Bozeman Pass Access Issue!

Bill Dockins wrote: [quote] SMCC Members, Your help is needed now to protect the future of rock climbing on Bozeman Pass. As many of you know, a large land conservation project involving over 2000 acres has been underway on the Pass for the past few years. The project will protect a critical wildlife corridor and provide new access points to public lands. The project will also directly benefit the climbing community. Many of you contacted the Montana Congressional delegation last year in support of this project. Thanks to those efforts, Congress appropriated $1 million in the 2005 Land and Water Conservation Fund Budget. The project requires an additional Congressional appropriation of $1.6 million. Your help is needed again this year to secure the last increment of funding necessary to complete the project. Without the conservation project the long-term prospects for climbing on Bozeman Pass are not good. The popular climbing area on the north side of I-90 is entirely on private land. Most of the crags on the south side, including Frog Rock, are situated on public land, but access to the rock is across private land. Parking for all of the climbing is along I-90, and the Montana Department of Transportation has stated unequivocally that it will eventually curtail use of the present parking areas for safety reasons. In short, future climbing on the Pass is at risk. The conservation project, once completed, will secure permanent access for climbers who wish to enjoy the limestone crags on both the north and south sides of I-90. The climbing area on the north side of I-90 will become public land administered by the Gallatin National Forest. Plans call for the development of a new parking area, a trail allowing permanent public access to the crags, and cooperative management of the area for climbing. Another new trail will provide public access to Frog Rock and other crags on the south side of I-90. To achieve that result, however, as many letters, e-mails, and calls as possible from climbers are needed now. Please contact, and ask your friends to contact, Senator Burns, Senator Baucus, and Representative Rehberg encouraging their support of this project. They need to hear from you to help them convince Congress that this budget item deserves priority. If you can write only one letter, address it to Senator Burns, since he is on a key committee with respect to this funding. An action alert further describing the project and providing addresses and other information is attached. Also attached are sample letters, but we encourage you individualize your letter and inform our representatives that you use these lands and that they are important to you. Southwest Montana climbers cannot afford to lose climbing areas. The small amount of time required from each of us to write letters could yield a big benefit. Thanks for your help! Bill Dockins Access Committee Southwest Montana Climbers Coalition [/quote] [url]http://www.rockclimbing.com/topic/109604[/url] If we don't take action its a good possibility that the area will be closed to climbing. I personally don't want to see this happen. Help the cause by writing a letter to these folks. [quote]YOUR MESSAGE IS KEY TO SECURING CRITICAL FUNDING THIS YEAR! We need you to tell Congress know just how much the community supports this project! Congress will soon be considering its priorities for the LWCF for FY 2007. Please contact your Congressmen, thank them for securing partial funding for this project last year, and encourage their support for $1.6 million for the Bozeman Pass/Schmidt property funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the FY 2007 Interior Appropriations Bill. (NOTE: Letters to Members of Congress can take months to get through due to security concerns. Instead, please fax, call, or email. To send email, go to the websites listed below.) The Honorable Conrad Burns U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202 224-2644 Fax: 202 224-8594 Website: http://burns.senate.gov The Honorable Max Baucus U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202 224-2651 Fax: 202 224-0515 Website: http://baucus.senate.gov The Honorable Dennis Rehberg U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202 225-3211 Fax: 202 225-5687 Website: www.house.gov/rehberg IT?S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE CONTACTED OUT DELEGATION -- PLEASE FAX A COPY OF YOUR LETTER TO 406-582-1136 OR EMAIL THEM TO: LANDTRUST@GVLT.ORG - THANK YOU!!! [/quote] If we don't take action we might loose one of our already to few climbing area's forever.