This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

A decades-long debate over how to manage wilderness climbing may be nearing a close. Land-management agencies, including the US Forest Service and agencies within the Department of Interior, released draft guidance in mid-June on the use of permanent anchors—basically metal points of attachment for ropes—in wilderness areas, as directed by Congress’ 2025 Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act.

“A lot of people and user types are vying for the same piece of real estate, and climbers are part of that,” said Erik Murdock, deputy director of programs, policy and government affairs at the Access Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for climbing access and environmental conservation. The new guidance helps secure climbers’ place in the mix, he said. But some wilderness advocates argue that it too loosely regulates uses that violate the Wilderness Act’s intention. Even though climbing has long been a popular activity in designated wilderness areas, and, in many places, it predates their creation, the Wilderness Act generally prohibits permanent infrastructure—and this is where the controversy arises.

“We’re squeezing wildlife into smaller and smaller pockets of protected space…and we have a lot of people waiting........

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