Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:55 pm
I'm not sure I understand the "you have to pay at all cost" mentality. I see no point in having to pay to climb on Public Land unless the FS is going to start buying bolts and patrolling the cliffs for people that are "impacting the area" in more than a normal way. Probably isn't going to happen.
Private land: If the land owner is cool enough to let you climb for free, then take it and be grateful. If the landowner wants compensated for the land use, then let them charge a fee. But then there is that sticky liability issue with charging. Personally I think most land owners are going to welcome climbers without charging, or they just won't want anything to do with them.
Murry property: Different issue all together. It belongs to climbers for all to use and not just a small portion of the local population should bear the financial burden. I think what needs to be looked at is does the RRGCC want to allow climbers to freely climb there and hope that people feel the need to give in return, or does it risk alienating potential donors by demanding payment to play. Would a visiting climber say screw the reserve when there are many other places to climb at the moment? I don't know.
If put in place, the biggest problem would be enforcement of a permit system. Who is going to be out at every cliff, every day of the week, all year long. And even if the "enforcer" comes across a few permitless climbers - what then? And, don't even start talking all Rambo and shit, either.
The only thing I can see working at the moment is to charge for a Preserve parking pass. It probably wouldn't make as much money as charging individuals, but it has a built in enforcement. If the coalition gives the local towing company the go ahead to start towing cars out of the Preserve parking lots, I think they'd patrol the area. They seem to have done it at the behest of Charmane Oil. And, nobody wants to be towed in BFE. One part of the pass goes on the dash, and another part gets carried by the climber as a receipt and the car gets logged in at whatever establishment is going to sell the permits. I think that should keep any funny business by the towing company in check.
That's all I think I might somewhat know. Maybe.
Private land: If the land owner is cool enough to let you climb for free, then take it and be grateful. If the landowner wants compensated for the land use, then let them charge a fee. But then there is that sticky liability issue with charging. Personally I think most land owners are going to welcome climbers without charging, or they just won't want anything to do with them.
Murry property: Different issue all together. It belongs to climbers for all to use and not just a small portion of the local population should bear the financial burden. I think what needs to be looked at is does the RRGCC want to allow climbers to freely climb there and hope that people feel the need to give in return, or does it risk alienating potential donors by demanding payment to play. Would a visiting climber say screw the reserve when there are many other places to climb at the moment? I don't know.
If put in place, the biggest problem would be enforcement of a permit system. Who is going to be out at every cliff, every day of the week, all year long. And even if the "enforcer" comes across a few permitless climbers - what then? And, don't even start talking all Rambo and shit, either.
The only thing I can see working at the moment is to charge for a Preserve parking pass. It probably wouldn't make as much money as charging individuals, but it has a built in enforcement. If the coalition gives the local towing company the go ahead to start towing cars out of the Preserve parking lots, I think they'd patrol the area. They seem to have done it at the behest of Charmane Oil. And, nobody wants to be towed in BFE. One part of the pass goes on the dash, and another part gets carried by the climber as a receipt and the car gets logged in at whatever establishment is going to sell the permits. I think that should keep any funny business by the towing company in check.
That's all I think I might somewhat know. Maybe.