekend! We were incredibly fortunate to partner with the Bozeman Ice Festival and spotlight not only the event itself but the beauty and grandeur of Hyalite Canyon.

Hill to Crag is a unique opportunity to bring together legislators, staffers, outdoor recreation influencers, and veterans to discuss and share information in an exciting way - Climbing! Participants had the opportunity to get on the ice with some of America’s foremost Alpinists, as well as Service members who have a passion for the outdoors.

Among other things, we discussed Veteran issues, the impact of outdoor recreation on the economy, and access to public lands to support a healthy economy and Veteran therapy. We were joined by Rachel Vandervoort, Director of the Montana Office of Outdoor Recreation and spoke at length about the amazing climbing resources in Southwest Montana, and elsewhere in the state.

We were also joined by Zoe Bommarito and Darla Cotton from the National Forest Foundation, who experienced their first time climbing ever! Nearly 34% of climbing in the United States lies on Forest Service lands - that’s more than any other agency public lands. It was great to connect some of the stewards of these lands with climbing for the first time and talk about the importance of National Forests everywhere to the climbing community.

A big thanks to Joe Josephson, Conrad Anker and Graham Zimmerman for showing our crew around the canyon, putting up ropes, and teaching climbing movement. These folks have contributed in so many ways to the climbing community and we were grateful to have them in attendance. Also, thank you to all of the service members who attended. We hope to continue sharing climbing and public lands with active and veteran military communities across the country. A final and important thanks to our sponsors for the event, Black Diamond, Scarpa, Cilogear, and Patagonia!

Photo Credit: Joshua Murdock and Taylor Luneau

What's Happening To The Cryosphere? A Review Of The Recent IPCC Report.

Photo courtesy of Wilmer Sanchez Rodrigues, 2019 AAC research grant awardee. Photo taken while conducting research in Peru with the American Climber Science Program.

By Marca Hagenstad

Last fall in Innsbruck, Austria I presented the results of research I conducted with Protect Our Winters (POW) on the economics of snow sports at the International Snow Science Workshop. There, I met a French snow scientist who asked me to join his team as a contributing author on a chapter on High Mountain Areas in IPCC’s next research effort. The IPCC Special Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere came out this September, and I wanted to highlight some of its main findings. While I am a social scientist, specializing in circular economies, I’ve attempted to summarize the climate science as well, to help ensure the information is absorbed by a larger audience.

“Our engagement with new climate change information depends on how it coheres with our existing perception of how the world works.”

Our engagement with new climate change information depends on how it coheres with our existing perception of how the world works. I want to acknowledge this and distill the report down into digestible chunks that various communities can relate to. For the AAC, distributing information on the alpine environment makes sense. We are all aware of the changes we have seen in the mountains–from rain in winter to shrinking glaciers. The report investigates how these collective changes are impacting our global environment. 

Impacts on the farthest corners of the Earth

 This is the first IPCC report to examine climate change impacts to the farthest corners of the Earth, from the highest alpine regions to the deepest oceans. The frozen part of the Earth is called the cryosphere, and includes ice, snow, glaciers, and permafrost. It is widespread in polar regions and high mountains. Frozen regions are thawing and impacts are far-reaching. Land and sea ice are melting at accelerating rates. There is rapid surface melt of glaciers and decline in snow cover, especially at lower elevations. Permafrost is melting, with temperatures increasing to record high levels.

 Shrinking glaciers and snow cover have many impacts to recreation. They pose challenges to winter recreationists and to ski resorts, forcing some resorts out of business and increasing financial risks, especially for lower-elevation resorts. Many resorts are responding by increasing snow-making capabilities, which may be effective for a while, but may not be feasible in the long term as temperatures exceed minimum temperatures needed for snowmaking. By 2050, only 10 to 13 out of 21 prior Olympic Winter Games locations are projected to have adequate snow reliability, depending on the emissions scenario. Cryosphere decline has also reduced opportunities for ice climbing.

In summer, cryosphere changes are impacting glacier-related activities such as hiking, skiing, climbing, and mountaineering. Hiker and climber safety is being compromised along established trails and common access routes. In response, several routes have been relocated and some ladders and fixed anchors have been installed. New opportunities are presented in some locations where visitors are attracted by ‘last chance’ opportunities to view a glacier or to view the loss of a glacier. Trekking in the Himalaya has been negatively affected and the reduced water availability affects the ability of hotels and campsites to serve visitors. 

 Permafrost holds double the amount of carbon currently in the atmosphere. As it thaws, enormous quantities of carbon and methane are released – we’re talking 10s to 100s of billions of tonnes of CO2 - which further contribute to global warming. Contaminants are also released, affecting water quality. Permafrost thaw is also affecting recreationists: rock falls on and off glaciers are increasingly observed, threatening the safety of hikers and mountaineers, especially in Switzerland and New Zealand. Permafrost thaw, along with glacier retreat, have induced major changes to iconic mountaineering routes in the Mont-Blanc area including reduced route safety and shift in the climbing season. 

“Permafrost thaw, along with glacier retreat, have induced major changes to iconic mountaineering routes in the Mont-Blanc area including reduced route safety and shift in the climbing season.”

The report concludes that the speed and intensity of the future impacts from ocean and cryosphere change depend critically on the quantities of greenhouse gas emissions we choose to continue to release. So, it is a positive that we actually have control over how severe the impacts of climate change will get. We will continue to experience significant changes, but impacts will be much less severe if emissions are significantly reduced. Reducing other pressures such as pollution and overfishing, and increasing habitat and wetland restoration can also ease impacts. Improving education and using scientific knowledge alongside local and Indigenous knowledge can support the development of solutions that help communities adapt to changes and respond to challenges ahead.

Marca Hagenstad is an economist with Circle Economics and a contributing author to the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on the cryosphere. She also tests splitboards for Backcountry Magazine and teaches snow science with Winter Wildlands Alliance.

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Facilitating Outdoor Access: The SOAR Act

During Climb the Hill this year Matt Wade, AMGA’s Advocacy and Policy Director, testified in support of the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation, commonly known as the SOAR Act (S. 1665, HR 3879). Outside Magazine has a great piece that goes into the specifics of this bill. In short, the SOAR Act will benefit the outdoor recreation community by improving and expediting the permitting process for guides and outfitters who utilize public lands for programming. This will ultimately aid in enhancing and diversifying access in the outdoors. We chatted with Matt after his testimony and he shared some beta on what it is like to speak up for outdoor recreation in front of the House Natural Resources subcommittee, and how constituents can help the fight at home.

Photo: Irene Yee (@ladylockoff)

Interview with matt wade

Q: Why did you want to testify on behalf of the SOAR Act? What drives you to advocate for this bill? 
A: Many people learn to climb with an instructor or guide and problems in the outfitter-guide permitting system are preventing people from having that opportunity. Youth camps are waiting years for a permit request to be approved, guides have to travel abroad to climb with their clients because they can’t get permits at home, and organizations that do have permits have to deal with an enormous amount of unnecessary red tape. There is very real, urgent need for change.

Q: What will the passing of this legislation mean for the climbing/greater outdoor recreation community?
A: If the SOAR Act is passed into law it will significantly improve opportunities for people from all walks of life to take a climbing class, attend a mountaineering camp, or hire a guide to improve their skills. It will also reduce overhead and administration for the agencies, which is much needed as more and more agency staff time is getting diverted to fire suppression. Passage of the bill will be a win-win across the outdoor recreation space. 

Q: How did it feel testifying to the committee?
A: It was great. I really enjoyed talking with the other witnesses and it was an honor to be of service to the Committee staff and members of Congress as they are contemplating this important legislation. I also felt a tangible sense of community support and encouragement from the many Climb the Hill attendees in the audience! Thank you to all of you who came to the hearing to show your support!

Q: Where are we in the process of passing this legislation?
A: With this hearing we achieved a milestone in the legislative process and we can be proud of that, but there is still more work to do. Next, we need to advocate for a similar hearing in the Senate. Then the bill will go through “markup” which is the process of making amendments or changes. Finally, the bill will need to be voted on in both chambers. The process is more a marathon than a sprint but we have left the starting line at a good pace. Let’s keep the momentum going.  

Photo: AAC Member Ron Funderburke

Helping from home

When asked how folks back home can help push the SOAR Act forward, Matt shared some insights that can be used not only for the SOAR Act in isolation, but all legislation that will continue to protect climbing areas and access in perpetuity:

A: Contact your members of Congress and let them know these issues are important to you. If you have a personal story about a difficulty accessing public lands, share it with them. Personal stories from constituents are the single most compelling piece of evidence for legislation. After telling your story, ask them to cosponsor the SOAR Act.

The SOAR Act is widely supported across the aisle and is currently co-sponsored by fourteen members of the House and thirteen members of the Senate. Be sure to write your representatives to make sure they are supporting the SOAR Act.

Receding Glaciers on Mont Blanc Results in Closures for Italian Side

Have you ever dreamed of climbing mixed routes on the Mont Blanc massif? Come back another time, it is closed, or at least a few roads to access much of the Northwestern side of the iconic massif are. Why is this infamous alpine area closing its doors on the Italian side? It’s due to the rapid movement, and a threatening collapse of the Planpincieux glacier. Italy’s Minister of the Environment Sergio Costa claims climate change is to blame, and states that the emergency indicates “the necessity and urgency of strong and coordinated action for the climate, to prevent extreme events that risk dramatic consequences.” 

The Planpincieux glacier resides on the Mont Blanc Massif and spreads across the borders of Italy, France, and Switzerland. This glacier is actively monitored by the Safe Mountain Foundation, and officials claim that “unusually high temperatures during August and September accelerated the ice melt.” According to Time, the glacier “which spreads 512 square miles acorss the mountain, has been moving up to 20 inches a day,” and is “at risk of collapse” threatening the residents of Courmayeur, an alpine town that rests in the valley below the glacier. 

Paralleling this development in the Alps is the release of the most recent United Nations IPCC report on Wednesday, September 24th. The report entitled, “Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate” (SROCC) predicts a rapid increase of glacial melting, similar to what is happening on Planpincieux. The SROCC warns that “human communities in close connection with polar areas and high mountains are particularly exposed” to melting glaciers. Th report also projects glacial mass and snow cover loss in non-polar regions like central Europe due to the impacts of climate change, stating that “by 2100, 80% of their current glacier mass may disappear.” Perhaps the most jarring statistic of all is the re-affirmation of findings from the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report  which predicted with high confidence that due to a “pronounced imbalance” between current glacier mass and climate, glaciers will continue to melt even with no further climate change.

The findings of these reports and many others are alarming. These high mountain regions do not serve only as climbing and mountaineering areas for us to enjoy, but as homes and communities for people living in the high alpine - approximately one-tenth of the world’s population. Seeing the real impact that climate change is having on pristine mountain environments combined with the scientific data provided by the SROCC should serve as a wakeup call for action from global leaders.

Climbers for Climate: Following up on the Climate Strike

While the American Alpine Club visited Washington DC for this year’s Climb the Hill event, many participants were able to end their time at our Nation’s Capital participating in the Global Climate Strike. The streets were filled with local youth, teachers, parents and grandparents, industry leaders like Patagonia, and advocacy groups ranging from Citizens Climate Lobby, to Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. The march made it clear that people from every generation, walk of life, and industry are coming together to fight for the future of a healthy planet.

Likely the “largest mass protest for action on global warming in history,” Vox reports that activists estimate there were four million people striking across the globe. Here are some highlights of the week of Global Climate Strike (Sept. 20-27) from 350 a non-profit identifying as an “international movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all”: 

  • 1.5 million protestors in Italy

  • 1.4 million protestors in Germany

  • Over 500,000 protestors in the United States

  • 20,000 protestors in Brazil

  • 13,000 protestors in Mexico

  • 13,000 protestors in India

  • 10,000 protestors in Pakistan

  • Over 7.6 million protestors worldwide

  • More than 6,100 events were held in 185 countries with the support of 73 Trade Unions, 820 civil society organizations, 3,000 companies and 8,500 websites  

While striking to bring awareness to issues can be a powerful means of collective activism, it is important to remember that having the ability to take time off of work to attend events of this nature is a privilege, and not everyone is able to participate. Because of this, it’s important to follow up with legislators to voice the why behind the protest, to speak out for those who may not have been in attendance, and to request direct action. 

Whether you marched alongside your fellow community members, followed along online for work, or were unable to participate this year, here are a few steps you can take to make sure our legislators hear us. 

  1. Contact your Representatives: Utilize this helpful tool located near the bottom of the AAC Climbers for Climate page. Enter your address and immediately find who your representatives are. Give their office a call, or shoot them an email and explain to them why you as a constituent care about taking responsible action on climate change. 

  2. Support Local Organizations in your area. Patagonia Action Works created a network of nonprofits and advocacy organizations that are working on grassroots projects in your area. You can easily tap into the network by entering your address and the issues you are interested in getting involved with.

  3. Stay educated on the issues. Keep following along here by reading updates from the AAC Policy Team, and expand your network into other areas of climate science and action. Check out our partners over at Protect our Winters or the Outdoor Alliance to find more information about Climate Change news, tools, and science. Have you seen Protect our Winters Canada’s latest tool: Fact Avalanche? If not, check that out here.

  4. VOTE. Are you registered yet? One of the most impactful ways to make change is voting for representatives who share the same values as you do and who believe that climate change is real.

LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND RECEIVES $30 MILLION MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR

Do you remember that Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) thing that has been a hot topic among conservation organizations this year? Well, back in March Congress agreed to make it a permanent program which will receive funding through the appropriations process, however, Congress could never agree on how much money it should receive. When the LWCF was first enacted, it was set up to collect $900 million annually. Unfortunately, in the 50+ years the program has been around, this has only happened twice.

Most recently, on September 24th the LWCF was granted funding through a suite of bills approved by the Senate subcommittee for the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. LWCF received a whopping $465 million which is the highest it has been funded in 15 years. While this is only half of the $900 million allotted to the LWCF, it is still $30 million more than it was funded in fiscal year 2019.

Senator Udall of New Mexico was a champion for getting this bill approved. He stated to the committee that he will “keep fighting for the resources we need to protect New Mexico and the nation’s natural resources and fulfill our trust and treaty responsibilities to Native communities.” A big thanks is owed to Senator Udall and all of the members of the committee, like Senator Murkowski, who were willing to work across the aisle to fund LWCF and, as Udall mentions in his statement, keep the bill “free of new poison pill, anti-environment provisions – providing Americans with better access to outdoor recreation while protecting our air and water.”

Due to lack of permanent funding, Congress will have to determine the LWCF’s budget on an annual basis which could mean wide variations of funding from year to year. During Climb the Hill this year, we advocated for H.R. 3195 and S.B. 1081, legislation that would ensure adequate funding for LWCF in perpetuity because we believe that LWCF is a necessary tool to continue to protect the special places where we camp, climb, and recreate across the country. If you would like to learn more about LWCF check out this blog we wrote detailing what it is, how it works, and where we see it in action.

Now that LWCF has been funded for 2020, it is important to thank our representatives, and remind them that while this increase in funding is a step in the right direction, the LWCF should be receiving $900 million annually, in perpetuity. Use our easy letter writing tool below to shoot your representatives a note on why you believe LWCF should be fully funded.

Fully Fund the Land Water Conservation Fund

Ask your representatives to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in perpetuity today. 

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Action Alert: Thank Reps. Huffman and Fitzpatrick for ANWR Win

A Big Win For The Arctic Refuge!

September 12, 2019 was a monumental day in the House of Representatives. The Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act (H.R. 1146) passed in a historic 225-193 vote. This bill repeals a provision in the 2017 GOP Tax Bill mandating oil and gas lease sales in the Refuge’s coastal plain and works to protect this critical landscape from the energy dominance agenda held by the current administration.

The champions behind this bill are Reps Jared Huffman from California and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. While the battle is not yet won, as the bill will now need to make its way through the Senate, we must take a moment to appreciate the hard work and effort that has gone into protecting this American treasure. The AAC wants to thank these supporters of the Arctic for seeing the value in conservation and for reaching across the aisle to fight for this critical ecosystem and the Alaska Native communities who have been stewards of this land and rely on it to live a full life.

Please take a moment to share your thanks with Rep. Huffman and Rep. Fitzpatrick!

Thank Rep. Huffman & Fitzpatrick - House votes to Block Drilling in ANWR
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Climb the Hill Advocate Highlight: Shelma Jun and Pete Ward

Shelma Jun is the founder of Flash Foxy and the Women’s Climbing Festival. Shelma is a current Board Member of the Access Fund and in 2017, was named one of 40 women who’ve made the biggest impact in the outdoor world by Outside Magazine. A leader in our community, she has written, spoken and presented on the importance of creating a climbing community that reflects and welcomes everyone who identifies as a climber. A California native currently based in Brooklyn, NY, Shelma can often be found plugging widgets into horizontal cracks at the Gunks or getting scared on granite highballs in Bishop.

Climb the Hill Q&A

Q: What about the event excites you?

A: It's always exciting to have climbers come together to meet with our elected officials and let them know what's important to us. I'm especially excited this year to have the additional insight and resource that the Climb the Hill JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Taskforce are bringing to this event. Super thankful for all the Taskforce members who volunteered their time throughout the year.

Q: What are you most excited to highlight to representatives while on the Hill?

A: I'm excited to highlight how diverse climbing is getting. Also to highlight that Public Lands are for everyone and we need to not only protect them, but also make sure that everyone has access to be able to appreciate them.

Q: Where is your favorite local crag?

A: I learned to climb in the Shawangunks (thought by some to be the Munsee Lenape name of the area) and it will always be a very special place to me. Though not "local," I also spend a lot of my time in the Eastern Sierra (also known as Pamidu Toiyabe by the Paiute/Numuu tribes of the region).

Pete Ward is a Board Member of the American Alpine Club (AAC) as well as a member of the AAC Policy Committee. He has woven climbing, its values, history, culture and global community into his life and career. He began his climbing journey as a rescue ranger at the Gunks in New Paltz, NY and continued across the US, when producing bouldering competitions with the specific aim of communicating climbing and what makes it brilliant to an urban audience. Recently, he has been living and climbing in Switzerland and Oxford, England where the limestone is proud as is the history on grit. Peter is an entrepreneur, working on blockchain and machine learning technologies.

Climb the Hill Q&A

Q: What about the event excites you?

A: I'm excited to see the depth and breadth of the climbing community advocating on the issues that matter most to us, as well as reaching out to expand our inclusivity and spread our values.

Q: What are you most excited to highlight to representatives while on the Hill?

A: The blinding priority of our time is climate change - that ship is sailing and we need to be focused on it. I'm also excited that the Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI) Task Force exists and that its perspectives are being represented in a powerful way.

Q: Where is your favorite local crag?

A: I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Farley, MA. It punches far above its weight class in its quality of bouldering problems… Of course, I learned how to climb in the Shawangunk's and I will always love that spot!

The Impact of Trade Wars and Tariffs on the Outdoor Recreation Economy 

The words “tariff” and “trade wars” are plastering the newscycle this month. With 25% tariffs in effect and more drama brewing between the U.S. and China, we wanted to unpack what tariffs are, the impact they have on the outdoor recreation economy, and what we can do to support outdoor retailers and the towns impacted by the economic blows during this time.

In short, tariffs are taxes on global imported goods received at the ports of entry. Governments utilize tariffs as a tool to keep American spending within our country to increase the national economy. By raising prices on imported products, retailers then have to sell these items for more money creating an incentive for consumers to purchase lower-cost American goods. 

The current administration has announced that it is committed to “American Protectionism,” which puts American businesses and manufacturing first in order to tax our global competitors. What complicates this notion is our modern day global economy. Many finished products purchased in the U.S. either contain material parts imported from other countries or were assembled in different countries around the world. Applying tariffs aren’t so cut and dry. 

Zooming out a bit, it is important to remember the impact that the outdoor recreation economy has on the greater U.S. economy. According to the Outdoor Industry Association’s (OIA) latest report on The Outdoor Recreation Economy, released in 2017, outdoor recreation raised over $880 billion in consumer spending and generated 7.6 million jobs, and these numbers continue to grow annually. Outdoor recreation is a powerful force in the U.S. economy and outdoor industry leaders need a spot at the table when discussing taxes that impact their industry. 

Photo Source: Tariffs Hurt American Outdoor Businesses, and How (OIA)

Currently, there are 25% tariffs on imported steel from select countries and 10% on imported aluminum. As an example of potential tariff impacts on the climbing community, camalots are made from steel (piece on Black Diamond cams here). Meaning it could potentially cost 25% more to manufacture cams abroad, which most companies do, including major players like Black Diamond and Metolius. The total cost of the steel tariff alone is $15.5 billion. While these numbers are jarring, according to research and reporting done by OIA, the hardest part of the ongoing tariff wars aren’t the tariffs themselves, but the “unpredictability of the Trump administration’s trade policies.” 

Companies often release pricing for next years’ product line in advance, so any modifications may present a challenge. Once tariffs are in place, companies are forced to either raise prices significantly for the consumer or to simply absorb the cost internally. Companies are then required to be reactive rather than proactive in their planning, negatively impacting innovation, design, customer service, and internal human resources.

When it comes to getting outdoors, The American Alpine Club doesn’t want to see tariffs creating additional barriers. According to an article recently published by OIA, Patricia Rojas-Ungar, OIA’s Vice President of Government Affairs, stated that all sorts of gear from “jackets to backpacks to hiking boots will see increases in tariffs of up to 30%.” She goes on to warn that due to these dramatic increases, businesses in the outdoor industry will be forced to make “drastic decisions” like hiring fewer employees. Or for smaller businesses, potentially closing their doors all together. She concludes by stating that the trade wars “have to stop, and real trade negotiations need to begin in earnest. . . . [k]nee-jerk reactions have long term devastating impacts on Americans, and we need Congress to stand up for its constituents.”  

OIA has created an Action Alert - tell your representatives that the tariff wars are negatively impacting you and your greater outdoor recreation industry.




Action Alert: Keep the Climbing Community's Voice in Public Land Management

The Forest Service is Proposing Changes to NEPA: Please Sign Our Action Alert to Ask Them to Stop!

Signed into law January 1, 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was the first major environmental law in the United States and is often referred to as the “Magna Carta” of environmental laws. While it created the Council on Environmental Quality, NEPA is most well-known for requiring the federal government to analyze the environmental impact of its decisions. Which decisions you ask?

NEPA requires that actions by “all agencies of the Federal Government” which are deemed to be “major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment” must be accompanied by “a detailed statement by the responsible official on the environmental impact of the proposed action.” By requiring this environmental review process, agencies like the National Forest Service must “…use all practicable means, consistent with other essential considerations of national policy’ to avoid environmental degradation, preserve ‘historic, cultural and natural’ resources and promote ‘the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment without…undesirable and unintended consequences.”

Whether through an Environmental Assessment (EA), or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the review process provides an opportunity for the public to weigh in on Federal decision making and offer thoughts on agency analysis as well as to propose alternatives to chosen actions. These public comment periods are critical to the work we do at the American Alpine Club, alongside the members of the Outdoor Alliance, on such important public land management issues as Forest Plan Revisions or Forest Service Projects.

Currently, the U.S. Forest Service is considering sweeping changes to how it implements NEPA that would drastically limit public engagement on up to 93% of USFS projects, allowing actions like logging and road building to proceed without environmental review or public comment. This would be accomplished by the addition of several new Categorical Exclusions (CE’s), which require limited environmental analysis and public involvement. If a project is granted a CE, extended amount of environmental review, either through and EA or more extensive EIS, is not required. For climbers these changes would be detrimental considering that, according to the Access Fund, there are over 10,000 climbing areas located on USFS lands across the country. These proposed changes could cut the climbing community out of the planning process and a risk degradation to our cherished climbing environment.

Supporters of this “fast-tracking” of agency actions claim the Forest Service is simply increasing the efficiency of its review process. While there may be legitimate reasons to increase the efficiency of agency reviews, they should not come at the cost of public involvement or at the quality of our clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and recreation access on federal lands.

The Forest Service is accepting public comments on this proposed rule change until this coming Monday, August 26th. At the AAC, we want our public land managers to provide proper opportunities for public comment and the evaluation of agency impacts to the environment. The proposed changes by the Forest Service do not provide the necessary transparency, community engagement or agency accountability that we expect of our land managers.

Please take a moment to let the US Forest Service know that you disagree with their changes to NEPA.

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AAC Volunteer Major Byron Harvison joins state Governors & OREC Directors at the Outdoor Recreation Learning Network

Major Byron Harvison (center in green) at the 2018 Hill to Crag in North Carolina.

Byron Harvison is an active duty Army major, an avid climber, and a passionate member of the American Alpine Club. He has also played a leading role in the AAC’s Hill to Crag campaign which is an annual event series that brings together veterans, active duty service members, AAC volunteers, state offices of outdoor recreation, and local, state, and national policymakers for a day spent climbing at local crags. This past week, Byron had the opportunity to represent the AAC at the National Governors Association (NGA) Outdoor Recreation Learning Network held in Salt Lake City. The network’s mission is to “advance the outdoor economy and workforce, conservation and wellness” and was created to “help governors and their staffs explore strategies to leverage their unique natural, cultural and historical resources and help promote economic, social and environmental benefits”.

The inaugural meeting was held at the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City, UT, with governors from UT, MT, OR, VT, ME, and NV in attendance. Each state’s respective Director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation was in attendance as well. Eric Artz, the CEO of REI, David Weinstein, OIA’s state and local policy director, and Jessica Wahl, Executive Director of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable attended the event and shared closing remarks following the governors. After the media event, select invitees from the outdoor recreation community walked the Red Butte Gardens to carry on discussions and hear from Dr. David Strayer about the behavioral health benefits of time spent outdoors.

Byron had the opportunity to speak substantively with several Outdoor Recreation Directors about hosting future Hill to Crag events in their states as well as build connections with potential sponsors and attendees. Following an extremely successful partnership with REI on the 2018 North Carolina Hill to Crag event, the AAC is excited to launch into another year of Hill to Crag events very soon. Stay tuned to see this event coming to a state near you!

In the meantime, check out this video highlighting the Hill to Crag event held in Colorado in 2018.


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.

Climate solutions: A new look at carbon sequestration and the renewable energy sector

Farm and forest land in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Photo credit: Taylor Luneau

Articles about climate change solutions are hitting personal news feeds across the country. One of the most recent viral solutions highlights how trees really were the answer after all. In the highlighted study, a group of scientists took forest inventory data from 1.2 million locations across the globe and created a model of forest restoration potential. Their mapping highlights where new trees could be planted without having to take over agricultural or urban spaces and discovered that there is potential for 0.9 billion hectares of additional forest space which is more than 500 billion trees. Collectively, these trees have the potential to capture an additional 200 gigatons of carbon when they reach maturity and potentially cut atmospheric carbon by 25%. That is a lot of carbon capture! Tom Crowther, senior author of the study was quoted in the Independent stating “Our study shows clearly that forest restoration is the best climate change solution available today and it provides hard evidence to justify investment.” This is an amazing discovery and many are pointing to this as the most effective climate solution to date.

However, what many articles are failing to include in their reporting on this story, is that our current climate trajectory is negatively impacting our forest ecosystems, and will continue to shrink global canopy cover if we don’t change our ways, and fast. It seems the last sentence of the project report’s abstract was left out in many of the mainstream articles that circulated about the study: “Our results highlight the opportunity of climate change mitigation through global tree restoration but also the urgent need for action.” While planting trees to save the world is an exciting idea, many professionals in the field of climate science and climate policy are skeptical of the study and agree, tree planting alone is not going to save us from the errors of our ways, but most certainly can be a part of the solution. Many different actions need to be taken when we approach the pressing issue of our changing climate.

We recently posted a blog that touched on the importance of reducing our personal air travel, and if we can’t, choosing to then offset travel costs through either a donation based approach or a process called carbon offsetting.

While it's important for individuals to make informed changes to address the issue of climate change, systemic change is necessary if the world is to make the significant strides necessary to move the needle. An important part of this change will inevitably involve addressing how we manage our energy resources, specifically within the oil and gas industries. The current administration stands for an “energy dominance” agenda, and because of this, energy companies are producing record amounts of crude oil and natural gas. With over 12 million barrels being produced a day in the US, one would assume that the industry is booming, however, many of these companies are selling off assets and taking on debt, and six companies have declared bankruptcy this year. Yet when we look at the growth in the renewable energy sector, economic predictions show that new wind and solar will be cheaper than 96% of existing coal power by 2030. It seems then, that it’s time to start investing in clean, renewable energy, and divesting from dirtier, outdated energy sources.

At the end of the day, we need to continue taking personal measures to reduce our use and divest from the carbon economy. This could look like joining a volunteer day to plant trees in your neighborhood as the climate study above suggests, but it could also look like driving less, or purchasing an electric car (have you seen the new Rivian truck Alex Honnold is raving about?). You could commit to purchasing carbon offsets every time you fly, or using a donation based offset approach like Jet Set Offset. Another important action is supporting lawmakers who are actively working towards carbon reduction in their legislation. Decision makers hold a lot of power, but we vote them in. Get your friends to commit to doing their research and get them to the polls during your next local election, and start getting excited for the 2020 election.