Tahoe Rock Climbing Ban Appealed

A new U.S. Forest Service ban on rock climbing at a popular Lake Tahoe site has been appealed by a group of climbers.

Filing appeals this week over the closure of Cave Rock on Tahoe´s east shore was The Access Fund, a group based in Boulder, Colorado, that works to protect access to climbing areas.

Jack Blackwell, boss of the Forest Service´s Pacific Southwest region, has until November sixth to rule on the appeals.

The climbing ban, announced in July, was supposed to take effect September 2. But the appeals have stalled implementation of the new rules. Forest Service officials have said Cave Rock – a volcanic formation held sacred by the Washoe Tribe – is a cultural resource worthy of protection. But The Access Fund says the rock climbing ban is unfair to climbers.