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The Protect America’s Rock Climbing Act was signed into law at the end of President Biden’s term. The PARC Act mandates that various government departments issue guideance recognizing rock climbing as a legitimate use of public lands, including the placement and maintenance of fixed anchors in Wilderness. This historic act was the result of a multi-year campaign spearheaded by the Access Fund. Our guests today are Access Fund executive director Heather Thorne and deputy director Erik Murdock. This interview was recorded on January 28th, before the news of DOGE’s cuts to many positions, including at our national parks. To check out the Access Fund’s position on the DOGE cuts, see the linked article in our Show Notes.
But first, we tee up our conversation with the Access Fund by talking about this recent news, including the upside-down American flag that was hung from the top of El Capitan last week by Yosemite’s recently dismissed locksmith and others.
Our final bit is from a climber at heart, Madi Rindge, aka, Madi Bisharat, my cousin and a brilliant musician whose music I’m honored and excited to share. Check out the show notes for links to her albums, including this song Alien, as well as a GoFundMe to support her father who lost his house in the Palisades fire this year.
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Show Notes
VICTORY! Congress Passes Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act — Access Fund
A New Era for Climbing: PARC Act’s Impact and the Path Forward — Access Fund
Tell Lawmakers How Firing Public Lands Employees Impacts You — Access Fund
How the Yosemite Climbing Community Is Reacting to DOGE Layoffs — Climbing.com
Protesters Display Upside-Down American Flag at Yosemite — NYT
Follow Madi Rindge on Instagram
Listen to Running Out of Oxygen on Spotify
Order Running out of Oxygen from Madi.
GoFundMe for Charlie Bisharat’s home that was lost in the Palisades fire