Access Fund

*Plays Closing Time by Semisonic* As the sun sets on 2024, we have a lot to be thankful for. At the root of it all is our incredible climbing community. Whether you signed a petition, volunteered at an Adopt a Crag, shared a post, celebrated our wins, or became an Access Fund member, your support means the world to us. Thank you! Cheers to 2025. Let's send it together! 📸: Brittany Lichty

🚨 WE'RE HIRING 🚨 This is not a normal office job. No, we are looking for someone to make the crag their 9-5. Access Fund is on the hunt for two Crew Members and one Crew Leader to join our Conservation Team. The best candidate beta includes: 🧗 a passion for climbing and travel ⚒️ some technical trail-building skills 🥾 an ability to live and work in different locations across the country 🌎 enthusiasm to lead and inspire the climbing community toward a sustainable future If this sounds like you (or someone you know), we want you to apply! Applications close on January 3, 2025. Click here to learn more: accessfund.org/careers

Do you know a total badass in the climbing community? Nominate them for a Climbing Advocate Award! Every year, we recognize climbers who kicked some serious butt in the name of advocacy. That includes everything from being an incredible crag steward to a policy powerhouse to breaking barriers for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion! It's our version of the Oscars, except the red carpet is a challenging approach and success is calculated by their community impact. Someone popped into your head when you read this, and we want to know who! Take a few minutes to nominate them: https://lnkd.in/grqWrcj9 Submit your nominations by January 24. Photos by Access Fund

Action Alert❗Take 2 minutes to thank Congress for protecting Wilderness climbing! 🤔 Wait, why are we thanking them? Because they listened to us! The Protecting America's Rock Climbing Act was a massive win for our community. Yesterday, climbers were represented in Washington D.C. by federal lawmakers. They heard your voice and took action to safeguard the places we all love so much. Wilderness climbing is now permanently protected! They did their part, and it's now our turn to show gratitude for their unanimous, bi-partisan support. You don't have to be an avid Wilderness climber to support this. The PARC Act protects the legacy of America's climbing and the dreams of climbers who hope to experience these places for themselves one day. Join us in thanking congressional representatives for listening to climbers, taking action, and protecting our public lands and the experiences they offer us. If we want to continue to make real change happen, we have to show our respect to those who can help us do that. 👉 Find your state Representatives and say thank you with our easy letter-writing tool: https://lnkd.in/gVA7HF6J And remember climbers, with this victory comes great responsibility. If we want to continue to enjoy and explore these incredible landscapes, we have to be good stewards of these Wilderness areas. 📸: Matthew Tangeman, Seth Anderson

Climbers, we did it! The Protecting America's Rock Climbing Act (PARC) just passed Congress! This groundbreaking legislation is part of the EXPLORE Act, a package of recreation bills, and will: 🧗Safeguard climbing access in Wilderness areas ⛰️Clarify that fixed anchors (bolts, pins, slings) are appropriate in Wilderness 🌎Promote the protection of Wilderness characteristics and resources 🫡Ensure public input on climbing management After more than 30 years, Access Fund is one step closer to permanently protecting over 50,000 routes in 28 states, including The Nose on El Capitan, big walls in Zion National Park, historic climbs in Washington's North Cascades, and many more. Next stop? The president’s desk. Access Fund applauds Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Joe Neguse (D-CO), the PARC Act’s original sponsors, for their visionary leadership in introducing the bill, and Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Boozman (R-AR), Maria Cantewell (D-WA), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) for standing up for climbers and moving this legislation forward. Special thanks goes to Senator Manchin for calling for a vote on the EXPLORE Act, including the PARC Act, as one of his final acts of his Senate career. This is such a huge moment for climbers! Whether you signed a petition, sent a letter, or spread the word on social media, you made your voice heard in Washington. When climbers stand together, we can create real change. You deserve to celebrate this win! Keep climbing. Keep advocating. Keep protecting the places we love. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gujk_RnG 📸: Chris Noble and Karson Leonard

BREAKING NEWS! National Park Service withdraws proposal to prohibit fixed anchors. Fixed anchors are essential pieces of a climber’s safety system. They allow us to safely and sustainably access vertical terrain, and without them, most of the iconic climbing locations in America become inaccessible. When this guidance was first proposed, thousands of climbers spoke up for sustainable Wilderness climbing. National Park Service leaders heard your collective voices loud and clear, and as of today, they have officially withdrawn their proposed fixed anchor prohibition! We applaud the Department of the Interior and National Park Service for listening to climbers and valuing the importance of the Wilderness climbing experience to the American public. YOU 👏 MADE 👏 THIS 👏 HAPPEN 👏 Let this decision demonstrate just how important your voice is. You have the ability to influence the future of climbing and the greater conservation movement, and we hope you will continue to use your power to advocate for this sport but most importantly to protect the places you love. What happens next is up to us as climbers. We must exercise restraint, humility, and respect as we climb in these amazing Wilderness areas to ensure that they remain accessible for generations to come. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g-jwV_Wk 📸: Francois Lebeau

Y'all got us all giddy and kicking our feet over here. As a climber-funded non-profit, we can't protect America's climbing alone—and these past two weeks showed us that we aren't alone. 1,500 climbers showed up and made a generous donation toward a sustainable future of climbing in the U.S. We have a big year ahead of us at Access Fund, and we are excited to share all our new projects with you (just not yet...👀). Thank you for your continued support, and we hope you'll join us in 2025 to celebrate the wins you helped fund. If you are an Access Fund member, what would you like to see from us in 2025? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let's celebrate the incredible impact we're making—together. From the entire Access Fund team: Thank you. Seriously. 📸: Tyler Gross

Final burn❗Today is the last day of Black Diamond Equipment matching all donations up to $75,000. Whether it's your first time donating or your 100th time, a gift right now makes an even greater impact. Click this link instantly double your donation: accessfund.org/conserve. You've heard from us a lot these past two weeks. We talked about everything from our policy work to conservation and sustainability efforts, but what we want to talk about today is you. You play the most important role in all this. Access Fund is built by climbers, staffed by climbers, powered by climbers, and funded by climbers. We can't do what we do without you. If you are passionate about climbing or protecting climbing landscapes, we are asking you to make a donation today to not only support Access Fund but to protect and conserve the sport, community, and places we all love so much. Let’s do this. Together. 📸: James Q Martin, Nathalie Dupré, Irene Yee, and Hans Ho

Action Alert❗Save Moe's Valley Moe's Valley is at risk of being sold for development. This incredible landscape encompasses 3,341 acres of Mojave Desert habitat. Moe's is an outdoor escape for mountain bikers, hikers, horseback riders, and rock climbers and is home to critical desert wildlife and endangered species. Our job now is to protect this place. It's already available for bid, so we need to do something now. Join us in asking the state of Utah to delay selling the Greater Moe’s Valley to housing developers. 👉 Use this link to access our easy letter-writing tool and ask the Utah State Institutional Trust Lands Administration to save Moe's Valley: https://lnkd.in/gHMTBnBD You don't need to be a Utah resident to support this cause. If you care about protecting our environment and sustainable access to outdoor recreation spaces, we need your help. 📸: Dane Brooks

Hey folks! Chris Schulte here, boulderer, climbing advocate, and Access Fund Member. If you care about access to your local crag, I have a simple task for you. How many threats does it take to close a climbing area? The answer is ONE. All it takes is one issue to arise for a crag to be closed and your access to be lost. From being sold off for development, to erosion and overuse, there are countless ways that we can lose access to the crags we love. The only way to protect them is by working together. Access Fund cannot continue their critical work conserving and preserving crags across the country without the help and support from climbers, like you! And if you donate today, your gift makes an even bigger impact. Black Diamond Equipment is matching every donation up to $75,000, meaning even $15 goes twice as far. Make a generous donation today at accessfund.org/conserve. Black Diamond Equipment is joining me in support of Access Fund. Will you? Join climbers across the country in protecting America’s climbing at accessfund.org/conserve.