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Access Fund: Reopen Williamson Rock to Climbing!

The Access Fund needs your help in its mission to reopen a great climbing area.

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Photo: Courtesy of Troy Mayr.

We need your help to reopen Williamson Rock after a 13 year closure.

Williamson Rock was Southern California’s premier summer sport climbing destination until it was closed in 2005 to protect the endangered Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog (MYLF). The Angeles National Forest closed the area as a result of several successful lawsuits brought by conservation organizations.

For years, the Access Fund and local climbing advocates have been advocating for an environmental impact study to evaluate climbing management strategies that would allow controlled climbing access while still protecting the MYLF. However budget restrictions and bureaucratic roadblocks have prevented to study from moving forward. (See a full history of Access Fund’s efforts to re-open Williamson Rock here.)

Angeles National Forest is now moving forward and has released a draft environmental impact statement that proposes several options for re-opening Williamson Rock to climbing. This is the most progress we’ve seen in over a decade, and we are optimistic that with a strong show of support from the climbing community, this will lead to the reopening of this iconic Southern California crag.

Please take five minutes to comment on this critical planning process using our easy letter writing tool FOUND HERE and encourage Angeles National Forest to re-open Williamson Rock to climbing. After filling out your contact information, the next page will provide suggested talking points to get you started. You can click on the provided talking points or craft your own comments. Personal stories are powerful!

Click here to add your voice to those encouraging Angeles National Forest to re-open Williamson Rock to Climbing!


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