Members of the Forest
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and OCC at the entrance
of Charcoal cave

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Dear Climbing Community,

The time is finally here for your input about the caves outside of Bend. The Forest Service is taking input about resource management of the caves. If you would ever like an opportunity to climb in the caves that your tax dollars are paying for, GET INVOLVED NOW!!!! Local forest service agents have shown a complete bias, if not an outright hatred towards rock climbing and climbers in these caves. Larry King is a militant caver that is on a personal mission to stop any type of climbing in any of the caves. His input to the forest service is very influential with people making recreation use decisions. It is very clear that certain local agents that OUR government employs are also on a mission to stop any use of this resource by "GOD DAMN CLIMBERS". This attitude is also apparent in all of the literature put out by the Forest Service.

Now is the time to get your opinions on the table. Demand use of this resource and make the Forest service accountable for the rulings already in place that stop the use of hand drying agents. The issue of drying agents is just an opinion based judgment and has no real credible proof . The study done by Don MacGowan in Wyoming (over ten years ago), if you have read it, states over and over that his findings on rock degradation from pH levels raised by hand sweat and chalk are laboratory examples and could not be proven outside. This study is what the Forest Service uses for their ruling on chalk use.

This is a David and Goliath mismatch but is our only chance to be heard on this matter.

Thanks a lot,
Larry Brumwell

PS: If you'd like a copy of the preliminary resource action plan you can contact the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest.

Editors note: If you have an opinion you would like to express e-mail your comments to commentary@smithrock.com.