Specifically, the Final CMP bans guided climbing during the month of June, beginning in 1996 (the Park Service simply will not issue any permits for this month), and asserts that Devils Tower is not bound by NPS planning guidelines for managing backcountry resources and recreation. These last-minute additions to the CMP were never mentioned in previous public hearings or planning meetings. Access Fund Policy Analyst Paul Minault says, "These changes are at least an act of bad faith, and at worst a sign that Devils Tower never intended for the June closure to remain voluntary."
The Access Fund has written to the Park Service's Division of Ranger Activities in Washington for clarification of the role of agency recreation management guidelines in preparing climbing management plans. The Access Fund also commented on the Devils Tower Final CMP, saying that while "There is a great need for a CMP with sufficient integrity to serve as a model" for other national parks, the plan's new language, included without public review and comment, "makes it impossible for the Access Fund to endorse [it]."
The Access Fund continues to be actively involved in climbing policy at Devils Tower and throughout the national park system. The Access Fund believes that workable compromises can be achieved between the interests of climbers and those of other user groups, but these compromises must remain based on open dialogue, not on agency fiats.
For more information on climbing at Devils Tower, call the monument at 307.467.5283. For more information on the Access Fund's position, call Paul Minault, 415.397.6152.