1999 State of Wyoming 99LSO-0464.E1
ENGROSSED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. HJ0013
Prohibition on climbing pitons.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Law, Badgett, McOmie,
Shivler, Tipton and Wostenberg and
Senator(s) Barton and Hawks
A Bill
for
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION in support of a proposed resolution by
2 some members of Congress requesting the United States Forest
3 Service to reconsider its proposed rulemaking regarding
4 whether to continue the permission for the continued use of
5 fixed anchors for mountain climbing in wilderness areas.
6
7 WHEREAS, the United States Forest Service has proposed
8 to commence a "negotiated rulemaking" process on whether to
9 permit the continued use of fixed anchors which have
10 historically been used in mountain climbing in wilderness
11 areas;
12
13 WHEREAS, the "negotiated rulemaking" process is the
14 result of the attempt of the Forest Service to ban all
15 climbing anchors in wilderness without any public
16 participation process;
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2 WHEREAS, United States Representative Barbara Cubin of
3 Wyoming joined with Representative Sam Farr of California in
4 a letter to all members of Congress, stating her concern
5 "that the Forest Service's position on this issue advances a
6 misguided interpretation of the 1964 Wilderness Act and is
7 not in the public interest concerning safety or access."
8 (September 28, 1998);
9
10 WHEREAS, as a result of her efforts, a bi-partisan
11 letter, signed by 21 Republicans and 20 Democrats, was
12 directed to the Chief of the Forest Service, stating their
13 position that climbing anchors should continue to be
14 permitted in Wilderness areas;
15
16 Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved By The Members of the
17 Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
18
19 Section 1. That the Wyoming Legislature joins with
20 Representative Cubin and the other 40 members of Congress,
21 and in the same language stated by them, adopts the
22 following resolution addressed to the Chief of the Forest
23 Service:
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1 We do not believe there is any conflict
2 between protecting wilderness values and
3 permitting reasonably safe climbing in wilderness.
4 Climbing is an historic and unique use of
5 wilderness, and "fixed" safety anchors are
6 necessary to meet minimum requirements for
7 administration of wilderness climbing. We urge
8 you to consider that leaving a fixed anchor is
9 possibly a climber's only option in descent from
10 the summit of a climb or mid-route in the case of
11 an emergency, such as injury or storm. Climbing
12 anchors have been left in place--on an occasional
13 and widely dispersed basis--in what are now
14 wilderness areas since the beginning of this
15 century; this standard should be preserved.
16
17 Section 2. That the Forest Service should conclude
18 that climbing safety anchors are not prohibited by the
19 Wilderness Act, and establish an acceptable policy for
20 managing technical climbing in wilderness areas that both
21 protect wilderness values and provide for the reasonably
22 safe enjoyment of wilderness by climbers.
23
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1 Section 3. That the Secretary of State of Wyoming
2 transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the
3 United States, to the President of the Senate and the
4 Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States
5 Congress, to the Chief of the United States Forest Service
6 and to the Wyoming Congressional delegation.
7
8 (END)
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