City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho has issued its Comprehensive and Climbing Management Plans, which outline management priorities and actions as the reserve passes out of the hands of the National Park Service and into the jurisdiction of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. City of Rocks will remain a unit of the National Park System with its day-to-day management fulfilled by the Idaho DPR. Unfortunately, closure of the unique Twin Sisters formations to public access undermines the generally sound management scheme proposed in the plans.
The "new" City of Rocks will no longer be an undeveloped and hassle-free climbers' Shangri-La. Major changes include construction of a 100-site RV campground, to accommodate the hordes of motorhomes the Park Service expects to attract to City of Rocks, construction of new roads, parking areas and trails; an expanded visitor center; and an extensive system of interpretive signs throughout the reserve.
Other changes will affect climbers exclusively. Climbing is now permanently banned in the Twin Sisters area. (Other recreational uses of this area, such as picnicking and camping, are also banned, but the action primarily affects climbers.) Other restrictions include a prohibition on climbing in the "Research Natural Zone," which includes Steinfell's Dome, Roadmap Wall and other backcountry crags. Some changes already have been in effect, including a ban on climbing on "inscription rocks" and a $5/night fee for camping.
The Twin Sisters ban is controversial. It was imposed due to the Twin Sisters' status as a "Cultural/Historic Landmark" and despite a 1993 City of Rocks study which found that climbers cause minimal visual and environmental impact. The decision to ban recreational activities in this area was based on the priority of preserving the "foreground viewshed." The view of tourists driving by in cars thus is given precedence over the unique view obtained by climbers from atop the Twin Sisters.
Says Access Fund Senior Policy Analyst Paul Minault, "Climbers' perspective is just as legitimate as that of tourists on the ground."
Minault also noted that the Twin Sisters closure is inconsistent with the Climbing Plan's intention of "preserving the diversity of climbing experiences" at City of Rocks. As alternatives to the closure, the Access Fund has proposed that the road which allows direct access to the base of the Twin Sisters be eliminated to preserve the historic viewshed. In addition, a policy which would allow climbers to climb on the Twin Sisters on certain days but not on others would allow non-climbing visitors to experience the Twin Sisters in its "historic state," if they so desired.
The Access Fund believes the City of Rocks Comprehensive and Climbing Management Plans reflect a bias against active, backcountry recreation in favor of "windshield tourism" and development. An inflexible approach to preservation of historic resources is also evidenced by these plans. If the National Park Service refuses to reconsider this unnecessary and prejudicial action, the Access Fund will insist that it be enforced equally against hikers, picnickers, and all other visitors to City of Rocks. At present, the management plans for City of Rocks do not provide assurance that this equality is a priority.
The Twin Sisters policy could set precedent for other climbing areas such as Devils Tower, which is proposed for designation as National Historic/ Cultural Landmarks. In response, the Access Fund is investigating a possible legal challenge to this policy. In addition, the Access Fund and local City of Rocks climbers have initiated a mailing campaign to obtain support from federal and Idaho state congresspersons for reopening the Twin Sisters to climbing and a more balanced approach to managing historic landmarks. For more information, or to get involved with this campaign, call Tom Jones at 801.278.5552 or Allen Sanderson at 801.583.3102.