Access News - April 11th, 2007
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Access Society of BC
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Access News - April 11th, 2007
CLIMBERS' ACCESS SOCIETY OF B.C.
ACCESS NEWS - April 11th, 2007
A. SKAHA - 2007 AND BEYOND
SUMMARY
Access to Skaha is in place for 2007, and The Land Conservancy of B.C. (TLC) and Skaha rockclimbers have been working hard on public access to Skaha for 2008 and beyond, with support from Mountain Equipment Co-op, the Access Society, and others. TLC has agreed to buy 300 hectares of nearby private land (sublot 18 - southeast of Braesyde). When/if the land is bought, and needed work done, it will provide permanent public access to Skaha. Thanks to TLC’s partners, a generous donation by the current owner, and other donations, much of the needed money has been raised. We need to raise $1 million by June 30th, and the climbing community must do everything it can to help. (The owner of sublot 18 extended the deadline from April 30th.)
Please forward this newsletter to all those who may be interested in it.
MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CO-OP DONATION - $250,000
Mountain Equipment Co-op announced on April 10th that it will contribute $250,000 to the Skaha purchase. It is the largest such grant in MEC’s history, and a great contribution toward protection of the area for its outstanding recreation and conservation values.
MEC also recently announced that it has joined 1% For The Planet, an alliance of businesses that believe in providing financial support to environmental initiatives. Since 1987, MEC has given in excess of $9 million to Canadian conservation and access projects through its grant programs. Now it will donate 1% of annual gross sales to Canadian causes. This translates to an estimated $2 million in 2007 alone. See www.mec.ca
ACCESS SOCIETY COMMITMENT - $10,000
The Board of the Access Society has committed $10,000 toward the Skaha purchase. It is a major investment for the Access Society, our biggest ever. The Board believes it important that the Access Society show leadership on this issue, on behalf of all the climbers of B.C. We hope that all climbers, and other climbing-related organizations and businesses, will follow our lead. It's essential for the climbing community to show that it supports the purchase, in all ways possible.
MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CO-OP - MATCHING MEMBER DONATIONS, UP TO $100,000
Mountain Equipment Co-op will also match donations by its members to TLC's Skaha fund, up to $100,000 total. To donate, see www.conservancy.bc.ca/MEC-skaha
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Make a donation to TLC, soon, and encourage all your friends to also do so. If you're a member of MEC, make your donation at www.conservancy.bc.ca/MEC-skaha, and double your donation. Otherwise, see the links below.
Join the Access Society, renew your membership, make a donation. Members + resources = more effective. Memberships, renewals, and donations are all helpful - $10,000 is a lot of money to us.
If you can help with fundraising, or have ideas or connections that may help, contact TLC or the Access Society.
Make sure all your friends know what's happening, and are helping. Spread the word!
SUPPORT THE LAND CONSERVANCY
Please send all donations to TLC. They encourage you to not only make a donation, but to also become a member.
Donations & Membership: To make a donation, go to www.conservancy.bc.ca, and click on the ‘Skaha Bluffs’ icon at the bottom of the home page. It takes you to the donations page – click on the green ‘MEC Members’ button. Membership icon also on the main page, or by mail.
Contact Information: TLC's head office is at #301 - 1195 Esquimalt Road, Victoria, B.C. V9A 3N6, phone (250) 479-8053.
Capital Campaign & Corporate Donors: If you can contribute a substantial amount, or know someone who might be able to, contact John Keller at TLC in Burnaby, at (604) 733-2313 or jkeller@conservancy.bc.ca
TLC’s intention is that sublot 18, together with Skaha Bluffs themselves, will become part of a new provincial park, managed for both its outstanding recreation and natural values. If for some reason the purchase is unsuccessful, TLC will keep aside all money raised, and use it either for whatever other solution is arrived at for Skaha, or for another project of direct benefit to the climbing community of B.C.
PARKING AND ACCESS - 2007
Parking will continue at Braesyde, through 2007 only.
$10/passenger car/day, $20/day for vans (6 - 15 passengers), $30/day for buses, $75 for an annual pass, $5 for drop offs.
Please use only Braesyde for parking and access. There is no legal parking along Valleyview Road, which leads to Braesyde, and all other accesses to Skaha require trespassing on private land.
Valleyview is a narrow, winding road. Please drive carefully, and watch for children, animals, and other safety concerns.
The Dunlop family continues to own Braesyde. They have generously provided public parking at Braesyde, and access to Skaha, since 1992. Thanks to the Dunlops for their hospitality, and to the city of Penticton and the Agricultural Land Commission for permitting the parking.
B. UPPER MALAMUTE - LOGGING
Much of the upper Malamute at Squamish was logged during the last week of March 2007. The land, about 10 hectares, is owned by Malamute Holdings Ltd. About 500 trees were cut, and the logs remain where they fell. The District of Squamish issued a stop work order as soon as it heard what was happening. The logged area is quite visible, especially from above and to southbound traffic.
Anyone visiting the upper Malamute in the near future should be very aware of unstable and dangerous logging debris.
The logging occurred without notice, or a required municipal permit. Neither the Ministry of Transportation & Highways nor the Sea-to-Sky Highway Project contractor has any responsibility for what happened. The logging aroused considerable concern in Squamish, the climbing community, and the news media. At a special meeting on April 10th, Squamish Council unanimously decided to further investigate, so it can decide what it will do. A professional forester will inspect the area for it, and report.
The Access Society is gravely concerned by what happened. Our goal has long been that the upper Malamute, at the heart of Squamish, should be protected for public benefit and use, particularly for climbing, walking, nature viewing, and sightseeing. There has been a lot of work toward that goal over the last few years, and it remains the desired result. We'll continue working toward it.
C. MISCELLANEOUS
1. Warrior’s Way Clinics – May 5th – Cliffhanger Coquitlam
Author and speaker Arno Ilgner will be conducting two clinics on The Warrior’s Way – Mental Fitness Training for Climbers. They are at Cliffhanger Coquitlam, on Saturday May 5th, one from noon – 4:00 PM, the second 6:00 – 10:00 PM. Limit six participants/clinic, $75/person. Contact (604) 526-2402 or www.cliffhangerclimbing.com.
2. Fundraiser - Brad Zdanivsky – May 11th
Brad Zdanivsky plans to be the first quadriplegic to ascend Yosemite’s El Capitan, in September 2007. Brad resumed climbing after his injury, and in 2005 ascended the Stawamus Chief’s Grand Wall. There will be a fundraiser, which Brad calls "Brokeneck Mountain", on Friday May 11th at the Buffalo Club - 1161 Granville Street, Vancouver. Doors open 8:00 PM, tickets $10 in advance, cash bar. More information at www.verticalchallenge.org, or contact shirleychiu@shaw.ca or vertical@intergate.ca.
3. Squamish Mountain Festival 2007
The 2007 Squamish Mountain Festival will be on July 13th - 22nd. The presenting sponsor is Arc'Teryx, with partners the Access Society and the Squamish Access Society ("SAS"), and other sponsors including Black Diamond, MEC, and Gripped. Proceeds will go to the Access Society and the SAS. SMF 2007 will involve clinics, speakers, films, yoga, pancake breakfasts, events for the general public, a dyno competition, fundraising, prizes, and lots of fun. And Adopt-a-Crag stewardship events both weekends. More information at www.squamishmountainfestival.com. We hope to see you there!
4. Adopt-a-Crags 2007
The usual range of volunteer crag stewardship events will be held this year, from spring through autumn. Eldred Valley (Powell River), Fleming Beach (Victoria), Squamish & Cheakamus Canyon, Skaha, Crest Crags (Campbell River), and other locations. More information in our next bulletin.
5. Ontario Access Coalition
http://ontarioaccesscoalition.com/
6. United States - Access Fund News
See the Access Fund website for what's happening in the United States - www.accessfund.org. You can also subscribe to an e-newsletter.
7. On-Line Memberships, Renewals & Donations
You can now join the Access Society on-line, renew your membership, or make a donation. Go to www.access-society.ca/getinvolved/membership.aspx, complete the form, and pay via PayPal. (Credit card needed, and donations also very welcome.) If you experience difficulty joining, renewing or donating on-line, please let us know - we've had a few glitches lately.
NOTES
The Access Society faces many challenges in our pursuit of public access to B.C.'s cliffs and mountains, and conservation of them. Please support the Access Society in any way you can - become a member, make a donation, or volunteer! We believe the Access Society is doing an important job. We represent the entire climbing community of B.C., and all those who support public access to, and conservation of, the cliffs and mountains of B.C.
We hope this message is useful. Please forward it to all your climbing friends. Our apologies if it is unwanted! If so, please let us know and we'll remove you from our list. If your e-mail has changed, please let us know. (In a few cases this message is a duplicate, due to overlapping directories.) Also, we welcome information and contributions - please send to info(at)access-society.ca.
Climbing and related activities are dangerous, and can injure or kill you. The Access Society tries to ensure that this information is accurate, but you rely on it at your own risk!
copyright (c) Climbers' Access Society of British Columbia, 2007.
Box 72013 - Sasamat R.P.O.
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada V6R 4P2
(604) 228-1798
info@access-society.ca; www.access-society.ca
ACCESS NEWS - April 11th, 2007
A. SKAHA - 2007 AND BEYOND
SUMMARY
Access to Skaha is in place for 2007, and The Land Conservancy of B.C. (TLC) and Skaha rockclimbers have been working hard on public access to Skaha for 2008 and beyond, with support from Mountain Equipment Co-op, the Access Society, and others. TLC has agreed to buy 300 hectares of nearby private land (sublot 18 - southeast of Braesyde). When/if the land is bought, and needed work done, it will provide permanent public access to Skaha. Thanks to TLC’s partners, a generous donation by the current owner, and other donations, much of the needed money has been raised. We need to raise $1 million by June 30th, and the climbing community must do everything it can to help. (The owner of sublot 18 extended the deadline from April 30th.)
Please forward this newsletter to all those who may be interested in it.
MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CO-OP DONATION - $250,000
Mountain Equipment Co-op announced on April 10th that it will contribute $250,000 to the Skaha purchase. It is the largest such grant in MEC’s history, and a great contribution toward protection of the area for its outstanding recreation and conservation values.
MEC also recently announced that it has joined 1% For The Planet, an alliance of businesses that believe in providing financial support to environmental initiatives. Since 1987, MEC has given in excess of $9 million to Canadian conservation and access projects through its grant programs. Now it will donate 1% of annual gross sales to Canadian causes. This translates to an estimated $2 million in 2007 alone. See www.mec.ca
ACCESS SOCIETY COMMITMENT - $10,000
The Board of the Access Society has committed $10,000 toward the Skaha purchase. It is a major investment for the Access Society, our biggest ever. The Board believes it important that the Access Society show leadership on this issue, on behalf of all the climbers of B.C. We hope that all climbers, and other climbing-related organizations and businesses, will follow our lead. It's essential for the climbing community to show that it supports the purchase, in all ways possible.
MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CO-OP - MATCHING MEMBER DONATIONS, UP TO $100,000
Mountain Equipment Co-op will also match donations by its members to TLC's Skaha fund, up to $100,000 total. To donate, see www.conservancy.bc.ca/MEC-skaha
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Make a donation to TLC, soon, and encourage all your friends to also do so. If you're a member of MEC, make your donation at www.conservancy.bc.ca/MEC-skaha, and double your donation. Otherwise, see the links below.
Join the Access Society, renew your membership, make a donation. Members + resources = more effective. Memberships, renewals, and donations are all helpful - $10,000 is a lot of money to us.
If you can help with fundraising, or have ideas or connections that may help, contact TLC or the Access Society.
Make sure all your friends know what's happening, and are helping. Spread the word!
SUPPORT THE LAND CONSERVANCY
Please send all donations to TLC. They encourage you to not only make a donation, but to also become a member.
Donations & Membership: To make a donation, go to www.conservancy.bc.ca, and click on the ‘Skaha Bluffs’ icon at the bottom of the home page. It takes you to the donations page – click on the green ‘MEC Members’ button. Membership icon also on the main page, or by mail.
Contact Information: TLC's head office is at #301 - 1195 Esquimalt Road, Victoria, B.C. V9A 3N6, phone (250) 479-8053.
Capital Campaign & Corporate Donors: If you can contribute a substantial amount, or know someone who might be able to, contact John Keller at TLC in Burnaby, at (604) 733-2313 or jkeller@conservancy.bc.ca
TLC’s intention is that sublot 18, together with Skaha Bluffs themselves, will become part of a new provincial park, managed for both its outstanding recreation and natural values. If for some reason the purchase is unsuccessful, TLC will keep aside all money raised, and use it either for whatever other solution is arrived at for Skaha, or for another project of direct benefit to the climbing community of B.C.
PARKING AND ACCESS - 2007
Parking will continue at Braesyde, through 2007 only.
$10/passenger car/day, $20/day for vans (6 - 15 passengers), $30/day for buses, $75 for an annual pass, $5 for drop offs.
Please use only Braesyde for parking and access. There is no legal parking along Valleyview Road, which leads to Braesyde, and all other accesses to Skaha require trespassing on private land.
Valleyview is a narrow, winding road. Please drive carefully, and watch for children, animals, and other safety concerns.
The Dunlop family continues to own Braesyde. They have generously provided public parking at Braesyde, and access to Skaha, since 1992. Thanks to the Dunlops for their hospitality, and to the city of Penticton and the Agricultural Land Commission for permitting the parking.
B. UPPER MALAMUTE - LOGGING
Much of the upper Malamute at Squamish was logged during the last week of March 2007. The land, about 10 hectares, is owned by Malamute Holdings Ltd. About 500 trees were cut, and the logs remain where they fell. The District of Squamish issued a stop work order as soon as it heard what was happening. The logged area is quite visible, especially from above and to southbound traffic.
Anyone visiting the upper Malamute in the near future should be very aware of unstable and dangerous logging debris.
The logging occurred without notice, or a required municipal permit. Neither the Ministry of Transportation & Highways nor the Sea-to-Sky Highway Project contractor has any responsibility for what happened. The logging aroused considerable concern in Squamish, the climbing community, and the news media. At a special meeting on April 10th, Squamish Council unanimously decided to further investigate, so it can decide what it will do. A professional forester will inspect the area for it, and report.
The Access Society is gravely concerned by what happened. Our goal has long been that the upper Malamute, at the heart of Squamish, should be protected for public benefit and use, particularly for climbing, walking, nature viewing, and sightseeing. There has been a lot of work toward that goal over the last few years, and it remains the desired result. We'll continue working toward it.
C. MISCELLANEOUS
1. Warrior’s Way Clinics – May 5th – Cliffhanger Coquitlam
Author and speaker Arno Ilgner will be conducting two clinics on The Warrior’s Way – Mental Fitness Training for Climbers. They are at Cliffhanger Coquitlam, on Saturday May 5th, one from noon – 4:00 PM, the second 6:00 – 10:00 PM. Limit six participants/clinic, $75/person. Contact (604) 526-2402 or www.cliffhangerclimbing.com.
2. Fundraiser - Brad Zdanivsky – May 11th
Brad Zdanivsky plans to be the first quadriplegic to ascend Yosemite’s El Capitan, in September 2007. Brad resumed climbing after his injury, and in 2005 ascended the Stawamus Chief’s Grand Wall. There will be a fundraiser, which Brad calls "Brokeneck Mountain", on Friday May 11th at the Buffalo Club - 1161 Granville Street, Vancouver. Doors open 8:00 PM, tickets $10 in advance, cash bar. More information at www.verticalchallenge.org, or contact shirleychiu@shaw.ca or vertical@intergate.ca.
3. Squamish Mountain Festival 2007
The 2007 Squamish Mountain Festival will be on July 13th - 22nd. The presenting sponsor is Arc'Teryx, with partners the Access Society and the Squamish Access Society ("SAS"), and other sponsors including Black Diamond, MEC, and Gripped. Proceeds will go to the Access Society and the SAS. SMF 2007 will involve clinics, speakers, films, yoga, pancake breakfasts, events for the general public, a dyno competition, fundraising, prizes, and lots of fun. And Adopt-a-Crag stewardship events both weekends. More information at www.squamishmountainfestival.com. We hope to see you there!
4. Adopt-a-Crags 2007
The usual range of volunteer crag stewardship events will be held this year, from spring through autumn. Eldred Valley (Powell River), Fleming Beach (Victoria), Squamish & Cheakamus Canyon, Skaha, Crest Crags (Campbell River), and other locations. More information in our next bulletin.
5. Ontario Access Coalition
http://ontarioaccesscoalition.com/
6. United States - Access Fund News
See the Access Fund website for what's happening in the United States - www.accessfund.org. You can also subscribe to an e-newsletter.
7. On-Line Memberships, Renewals & Donations
You can now join the Access Society on-line, renew your membership, or make a donation. Go to www.access-society.ca/getinvolved/membership.aspx, complete the form, and pay via PayPal. (Credit card needed, and donations also very welcome.) If you experience difficulty joining, renewing or donating on-line, please let us know - we've had a few glitches lately.
NOTES
The Access Society faces many challenges in our pursuit of public access to B.C.'s cliffs and mountains, and conservation of them. Please support the Access Society in any way you can - become a member, make a donation, or volunteer! We believe the Access Society is doing an important job. We represent the entire climbing community of B.C., and all those who support public access to, and conservation of, the cliffs and mountains of B.C.
We hope this message is useful. Please forward it to all your climbing friends. Our apologies if it is unwanted! If so, please let us know and we'll remove you from our list. If your e-mail has changed, please let us know. (In a few cases this message is a duplicate, due to overlapping directories.) Also, we welcome information and contributions - please send to info(at)access-society.ca.
Climbing and related activities are dangerous, and can injure or kill you. The Access Society tries to ensure that this information is accurate, but you rely on it at your own risk!
copyright (c) Climbers' Access Society of British Columbia, 2007.
Box 72013 - Sasamat R.P.O.
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada V6R 4P2
(604) 228-1798
info@access-society.ca; www.access-society.ca
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