Significant Progress for SOAR Act
The SOAR Act has made significant progress in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (SENR) Committee in the last two months. The bill was integrated into the first-ever recreation package to be developed by Congress, called “America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022” or “AORA” and was passed out of the SENR Committee with unanimous consent […]
AMGA Comments on Climbing Management Plans
AMGA Comments on Climbing Management Plans As visitation levels have been increasing at climbing areas across the country, more land managers are taking steps to create a climbing management plan (CMP). A CMP outlines how climbing resources will be managed and often covers topics such as fixed anchors, access trails, parking, and commercial use. The […]
SOAR Act Reintroduced in 117th Congress
SOAR Act Reintroduced in 117th Congress The Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act (SOAR Act) has made a strong start in the 117th session of Congress. The bill was quickly reintroduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Joe […]
Red Rock Access Secured
Guiding Access Secured in Red Rocks In the fall of 2020, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) at Red Rock National Conservation Area released a proposal that would significantly limit guiding access while an environmental analysis of climbing resources is completed. The proposal also sought to charge guide services for the cost of the environmental […]
Fall 2019 Guide Stewardship Events
The AMGA, local guides, and land managers have collaborated on three stewardship events at popular guiding venues this fall. Projects have taken place on the east side approach trail to Mt. Whitney (CA), the approach trail to the Liberty Bell Group at Washington Pass (WA), and at the Ouray Ice Park (CO). Groups of local […]
Improved Guide Experience Requirements on Denali
Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA) put forward a new, park-wide regulation in 2018 that stated all guides must climb a route before guiding it. The requirement limited guiding opportunities for guides, caused staffing difficulties for guide services, and in several cases prevented the public from being able to hire a guide for the route […]
What is the SOAR Act?
Organized groups like outfitters, guides, outdoor education organizations, college and university programs, and volunteer-based clubs are required to have a permit to take people to national parks, national forests, and other federal lands for things like hiking, climbing, mountaineering, and other outdoor sports. These permits have different names depending on the agency but are generally […]
AMGA Testifies Before Congress on SOAR Act
Advocacy and Policy Director, Matt Wade, was invited to testify before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands on the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act (SOAR Act). In front of numerous members of Congress and a packed audience, Wade introduced the AMGA, described the need for guides to have better access, […]
AMGA Comments on USFS NEPA Rulemaking
The U.S. Forest Service has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise its procedures for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The NPRM describes a number of proposals that would streamline the environmental review process for a variety of forest management actions. Most notably for the guiding community, the NPRM includes the […]
Sequoia-Kings Canyon Announces Improved CUA Program
After extensive dialogue with local guides and the AMGA, Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park (SEKI) has made numerous improvements to their commercial use authorization (CUA) program. The total number of available CUAs has been increased, all CUAs provide access to the Mount Whitney Management Area, multiple tiers of allocations are available to accommodate different levels of […]
