Thursday, May 24, 2012
Dyno-Jam
http://granitearch.com/team/html/eventscrags.html
Friday, March 16, 2012
Auburn Quarry (ASRA) Update
All,
As many of you know, CRAGS has been activly working on re-opening climbing access in the Aburn Quarry since 2008. We are on the cusp of a significant breakthrough.
The federal and state agencies that administer the Auburn State Recreation Area, where the Auburn Quarry is located, have recently negotiated a funding agreement that will allow the ASRA to stay open, unlike many of its state park counterparts. As part of that agreement, ASRA will continue the general management plan update it began years ago, but halted in 2010 when funding ran out. Although ASRA officials have declined to give a firm completion date for the management plan update, they have comitted to recognizing climbing as a legitimate recreational use in the plan update once it is complete.
In the mean time, both federal and state officials have agreed to a limited lift of the ban on climbing in the Quarry, so long as CRAGS commits to manage the impacts of climbers by providing certain facilities and services. Specifically, ASRA officials have asked that CRAGS provide and maintain toilet, garbage, and signage facilities in the Quarry. CRAGS is presently negotiating the terms of an agreement with ASRA officials that would effectuate this deal.
In order to make climbing in the Auburn Quarry a reality, however, CRAGS must raise enough money to install and maintain the above mentioned facilities for the next year. Critical to this effort is a grant application CRAGS submitted to the Access Fund, which has supported CRAGS' efforts to re-open the Auburn Quarry. Recently, the Access Fund posted its "Rate It" campaign, which gives climbers (members and nonmembers alike) the opportunity to rate projects which have applied for grant funding. CRAGS encourages all interested climbers to go to http://www.accessfund.org/site/c.tmL5KhNWLrH/b.8011009/k.1229/2012_Round_1_Grant_Survey/apps/fc/form.asp
and provide the Access Fund with your feedback about supporting CRAGS with a grant. Additionally, please consider supporting the Access Fund by becoming a member if you are not already.
Finally, in the comming months, CRAGS will need your support, both financial, and otherwise to make re-opening the Aburn Quarry a reality. Please keep an eye out future opportunities to be a part of this process.
Thank you for your support,
CRAGS
As many of you know, CRAGS has been activly working on re-opening climbing access in the Aburn Quarry since 2008. We are on the cusp of a significant breakthrough.
The federal and state agencies that administer the Auburn State Recreation Area, where the Auburn Quarry is located, have recently negotiated a funding agreement that will allow the ASRA to stay open, unlike many of its state park counterparts. As part of that agreement, ASRA will continue the general management plan update it began years ago, but halted in 2010 when funding ran out. Although ASRA officials have declined to give a firm completion date for the management plan update, they have comitted to recognizing climbing as a legitimate recreational use in the plan update once it is complete.
In the mean time, both federal and state officials have agreed to a limited lift of the ban on climbing in the Quarry, so long as CRAGS commits to manage the impacts of climbers by providing certain facilities and services. Specifically, ASRA officials have asked that CRAGS provide and maintain toilet, garbage, and signage facilities in the Quarry. CRAGS is presently negotiating the terms of an agreement with ASRA officials that would effectuate this deal.
In order to make climbing in the Auburn Quarry a reality, however, CRAGS must raise enough money to install and maintain the above mentioned facilities for the next year. Critical to this effort is a grant application CRAGS submitted to the Access Fund, which has supported CRAGS' efforts to re-open the Auburn Quarry. Recently, the Access Fund posted its "Rate It" campaign, which gives climbers (members and nonmembers alike) the opportunity to rate projects which have applied for grant funding. CRAGS encourages all interested climbers to go to http://www.accessfund.org/site/c.tmL5KhNWLrH/b.8011009/k.1229/2012_Round_1_Grant_Survey/apps/fc/form.asp
and provide the Access Fund with your feedback about supporting CRAGS with a grant. Additionally, please consider supporting the Access Fund by becoming a member if you are not already.
Finally, in the comming months, CRAGS will need your support, both financial, and otherwise to make re-opening the Aburn Quarry a reality. Please keep an eye out future opportunities to be a part of this process.
Thank you for your support,
CRAGS
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
AUBURN!!!
Ok folks, this one is HUGE for us! Access Fund has put CRAGS up on their website for a proposed grant regarding the ASRA Auburn closure. We have been working on this project since the first days of our organization, and finally things are beginning to change. Show that you would be interested in the lifting of the climbing ban and help out where you can! This is nationwide...time to represent!I...f you click on this link, you will be able to see our Auburn grant proposal (#3) and rate its priority. You must vote on all, but make sure you make #3 a five star priority! Thanks for your support, together we can get this done!
To vote, click the giant link that follows: HERE IT IS, THIS IS THE LINK!!! VIVA AUBURN
To vote, click the giant link that follows: HERE IT IS, THIS IS THE LINK!!! VIVA AUBURN
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Reel Rock 2011 Recap
Reel Rock 2011 was awesome! Thank you all so much for coming and an extra big thanks to the volunteers who made it one of the smoothest shows we've done yet and to Pipeworks for donating the gym and some staff members to help out. We couldn't do it without you. Over three hundred local climbers and other rad folks made it to the show this year and the energy was great.
CRAGS's Reel Rock 2011 in numbers:
6 amazing movies.
300 + local climbers plus volunteers and staff.
2 kegs of delicious, local, free beer.
1 food truck serving up tasty, wholesome creations (thanks Mama Kim Cooks!)
1 metric ton of buttered popcorn eaten.
1 truckload of shwag raffled off.
We look forward to seeing you all again next year, just don't slack-line like sketchy Andy.
CRAGS's Reel Rock 2011 in numbers:
6 amazing movies.
300 + local climbers plus volunteers and staff.
2 kegs of delicious, local, free beer.
1 food truck serving up tasty, wholesome creations (thanks Mama Kim Cooks!)
1 metric ton of buttered popcorn eaten.
1 truckload of shwag raffled off.
We look forward to seeing you all again next year, just don't slack-line like sketchy Andy.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Update on Climbing Prohibition in ASRA
Since its formation in 2008, CRAGS has worked continuously to lift the climbing prohibition in the Auburn State Recreation Area (ASRA). The ASRA is owned by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and managed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). CRAGS has met with officials from both agencies over the years to discuss the climbing ban, written numerous letters and other written correspondence, requested and reviewed substantial documentation related to the ban; and lobbied state legislative representatives for support.
One of the challenges in realizing an end of the climbing ban is that the combination of state and federal jurisdiction has often made it difficult to understand who is calling the shots. For example, the climbing ban which began in 2003, was technically issued by the Superintendant of the ASRA, which falls under the jurisdiction of the State DPR. Indeed, as managers of the ASRA, it has been state DPR employees (park rangers) which have enforced the climbing ban. However, it was the Federal BOR that unofficially requested ASRA to issue the climbing ban in the first place, and has continued to instruct DPR to maintain enforcement of the ban.
Recently, CRAGS met with officials from the Federal BOR at the Quarry in the ASRA to discuss lifting the ban. During that meeting, BOR officials would not commit to lifting the ban immediately, but the meeting was positive in dispelling BOR's stated concern of potential danger to climbers from the active mining opperations occuring above the climbing routes in the Quarry. BOR officials did commit to continue discussing the issue internally and respond more formally to CRAGS' request in the coming weeks. CRAGS will continue to push for the cessation of the climbing ban. Stay tuned . . . .
One of the challenges in realizing an end of the climbing ban is that the combination of state and federal jurisdiction has often made it difficult to understand who is calling the shots. For example, the climbing ban which began in 2003, was technically issued by the Superintendant of the ASRA, which falls under the jurisdiction of the State DPR. Indeed, as managers of the ASRA, it has been state DPR employees (park rangers) which have enforced the climbing ban. However, it was the Federal BOR that unofficially requested ASRA to issue the climbing ban in the first place, and has continued to instruct DPR to maintain enforcement of the ban.
Recently, CRAGS met with officials from the Federal BOR at the Quarry in the ASRA to discuss lifting the ban. During that meeting, BOR officials would not commit to lifting the ban immediately, but the meeting was positive in dispelling BOR's stated concern of potential danger to climbers from the active mining opperations occuring above the climbing routes in the Quarry. BOR officials did commit to continue discussing the issue internally and respond more formally to CRAGS' request in the coming weeks. CRAGS will continue to push for the cessation of the climbing ban. Stay tuned . . . .
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