BLM TO CHARGE $20 TO ACCESS CALICO BASIN; WILL BUILD TOLL BOOTH

And then this happened today. They rolled the sign back out on to the side of the highway, crushing the vegetation. Gigi went out to Calico Basin for a hike at 3:30pm and encountered this sign “CALICO BASIN FULL”. She drove past the sign and sure enough, there was plenty of parking at the Kraft Mountain trailhead, so the sign was a lie.

She hiked for a couple hours and came back after nightfall through the boulder field, passing several groups with their lights set up for their sessions. I’m sure many of those boulderers don’t even realize that their nighttime cragging will soon become a thing of the past unless they are one of the upper-echelon residents.

Anyway, as she drove back to town tonight, the sign was still lit up on the highway; I gather that they will run the sign 24-7 as if Calico Basin is jam-packed, bumper to bumper, all night. The sign is a lie and does nothing to make people trust the government or anything they say.

For all those saying that putting up fees and roadblocks will help with preservation: you have the option of helping by just staying home as well :) 

BLM enacted the reservation system and quota on the loop road last year with no public input and that shifted a lot of traffic to Calico Basin. They stopped basic law enforcement in Red Rock, leading to widespread vehicle break-ins. There have been no rangers on trails for years. The climbing rangers are long gone. The BLM caused a lot of the problems of overcrowding in Calico Basin. 

After causing the problem in the first place, now the BLM will gate Calico Basin, subjecting an area that was once free to a reservation system and ridiculous fees. The loop road operating hours will be applied to Calico, meaning that steep fines apply to those who remain after 5pm.

The area will become a gated community benefiting the residents with infrastructure paid for by tax-payers. As the great unwashed get rushed out of the area by BLM law enforcement at 5pm, the local residents, including our beloved hero Hollywood star rock climber and his friends, will be free to boulder, climb and hike in peace at any time they wish, day or night.

The "Access" Fund stands silent as they reap the donations and and membership fees. The Red Rock Rehab fund-raising event will have the peasants out at Kraft Boulders this weekend, doing some groundskeeping and landscaping in the star climber's back yard. They'll get a slide show and some free beer downtown as token of appreciation.

The whole thing stinks, the optics are bad and corruption seems not out of the question as the resident's home values skyrocket. Go to the meeting at 6pm, tonight, November 18, 2021, and speak up. I don't know if I can make it because I have to be at work. Report back here what happens, I'll be submitting written comments, the BLM is accepting suggestions through December 8. It's not looking good though; we had six months to deal with this and nothing was said or done by the local climbing organization. Call your congressperson and county commissioner. Contact the media. Doing just one thing is probably more than what the "Access" Fund has done for us. 

John Hegyes wrote:

BLM enacted the reservation system and quota on the loop road last year with no public input and that shifted a lot of traffic to Calico Basin. They stopped basic law enforcement in Red Rock, leading to widespread vehicle break-ins. There have been no rangers on trails for years. The climbing rangers are long gone. The BLM caused a lot of the problems of overcrowding in Calico Basin. 

After causing the problem in the first place, now the BLM will gate Calico Basin, subjecting an area that was once free to a reservation system and ridiculous fees. The loop road operating hours will be applied to Calico, meaning that steep fines apply to those who remain after 5pm.

The area will become a gated community benefiting the residents with infrastructure paid for by tax-payers. As the great unwashed get rushed out of the area by BLM law enforcement at 5pm, the local residents, including our beloved hero Hollywood star rock climber and his friends, will be free to boulder, climb and hike in peace at any time they wish, day or night.

The "Access" Fund stands silent as they reap the donations and and membership fees. The Red Rock Rehab fund-raising event will have the peasants out at Kraft Boulders this weekend, doing some groundskeeping and landscaping in the star climber's back yard. They'll get a slide show and some free beer downtown as token of appreciation.

The whole thing stinks, the optics are bad and corruption seems not out of the question as the resident's home values skyrocket. Go to the meeting at 6pm, tonight, November 18, 2021, and speak up. I don't know if I can make it because I have to be at work. Report back here what happens, I'll be submitting written comments, the BLM is accepting suggestions through December 8. It's not looking good though; we had six months to deal with this and nothing was said or done by the local climbing organization. Call your congressperson and county commissioner. Contact the media. Doing just one thing is probably more than what the "Access" Fund has done for us. 

While I agree with everything you're saying, I will say that I frequently stay inside the loop road well past the "curfew" (like 2+ hours sometimes) and have never gotten a ticket. What are the chances they will actually hire more rangers to patrol now just because a gate is going up? 

I wasn't able to make the meeting because I was working - how did it go?

Tanner James wrote:

Completely genuine question here, what is the worst case scenario if they don’t put up a gate and charge people $20 a day to enter? Calico is 99% rock and sand, with some very sporadic crypto soil and sparse desert vegetation sprinkled beside trails. What is this “destruction” we’re supposedly saving calico from by monetizing it? The bolts will stay, the chains will stay, the chalk will stay, people will continue to drop cliff bar wrappers, but I honest to god don’t understand how people think they are going to completely destroy a literal rock pile that has been around for a million years? This is 100% a money grab after they realized how much money they can make from charging people to use their own public land. If you see trash, pick it up, if you see a bag of dog shit, pick it up, if you see someone not doing that, call them out and clean up after them. This “I love the outdoors so much that I want to fence it at all and charge people to look at it!!” Mentality is a new level of a savior complex that has floored me. I’ve bragged for years how inclusive climbing is, “all you need is a rope harness draws and shoes then it’s free!!” And this is a direct step in the opposite direction. You want to make the outdoors less Inclusive? Fence off everything and make people pay $25 a day through their phone to enter. 

This thread and this comment are incredible examples of why I've come to the conclusion that the climbing community contains way too many people more interested in themselves than actually giving a crap about where we're climbing.

1. Shitting on local organizations that do actual bureaucratic, outreach, and cleanup work.
2. Shitting on the idea that the desert is fragile and that the Kraft Boulders area is very literally trampled to death.
3. Shitting, constantly, on any attempt to deal with the real problems without providing any solutions.

Children stamp their feet and throw temper tantrums when someone takes away their play time. Adults recognize that problems exist and work with people -- even ones that they might not like -- to find a compromise or a resolution.

At least, I wish adults did.

EMFR I wrote:

...I will say that I frequently stay inside the loop road well past the "curfew" (like 2+ hours sometimes) and have never gotten a ticket...

I wasn't able to make the meeting because I was working - how did it go?

I've been climbing in Red Rock for 15+ years and my partners and I together have gotten at least 5 tickets for being parked on the loop road and they are not cheap, I'm sure they are more than $200 by now. You may have gotten away with no ticket lately because it seems that for some reason ALL BLM law enforcement has been pulled back. That's good for you, but a lot of crime, such as vehicle break-ins, has been allowed to proliferate as a result.

I wouldn't count on lax enforcement of late exit fines; it's not going to last. There's going to be a lot more money rolling into the BLM, so expect more ticket-writers.

The BLM stated there would be no late exit permits granted for Calico because they don't consider the area to be a multi-pitch climbing destination - Big Bad Wolf, not withstanding, lol. Imagine the new, inexperienced climbers getting a rope stuck on that route, while helplessly watching the patrol officer writing them a ticket down at the parking lot - in broad daylight! This is undue time pressure, and some climbers will make bad decisions when they get rushed like this. Accidents will likely happen as a result.

---

You can watch the meeting with the BLM from two nights ago at the following link on YouTube. 

Calico Basin Draft RAMP and EA Virtual Public Meeting, November 18, 2021

There was a half hour of Q&A and one hour of comments from the public. The comments were overwhelmingly a condemnation of the BLM plan. There was almost unanimous disagreement with the BLM proposal. I am appreciative of the remarks from the board members of the SNCC but there is a lot more that needs to be done. This is not finished, and the BLM will continue to accept comments through December 8, 2021. The plan will be finalized in January.

Please help fight against this awful proposal. I do care about protecting our natural resources but instituting strict operating hours and a gated community provided for the benefit of the few residences is NOT the answer. Please send your comments to the BLM by following this link:

Submit comments here for Calico Basin Recreation Management Plan

There is also a petition about the Calico Basin proposal on change.org that was started by Thomas K., the person that has sued the BLM to stop the loop road reservation system.

Petition on Change.org: Hands off Calico access, BLM! Keep it free and 24/7.

Sounds like you folks need a serious Monkey Wrench Gang.

Glen Prior wrote:

Sounds like you folks need a serious Monkey Wrench Gang.

Which would accomplish what, exactly?

Can't we all agree that the pebble wrestlers are to blame and just ban them?

Marc801 C wrote:

Which would accomplish what, exactly?

Would make the news great again

Ah yes "Conservation" 

NegativeK wrote:

This thread and this comment are incredible examples of why I've come to the conclusion that the climbing community contains way too many people more interested in themselves than actually giving a crap about where we're climbing.

1. Shitting on local organizations that do actual bureaucratic, outreach, and cleanup work.
2. Shitting on the idea that the desert is fragile and that the Kraft Boulders area is very literally trampled to death.
3. Shitting, constantly, on any attempt to deal with the real problems without providing any solutions.

Children stamp their feet and throw temper tantrums when someone takes away their play time. Adults recognize that problems exist and work with people -- even ones that they might not like -- to find a compromise or a resolution.

At least, I wish adults did.

I personally believe in the right for every person to have access to outdoor spaces. This thread and forum is a place where we can express our anger and rant to our fellow climbers in a "safe space" about this proposal to lock down our public lands. Your post strikes me as tone policing, because if you look beyond the anger and rants you will see some proposals for alternatives. What I don't see in your post are any proposals or alternatives, just a bunch of whiny complaining about the way in which we are expressing our anger over this. What is your compromise or resolution? With that rendering above do you still think this is about "protecting kraft boulders"? LOL

1. Public outreach - teach public about leave no trace principles, how to stay on hard surfaces over soft, controlling animals etc

2. Patrol the area and enforce rules - i'd like to see just one ranger on foot doing some public outreach and enforcing rules, never have

3. Show the boulderers that there are other areas than kraft - black velvet, oak creek, windy canyon, etc the love needs to be spread around

Thank for your post, it really showed us how mature and reasonable you are. 

is there a moratorium on new homes in calico basin due to water shortages similar to Blue Diamond?

Gerson R wrote:

is there a moratorium on new homes in calico basin due to water shortages similar to Blue Diamond?

I'm pretty sure that is due to supply/storage limitations with the Blue Diamond water system itself. I don't think the Blue Diamond system serves calico basin. 

Can anybody link to resources or examples where a similar situation was in place but people banded together and found an alternative solution? Perhaps we need to be focusing a little more on brainstorming alternative solutions by looking at past examples. This way if we do choose to write in to the BLM or argue our points across we can have a solid foundation to stand on. 

Dakota McCullough wrote:

Perhaps we need to be focusing a little more on brainstorming alternative solutions by looking at past examples. This way if we do choose to write in to the BLM or argue our points across we can have a solid foundation to stand on. 

Agree on the need for some kind of concerted action rather than lots of unorganized complaining. It seems like gated access is an inevitability. Accepting that, maybe the thing to organize and fight for would be extending the closing time? Losing that area past 8pm in the summertime seems like a huge loss, but may be the kind of concession that BLM would actually work toward with people.

Chris Stocking wrote:

Agree on the need for some kind of concerted action rather than lots of unorganized complaining. It seems like gated access is an inevitability. Accepting that, maybe the thing to organize and fight for would be extending the closing time? Losing that area past 8pm in the summertime seems like a huge loss, but may be the kind of concession that BLM would actually work toward with people.

No, gated access is not yet an "inevitability". But your suggestion that tweaking the hours that you can park in Calico Basin is a valid one. A good proposal would be that once you enter, you can leave at whatever time you please, with the stipulation, as always, no camping. But the best outcome of course, would be no toll booth, no reservations, no operating hours.

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This is a closure of public access - but not a closure of the land, actually. The Calico Basin area will still be open to foot traffic, 24-7. No, this is the closure of the ROADS. And close scrutiny needs to be made here. Some of those Calico roads are county roads. Josh Travers (BLM) went to great pains during the meeting last week to explain that a deal has been made between the BLM and Clark County. I object to Clark County signing away our public roads. I believe the County needs to be brought to accord and forced to explain who made this decision and with what authority.

John Hegyes wrote:

No, gated access is not yet an "inevitability". But your suggestion that tweaking the hours that you can park in Calico Basin is a valid one. A good proposal would be that once you enter, you can leave at whatever time you please, with the stipulation, as always, no camping. But the best outcome of course, would be no toll booth, no reservations, no operating hours.

-----

This is a closure of public access - but not a closure of the land, actually. The Calico Basin area will still be open to foot traffic, 24-7. No, this is the closure of the ROADS. And close scrutiny needs to be made here. Some of those Calico roads are county roads. Josh Travers (BLM) went to great pains during the meeting last week to explain that a deal has been made between the BLM and Clark County. I object to Clark County signing away our public roads. I believe the County needs to be brought to accord and forced to explain who made this decision and with what authority.

I agree with John here that the county road right of way may be our way to have some pull in this whole thing. We have paid tax dollars for the installation and upkeep of those roads and they will be given to the BLM. However, I am guessing there is some kind of land swap that will take place and the BLM will open up more land to clark county for development, and we all know that developers run this city. 

To me it seems like an inevitability, unfortunately. From the DRAFT RAMP:

Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis 

Not implementing a reservation system. Without implementing a reservation system, visitation to the Calico Basin would reach levels that the natural systems, resources, facilities, and trails could not support. A reservation system would allow the BLM to manage visitor use to protect the area’s natural resources, minimize user conflicts, and maintain the relevant MEA characteristics.  

Not adding a fee system. If the BLM did not implement a system to collect fees for entry to the Calico Basin and ensure those fees would specifically benefit the Calico Basin, there would be insufficient funding to implement the monitoring and protection of resources necessary to maintain the relevant MEA characteristics given the visitation levels anticipated in the future.  

Creating a new access road to the Calico Basin. The BLM is working with Clark County to ensure there is controlled public access via the existing roadway network to BLM-administered lands in the Calico Basin and access to private inholdings. The BLM considered the need for an additional access road to the Calico Basin, but determined through initial study that it was not feasible.  

Edit: we can forget the road issue, looks like it is a done deal:

the BLM worked closely with Clark County to coordinate the relinquishment of county ownership of the roadway segments identified below. The BLM assumed ownership and maintenance responsibilities for these segments: 

• Calico Basin Road (1.20 miles) • Calico Drive (0.12 miles) • Assisi Canyon Avenue (0.12 miles) • Sandstone Drive (0.51 miles) Remaining roadways in the Calico Basin providing access to private inholdings will be privately owned and maintained.

Ashort wrote:

I agree with John here that the county road right of way may be our way to have some pull in this whole thing. We have paid tax dollars for the installation and upkeep of those roads and they will be given to the BLM. However, I am guessing there is some kind of land swap that will take place and the BLM will open up more land to clark county for development, and we all know that developers run this city. 

To me it seems like an inevitability, unfortunately. From the DRAFT RAMP:

Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis 

Not implementing a reservation system. Without implementing a reservation system, visitation to the Calico Basin would reach levels that the natural systems, resources, facilities, and trails could not support. A reservation system would allow the BLM to manage visitor use to protect the area’s natural resources, minimize user conflicts, and maintain the relevant MEA characteristics.  

Not adding a fee system. If the BLM did not implement a system to collect fees for entry to the Calico Basin and ensure those fees would specifically benefit the Calico Basin, there would be insufficient funding to implement the monitoring and protection of resources necessary to maintain the relevant MEA characteristics given the visitation levels anticipated in the future.  

Creating a new access road to the Calico Basin. The BLM is working with Clark County to ensure there is controlled public access via the existing roadway network to BLM-administered lands in the Calico Basin and access to private inholdings. The BLM considered the need for an additional access road to the Calico Basin, but determined through initial study that it was not feasible.  

Edit: we can forget the road issue, looks like it is a done deal:

the BLM worked closely with Clark County to coordinate the relinquishment of county ownership of the roadway segments identified below. The BLM assumed ownership and maintenance responsibilities for these segments: 

• Calico Basin Road (1.20 miles) • Calico Drive (0.12 miles) • Assisi Canyon Avenue (0.12 miles) • Sandstone Drive (0.51 miles) Remaining roadways in the Calico Basin providing access to private inholdings will be privately owned and maintained.

When a land management agency does this deep a study the recommendations are a done deal. Given what has happened to A. the popularity of climbing, B. the popularity of Las Vegas and C. the popularity of climbing at Las Vegas, there is no way that any of the things that climbers are asking for will happen, including allowing night climbing which is on thin ice environmentally speaking as it is. Get used to it.

Peter Beal wrote:

When a land management agency does this deep a study the recommendations are a done deal. Given what has happened to A. the popularity of climbing, B. the popularity of Las Vegas and C. the popularity of climbing at Las Vegas, there is no way that any of the things that climbers are asking for will happen, including allowing night climbing which is on thin ice environmentally speaking as it is. Get used to it.

Why is night climbing on thin ice environmentally? Not trolling, I am genuinely  curious.