The Public Lands Heist

Why does the public land heist matter?

Across the country, a battle is looming over the sale of a huge swath of America’s public lands—putting millions of acres (and the climbing opportunities they offer) under siege. In Colorado, transfer legislation threatens 83 river runs, 1784 climbing areas, and 4425 miles of mountain biking trails.

Public Lands Across the Country: 

Here’s what climbers need to know.

1.     Over 71% of climbing areas in the west are on public lands.

From Red Rocks to Indian Creek, some of best climbing in the country is on public lands. These are iconic places, and they belong to all of us.

2.     Proposals to transfer public lands to states are a direct threat to America’s climbing.

The public land heist threatens 5,000 crags and over 29,000 climbing routes. These includes gems like Red Rocks in Nevada, Cochise Stronghold in Arizona, South Platte and Shelf Road in Colorado, Indian Creek in Utah, Liberty Bell in Washington, and Wild Iris in Wyoming, as well as countless other climbing areas on National Park Service, US Forest Service, and BLM lands.

3.     If the public land heist is successful, our prized public lands and climbing areas could be on the auction block.

Most states can’t afford to protect hundreds of thousands of acres of public land and keep them open for climbing. A single wildfire can cost $100 million to control, and states are required to balance their budgets. This would mean higher fees, closures, or even auctioning off wild places to raise revenue. On national public lands, we have a guaranteed voice and guaranteed access, because we are shareholders, not customers.

4.     You have the power to speak up and protect America’s climbing. 

This bad idea is gaining traction, and the only thing powerful enough to stop it is raising our voices and sharing our support for keeping public lands public. Join thousands of other climbers and outdoor enthusiasts who have signed the petition to keep public lands public, and protect the places you love to climb today and into the future.

Visit our friends at Outdoor Alliance to sign the petition and learn more about the Public Land Heist:
SIGN THE PETITION HERE