CHICKAMAUGA AND CHATTANOOGA

Summary of Public Comments and

Responses to Specific Comments on the

Draft Climbing Management Plan

Summary of Public Comments

A total of sixty written comments were received during the public comment period, which was extended from thirty to sixty days to allow the draft plan to be distributed as widely as possible.

The sixty responses were quantified as follows:

Responses to Specific Public Comments

1.    Climbing activities should be eliminated in the Sunset Rock area.

The historical significance of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, including the Sunset Rock area, is the primary reason for the park’s existence. Other activities, such as climbing, can be accommodated provided they do not damage resources or disrupt the historic scene. The intent of the Climbing Management Plan is to continue to allow climbing activity, included limited opportunities in the Sunset Rock area, while eliminating practices which damage the resources and detract from the historic scene.

2.    Do not close the Sunset Rock area to climbing.

The Climbing Management Plan does not propose to eliminate climbing in the Sunset Rock area. The plan allows climbing to continue on the face of Sunset Rock itself. The only additional closure included in the plan is the cliff face immediately south of Sunset Rock. This closure was added to remove the potential visual intrusion of climbing activity from the sight of visitors standing at Sunset Rock, while still allowing climbing to occur on the face of Sunset Rock immediately below, but out of site of, those visitors. The closure supports the park’s management objective "to provide a non-distracting, contemplative environment in order to enhance the visitors’ educational and emotional experience".

3.    The additional closure of the cliff face south of Sunset Rock should be done seasonally, based on the use of the area by civil war enthusiasts and sightseers.

The park will implement a trail registration system to collect data on the number and type of visitors using the Sunset Rock area. This information will be evaluated after a one-year period. The closure of the area adjacent to Sunset Rock is one of the issues that will be addressed as part of this evaluation, with a seasonal closure being one possible option.

4.    Elements of the Climbing Management Plan should be phased in based on the progress made through previous actions.

Climbing activities have been managed for a number of years through the implementation of area closures and other regulations intended to protect the park resources. The development and implementation of a Climbing Management Plan is the next phase of managing climbing activities. The plan itself is expected to change over time based on the level of climbing activity and related impacts. An annual review, including public input, is part of the plan.

5.    No baseline information exists to document use in the Sunset Rock area.

The park acknowledges that although research has been conducted to document damage to natural resources in the Sunset Rock area, there has been no accompanying data collected to document the level and type of use that occurs there. As noted in #3 above, a trail registration system will be used to collect this information, which will be useful in evaluating any future management proposals.

6.    Anchors should be added to new climbing areas.

The installation of anchors is a part of the plan, with emphasis on installing anchors below the rim at Sunset Rock, and at the top and/or bottom of other climbing areas based on the degree of existing resource damage or threats to resources in those areas. Additional anchors could be added over time in response to changing use patterns, including installing anchors in open areas that are currently underutilized by climbers.

7.    b-Fees and a permit system are not necessary to manage climbing.

Many comments were received both for and against using a fee/permit system to manage climbing activities. The Climbing Management Plan calls for the evaluation of a fee system to determine if such action would be feasible. This evaluation will include policy, practicality, usefulness, and cost effectiveness considerations. Even if a fee system were found to be feasible and have merit, it would not be put in place until the results of implementing the climbing management plan utilizing existing staff and funds without fees has been evaluated. If an acceptably low level of resource impacts cannot be achieved through the plan’s preferred alternative, a permit system may be considered to limit the number of climbers. A permit system of this type would require setting use limits based on each site’s carrying capacity. Since the park does not currently have adequate data to establish carrying capacities for specific climbing areas, additional research would be necessary prior to implementing such a permit system.

8.    Members of the climbing community have contributed to rehabilitation efforts in the Sunset Rock area both financially and with volunteer labor, and should be given credit for their efforts.

The park acknowledges the generous contributions of the climbing community in support of the Sunset Rock area. Climbers, working with park staff and other volunteers, have contributed the vast majority of labor provided in support of the park’s trail rehabilitation program on Lookout Mountain, particularly during "Trail Day" events. Climbing organizations and others have also contributed financially to the rehabilitation effort. The results of this work thus far have been outstanding, and the park hopes to continue this productive partnership.