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Letter from the President and<br />
Executive Director<br />
Since 1990, the <strong>Access</strong> <strong>Fund</strong> has been the country's only organization dedicated<br />
solely to preserving climbing access and conserving the climbing environment. We<br />
have grown to over 15,000 members and affiliates and gained support of most of the<br />
climbing industry through our corporate partnership program. We continue to grow and<br />
work with community partners and associated local climber organizations to advocate<br />
on behalf of the almost one million active climbers in the United States. We have spent<br />
millions of dollars on land acquisitions, local conservation projects, and support for<br />
grassroots activism. Also, we have dedicated significant funding to climber education<br />
and representation in the public policy arena.<br />
In 2002, the <strong>Access</strong> <strong>Fund</strong> awarded over $120,000 in Climbing Preservation Grants,<br />
monies that helped establish local climbing organizations in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas,<br />
Arizona, and other areas across the USA and to acquire land, build or repair trail systems,<br />
provide necessary signage, and assist other grassroots initiatives. We received<br />
an "Excellence Award" from the Alaskan Region of the National Park Service for our support<br />
of the Denali Clean Mountain Can program. We allocated our largest ever-single<br />
grant to Utah Open Lands (UTOL) to assist with the Castleton Tower purchase, and we<br />
continue to work with UTOL to formulate management guidelines and plans for the<br />
future use of this resource.<br />
The Red River Gorge's Daniel Boone National Forest and the City of Boulder<br />
Colorado also recognized the <strong>Access</strong> <strong>Fund</strong> with awards in 2002 for our continued<br />
efforts regarding stewardship and management of climbing resources on public lands.<br />
The <strong>Access</strong> <strong>Fund</strong> collaborated with local climbing organizations to preserve or restore<br />
access in areas including Pinnacle Peak, AZ and Boat Rock, GA. Former Board member<br />
and AF Regional Coordinator, Paul Diefenderfer, was instrumental in the Pinnacle Peak<br />
project, and the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition lead the way to purchase land at Boat<br />
Rock.<br />
We created an Indian Creek Information Guide in cooperation with the Bureau of<br />
Land Management (BLM), The Nature Conservancy, and Rocky Mountain Field<br />
Institute. This unique publication was designed to educate climbers about upcoming<br />
BLM planning initiatives in the Indian Creek corridor and to communicate how to care<br />
for this precious resource<br />
Our National policy efforts included working with cultural resource consultants<br />
regarding solutions to allow climbing while protecting archeological/historical values. In<br />
addition, we continued to work on the fixed anchor in wilderness debate.<br />
2002 was a successful and productive year for the AF due to growing support from<br />
climbers throughout the country. Challenges remain, but we will continue to advocate<br />
on behalf of our members, partners and the plethora of active climbers nationwide. We<br />
look forward to enhancing our grassroots program in order to support climbers around<br />
the country working to keep their climbing<br />
areas open and conserving the climbing<br />
environment for future generations.<br />
Together with a focused mission, longterm<br />
commitment to self-regulation, and<br />
local activism, we are prepared to continue<br />
and address future climbing issues.<br />
2<br />
Dave Rosenstein Steve Matous<br />
Dave Rosenstein, President<br />
Steve Matous, Executive Director
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