Access Fund

✨WE'RE HIRING: Northeast Regional Manager✨ Our programs team is growing, and we are looking for someone to manage our advocacy efforts, land protection work, and core programs in the Northeast! This person will be the champion for our Northeast crags and climbers, maintaining Access Fund's current efforts and expanding our presence, resources, and work in the area. The ideal candidate... 🧗 Lives, breathes, and climbs in the Northeast (duh) 🤝 Is passionate and knowledgeable about climbing advocacy ⛰️ Has experience working with LCOs and other conservation partners 🤘 Knows how to get people stoked about our work The deadline to apply is April 25. Hesitation is for run-out routes, not dream jobs, so apply now: https://lnkd.in/d89tYJnD 📸: Chris Vultaggio

GUESS WHO'S BAAAACK?! Access Fund's Conservation Team returned to Indian Creek and is looking for extra hands to help—that's where you come in! We have a small but mighty team of four in the Creek right now. As you can see, it takes a lot to move one beefcake of a boulder (exhibit pic 2), so the more people, the better! Wanna help? → Pop by ANY DAY Thursday-Sunday at Way Rambo Wall (the fun starts at 9 a.m.) → Join us for the main event: Work Week in the Creek March 27-30! Your favorite climbing areas don't maintain themselves! Come hang with our crew, get your hands dirty, and be part of something awesome for the climbing community. Volunteer beta: https://lnkd.in/gMqwz6sK

📣MAJOR WIN FOR CLIMBING ACCESS IN WYOMING Governor Gordon, a climber himself, just signed legislation officially adding rock climbing to the state's Recreational Use Statute. Why should you care? The addition of rock climbing will add a layer of liability protection for private landowners who allow climbing on their land, which opens the possibility for MORE climbing areas in the future! This not only benefits climbers in Wyoming but climbers everywhere who travel to the state to enjoy their incredible crags. Special thanks to Representative Lloyd Larsen for championing this bill, and to our dedicated Wyoming local climbing organizations, Teton Climbers' Coalition and Central Wyoming Climbers Alliance, who helped us get this bill passed. ❓Have questions about recreational use statutes? Reach out to us at policy@accessfund.org and our policy experts will be in touch. 📸: Sam Lightner

"There's one thing they're not making more of, and that's land, so we gotta protect it.” In Episode #2 of Policy Rx, the Rock Doc sits down with Bob Ratcliffe, a 40-year veteran of the federal government who most recently served as the Division Chief of Conservation and Outdoor Recreation for the National Park Service, to talk about the recent firings of public servants and how this will affect the future of our national parks, forests, and BLM lands. Get your 10-minute policy prescription and view the episode: https://lnkd.in/gbZD-aW6

We hope this photo inSPIRES you. If Mt. Lemmon has made it to your tick list, join us in Tucson for our Climbing Advocacy Conference! This two-day event is for LCOs, climbing gyms, nonprofits, clubs, and climbers alike to learn more about protecting and advocating for your favorite crags. Our full agenda has officially dropped (which includes a half day climbing day for all attendees)! Registration closes March 20, and your time to book is...well...now. It’s about the busiest time of year to visit Tucson and hotels are booking up fast. See our landing page for more info on travel recommendations and hotel discounts: accessfund.org/conference See you in Tucson! Huge thank you to our generous sponsors: Black Diamond, Mystery Ranch, Phoenix Rock Gym, The BLOC, Alliant Insurance, Summit Hut Rock Solid, and shoutout to our planning partners at Climbing Association of Southern Arizona for their help in bringing this event to life. 📸: Brittany Lichty, Eric Fallecker

After bi-partisan backlash against the recent firings of emergency services personnel, climbing rangers, trail workers, and other critical employees in our national parks, forests, and BLM lands, the administration is backtracking. What will replacing thousands of permanent and seasonal employees with temporary workers really mean for our public lands? ⬇️ View photos below to see just a few of the impacts. Congress can play an important role in repairing the harm done to our public lands. They are pressuring the administration, drafting letters, and demanding changes, but they need to hear from you. Lawmakers need to hear the real-life impacts on the places we love and the people who protect them. Have you been affected by these firings? Do you know someone who has been laid off? How much do our national parks and forests mean to you? ❗Use our easy letter-writing tool to ask lawmakers to stand up for our public lands and public servants and invest in the places we love: https://lnkd.in/gk7mKNGa Please continue to share this post. Your story and the stories of the thousands impacted are crucial in protecting our public lands. 📸: Abbi Hearne, Bryan Miller/Fixed Line Media, Damon Corso, Lynn Willis

Climbing access and crag stewardship go hand in hand. Because here's the truth: Access only gets you so far. Without stewardship, even the most epic crags can become unclimbable, or worse, they fall apart, compromising wildlife habitat and soil health. Meet the seven crew members of our 2025 Conservation Team who will be out in the field this spring and summer, doing the hard work, so we can all enjoy the crags for years to come. This year, we've revamped our team structure to take on bigger, bolder projects. From returning to build more staircases on epic Indian Creek approaches to restoring wildfire-damaged areas at Lover's Leap, CA and building sustainable climbing trails at Silver Mountain, MI, our team will tackle seven project sites across six states. Click through the photos to see their full schedule! If our crew is coming to a crag near you, consider volunteering—every extra hand makes a difference! Can't join in person? A donation to Access Fund fuels our mission, helping us protect more climbing areas and expand our conservation work to new states: https://lnkd.in/gK8PkFpi Our public lands need our help, and together, we can ensure our climbing areas don't just survive, but thrive. Special thanks to our program sponsors: Adidas, Black Diamond, LaSportiva, Liberty Mountain, Outdoor Research, prAna, YETI, and Goal Zero 📸: Morgan Phillips

❗️VOTING UPDATE 02/21/25: Last night, the Senate voted on numerous amendments to the Budget Resolution including Bennet Admendment 540 which sought to reinstate fired Federal employees at the Forest Service, National Park Service, United State Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management. Unfortunately, the amendment failed 48-52. We want to thank everyone who sent a letter to their Senators last night. The fight for the protection of our public lands and public stewards is not over. We will keep trying! Stay tuned for future action alerts. Our public lands—and the climbing areas we love—are under threat. The current administration is firing thousands of critical employees in the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), including emergency services personnel, climbing rangers, trail workers, and other critical employees. These firings are harming public safety and damaging the integrity of our public lands. The ability to maintain trails, campgrounds, restrooms, and recreation infrastructure is severely compromised. Even more concerning, emergency response teams—vital to managing natural disasters like wildfires—are facing cuts that will delay response times. Congress can play a crucial role in blocking these ill-informed firings, but they need to hear from you. 👉Ask your Senators to demand a vote on Bennet Amendment 540 to the Budget Resolution to reinstate critical federal employees and to vote yes in support of our public land stewards. It takes 3 minutes to make a difference: https://lnkd.in/gsZcVSEx 🚨You need to act now because the Senate will vote on the amendment today! Once you’ve done your part, share this post. The more voices, the stronger our impact. Together, we can protect our public lands and the dedicated public servants who maintain them. 📸: Morgan Phillips, Francois Lebeau, Chris Burkard

"Armando Menocal was selfless, a giver, and a fighter.” Armando believed that we have the power to make the world better than it is. As a civil rights lawyer, he fought for justice and equality, and as the founder of Access Fund, he reshaped climbing advocacy. Armando passed away in October of 2024, but we continue to honor his legacy. Armando showed us that being part of the climbing community means being part of something greater than ourselves, and that we all have a role to play in ensuring sustainable access to climbing and conserving the landscapes we love. Access Fund co-founder and friend of Armando, Rick Accomazzo, said it wonderfully. “...when we think of climbing heroes, we normally admire climbers and their epic ascents or speed climbs of El Capitan. But Armando's legacy is different. What Armando did—by starting Access Fund to help preserve the opportunity to climb for generations to come—is a tremendous legacy!” Listen to our latest podcast and hear intimate stories from Armando's closest colleagues and friends as they share how they'll honor his enduring legacy: https://lnkd.in/gQQ7r9yM

"We are going to make sure that the climbing experience is protected as best we can. That's our job." With a new headline every day, how do you, as a climber, sift through what's going on in our nation's capital and understand how your access to climbing is affected?  The cure to your problem? Rock Doc. Policy Rx is a series started by our very own Dr. Erik Murdock, where he sits down with climbing advocates, politicians, and professional climbers to talk about the latest policies that affect climbing and public lands. This month, Erik sat down with Access Fund Senior Policy Advisor Jason Keith to discuss what's next for the PARC Act and how we plan on working with the current administration. Get your 10-minute policy prescription and view the whole episode: https://lnkd.in/gjJbgEaP