Happy holidays from the SLCA!  We look forward to a productive New Year.

2012 Board of Directors and Committees

The SLCA has undergone a restructure of the Board of Directors for the New Year. New Board members have been nominated, and three members have retired their Board positions.  Sincere thanks to Cynthia Leventhal, Jonathan Knight, and George Poulton for their service to the SLCA.  They will be missed.  Welcome to new Board members: Sara Baldwin, Mason Baker, Paul Tusting, Brad Barlage, and Jason Shumaker.  The SLCA has also added four committees.  The SLCA will be accepting the nominations of motivated individuals from members to serve on the new committees.  The committees are: Fundraising and Membership, Marketing and Outreach, Personnel, and Policy and Conservation.

Board of Directors 2012: Chairman: Jeff Porucznik, Treasurer: Matt Goreham, Administrator: Paul Tusting, Mason Baker, Sara Baldwin, Brad Barlage, Dustin Buckthal, Rob Candland, Jason Shumaker

Partnerships

Wasatch Water Legacy Partnership

The SLCA is now a supporting member of the Wasatch Water Legacy Partnership. (WWLP) The mission of the partnership is to enhance watershed conservation and provide sustainable recreation along the Wasatch Front in the Salt Lake area.  This partnership builds on existing relationships and embraces new partners in an effort to enhance watershed conditions and provide outdoor recreation opportunities to Salt Lake residents and visitors. 

Partners sponsoring the project include Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, Save our Canyons, the Town of Alta, Black Diamond Equipment, Ski Areas (Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton), UT Department of Natural Resources, UT Department of Transportation, UT Division of Water Quality, City of Sandy, and the Wasatch Regional Council.   

The WWLP will be working towards prioritizing objectives and finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at upcoming meetings. 

Through partnerships, the work that SLCA does will have greater recognition and support throughout the Wasatch.

Outdoor Alliance   

Executive Director, Julia Geisler and former Chairman, Jonathan Knight represented the SLCA at the 2011 Outdoor Alliance Summit in Golden, Colorado this December.  This first ever summit represented an effort to unite non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) representing human-powered recreational user groups and federal land managers. 

Partnerships were the focus as the federal agencies have been directed to seek creative ways to fund projects that support the Obama administration’s America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative.  This was especially pertinent in regards to the SLCA’s recent involvement in the Wasatch Watershed Legacy Partnership (WWLP).  The conference was well attended by NGO’s and agency employees as well as some administration officials and outdoor industry leaders.

All in all, the summit was an inspiration.  The SLCA and the WWLP face many of the challenges that were addressed during case study presentations.  There is a wealth of resources and support available to support our objectives.  The lack of available funding at the federal and state levels of government has spawned the establishment of partnerships that have been very successful in realizing the kind of outcomes that the SLCA is working towards.  Fortunately, we are already a stakeholder in a new partnership, and thanks to the Outdoor Alliance, we are much better prepared to have a positive influence in a process that will benefit, not only climbers, but the greater Salt Lake outdoor community.  Read more. 

Forest Service Resource Planning

The SLCA is working with the Salt Lake District of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest to develop climbing management objectives in the Wasatch Canyons.  Beginning with the climbing resources in lower Little Cottonwood Canyon, we are preparing documentation to support the proposal of the Crescent Crack and Egg trails as official Forest Service routes.  It is early in the process, but the redevelopment of the Grit Mill, as a trail head, and improving the access to the Bongeater are also on the table.  Currently, the SLCA is working to continue building our inventory of climbing resources in order to present a cohesive picture to the Forest Service.  They will use these reports and maps to help determine the extent and timing of their commitments to resource management in the areas that see the most climbing activity.  Stay tuned for future updates to this ongoing process.

Check out the Access Fund's Guide to Climbing Issues and the Development of a Climbing Management Plan.

Parley’s Access Trail Project Spring 2012   

The SLCA, in partnership with Salt Lake County Open Space and Save Our Canyons, has been approved to begin design work of a new access trail in lower Parley’s Canyon that will access lower Parley’s climbs.  Look for an Adopt-a-Crag event this spring to put in the new trail. 

A Policy and Conservation Committee within the SLCA has been formed and is in the planning process for the 2012 Project Season.  We want to hear your voice!  Talk to us on our online Forum.

History of the SLCA   

Take a glimpse at what the SLCA has done for you over the last decade.   

How does the SLCA Membership Program Benefit the Local Climbing Community? 

90 New Members have joined the SLCA since Adopt-a-Crag October 22nd, 2011!

The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance was founded by a small and dedicated group of local climbers volunteering their time to preserve climbing access to some of their favorite Wasatch Front crags.  After ten years of successful initiatives, the SLCA is seeking to expand its reach to serve, educate, and engage Utah’s growing climbing community. SLCA’s membership program helps foster a more cohesive and effective organization, while also creating an opportunity for members to have a vested interest in our work.  Through your financial support we are able to increase the number and scope of our projects and events, and, ultimately, our effectiveness in preserving local climbing access.  Some of our projects include climbing area restoration, access trail maintenance, bolt replacement, and climbing community education to promote safe and sustainable climbing principles.  In addition, the SLCA provides a critical voice for climbers in local, state, and federal access issues that affect Utah’s climbing resources. 

Only with the support and involvement of the local climbing community can SLCA fulfill our mission; please become a member today and help us continue our important work. To become a member, visit us at: http://www.saltlakeclimbers.org/membership. Annual membership fee is $25.00. The SLCA is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax deductible.

Welcome to all of our new members!