Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Minnewaska State Park Master Plan: Could open up more climbing at the Gunks!

On September 30th, 2009 A new Master Plan was completed for Minnewaska State Park, NY. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the park, Minnewaska State Park is located on the Shawangunk Ridge - just down the road from the world-famous climbs of the Gunks.



In recent history, most of the cliffs of Minnewaska have been closed to climbing, despite miles and miles of cliffs and many waterfalls. While the new master plan was drawn up in response to the park's newly aquired lands, it falls short of the hopes of the climbing community.



Here's what the Gunks Climbers Coalition, Board of Directors has to say:



... [the draft Master Plan] includes an extremely limited increase in climbing in the park to a handful of routes above the Peter's Kill at Dickie Barre. The ban within the park on climbing on the Palmaghatt Ravine multiple cliffs, Murrary Hill,Castle Point, Millbrook, Beacon Hill, and Lake Minnewaska cliffs continues. Climbing ban now also extends to the newly acquired lands including Awosting Reserve (Gertrudes Nose), the Shevchenko parcel crags, and Sam's Point. The ban on ice climbing within the park's numerous falls and flows continues as well. The climbing ban at Minnewaska represents the largest ban on climbing on public lands in the country.


emphasis added by MAC
-via http://www.gunksclimbers.org/



For More Info:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS/910200313

http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us/inside-our-agency/public-documents.aspx


WHAT CAN I DO?

Write a Comment!

Let the Park Agencies know that you want more cliffs opened up to rock climbing in all of its forms!

***NEW**** Talking Points from GCC http://gunksclimbers.org/talkpoints.shtml


Contact:

Fred Williams, Deputy Director

NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Bear Mountain, NY 10911

Phone: 845-786-2701

Fax: 845-786-2776

Email: fred.williams@oprhp.state.ny.us



Thomas B. Lyons, Director of Resource Management

NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Empire State PlazaAgency Building 1 Albany, NY 12238

Phone: (518) 474-0409

Fax: (518) 474-7013

Email: thomas.lyons@oprhp.state.ny.us



Or E-mail Comments to: Minnewaska.Plan@oprhp.state.ny.us



-Chris Irwin

6 comments:

  1. What's the reasoning behind the ban?

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  2. I don't know why climbing was banned in most of minnewaska. I remember visiting the lake there once to swim, and on my way in I biked past miles of beautiful cliffs. It seemed a shame.

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  3. just thumbed through the bouldering in the gunks guide to confirm Peterskill is the only area in Minnewaska currently open to climbing.

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  4. Update from Last night's public hearing http://bit.ly/3QiFOI

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  5. I climbed in Peter's Kill a couple years ago, and it looked like it was completely untouched by human hands. Some of the most gorgeous climbing I've ever seen. I don't see why the rest of the park can remain under the same conditions if opened to climbers.

    ReplyDelete
  6. just added a link to a list of talking points published by the Gunks Climbers Coalition: http://gunksclimbers.org/talkpoints.shtml

    ReplyDelete