Cleveland Metroparks 2nd Round of Master Plan Input Sessions

On Monday, May 2 through Wednesday, May 4 Cleveland Metroparks (CMP) will hold its second round of public input sessions concerning their new Master Plan (details are on the event calendar).  The NEOCC had a great turnout at the first round of meetings and Cleveland Metroparks took note, but in order to see change we need to continue that momentum. Each meeting will focus on select parks, with the May 2nd meeting focused on the Brecksville Reservation and the May 4th meeting focused on the Hinckley Reservation (among others).

These meetings are our chance to tell the park service exactly what we would like to see in the new plan and why it is important.  Despite encompassing over 20,000 acres,  CMP provides only one climbing location (the 1/2 mile cliff line known as Whipp’s Ledges in the Hinckley Reservation).  Similarly they have only one mountain bike trail and no camping.  In late 2009 and early 2010, the NEOCC worked with Cleveland Metroparks to open a new climbing area within the 2500 acre Brecksville Reservation.  The rock in this area sits on 29 acres, which is only 1% of the reservations acreage!  Ultimately the proposal was turned down.  Similarly proposals to eliminate the need for personal liability insurance for a private climbing permit and to open climbing at the Rocky River Reservation were also turned down. You can find more information about these efforts by filtering posts by subject (see drop down bar at right) and choosing Cleveland Metroparks.

Minutes of April 13th, 2011 NEOCC Meeting

Meeting Minutes

Discussed status of Gorge survey, priority of areas and what to do next.

• Group decided that we should ask for access to both the east and west areas that are north of the river.
• Due to the traffic and environmental considerations we will not ask for the areas in the immediate vicinity of Mary Campbell Cave.
• In the next week or two, a small group will go back to take detailed pictures and take a second look at the proposed areas indicated, as well as see if there is any additional rock that was missed.  Further, they will get close-up pictures of the cliff bases, trails, rock and any other items that may be useful in our proposal.
•  The Gorge proposal will be written in the next month or two to be submitted to the park service.  Its focus will be on the proposed climbing areas, and not on items such as bolting regulation, liability and climbing management.
• During the next month information useful for future presentations to the park board will be assembled.  This includes details on bolting and other clinics, bolting liability, park management, and the effect of a personal liability insurance requirement on park liability.
• Grand Ledge, McConnells Mill, Coopers Rock, Lisbon Quarry and other locations were mentioned as possible locations whose park management should be looked into.

Discussed the potential for a Whipp’s Ledges cleanup, climbing day and climbing competition.

• It was decided that all the events are a good idea, but none of the attendees has the time to lead the climbing competition effort until the fall.
• A Whipp’s Ledges clean-up and climbing day will be set up in the next month or two.  Similarly a Gorge clean-up will be set up.

It was brought up that there is a Northeast Ohio climbing group on meetup.com.  It was agreed that NEOCC members should join and try to get the members involved in some of our activities as well.

NEOCC Meeting: Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

An informational meeting to discuss progress, future direction, get member input and present volunteer opportunities will be held on Wednesday , April 13, 7pm-9pm in the Montrose Mustard Seed’s Banquet Room (3885 W. Market St. Akron, Ohio 44333).

Agenda
-Gorge Metro Park Access
-Whipp’s Ledges events (cleanup, comp, climbing day).
-Organizational Items

NEOCC Second Meeting With MPSSC

Last week, the NEOCC attended it’s second meeting with Metro Parks Serving Summit County (MPSSC) to discuss climbing within the parks.  In attendance from the NEOCC was Abe Nabors and myself (Brian Sabourin).  From MPSSC was the Board of Directors, Director-Secretary, as well as representatives from Natural Resources, Operations and Rangers.

Cleveland Metroparks New Master Plan Input Sessions

Over the next 3 days Cleveland Metroparks (CMP) is holding public input sessions concerning its new Master Plan (see event calendar).  These meetings are our chance to tell the park service exactly what we would like to see in the new plan and why it is important.  Despite encompassing over 20,000 acres,  CMP provides only one climbing location (the 1/2 mile cliff line known as Whipp’s Ledges in the Hinckley Reservation).  Similarly they have only one mountain bike trail and no camping.  In late 2009 and early 2010, the NEOCC worked with Cleveland Metroparks to open a new climbing area within the 2500 acre Brecksville Reservation.  The rock in this area sits on 29 acres, which is only 1% of the reservations acreage!  Ultimately the proposal was turned down.  Similarly proposals to eliminate the need for personal liability insurance for a private climbing permit and to open climbing at the Rocky River Reservation were also turned down. You can find more information about these efforts by filtering posts by subject (see drop down bar at right) and choosing Cleveland Metroparks.

NEOCC Appears Before MPSSC Board of Park Commissioners

Recently the NEOCC submitted formal recommendations to the Metro Parks, Serving Summit County (MPSSC) Board of Park Commissioners concerning climbing access and stewardship. On Wednesday, November 17 a group of ~10 local climbers attended the noon Board of Commissioners meeting. Two of us were allowed into the small meeting room and the rest waited outside in support. While no decisions were made that day, it was a chance for us to establish a dialogue with the park service and will hopefully be the beginning of working towards a mutually agreeable solution to the lack of climbing in the park. NE Ohio has over 72,000 acres of park land, an estimated 40,000 climbing participants and only one outdoor climbing area. Climbing is part of a $730 billion Outdoor Recreation Economy which generates 6.5 million jobs, and with 58% of Ohio college students planning to leave the state within the first few years of finishing school (their #2 reason for doing so is to find a place that is “active, exciting and fun”) we need our local parks to take a leadership role in establishing climbing management plans.

NE Ohio Climbers to appear before MPSSC Board of Park Commisioners

NE Ohio climbers will be attending the Nov 17 Metroparks Serving Summit County Board of Commissioners meeting to request access to boulders and cliff line in the Gorge Metro Park.  Come and show them that we are organized and motivated to gain climbing access in NE Ohio.  Details and links below.

When: Nov 17, 2010. 12(noon)-2pm.

Where: Sand Run Administrative Offices, 975 Treaty Line Rd., Akron, Ohio 44313

Facebook invitation (click here)

Logtown Quarry

Although I have never been there, a lot of Ohio climbers have made the trip out to Logtown Quarry at one time or another.  As far as I know, it is the only legal sport climbing area in Ohio.  There is a link to the new online guide in the Area Information section of the NEOCC website.  Below is a nice picture from the area taken by Bryan Cunningham.

Sharp End Award

This past month I was surprised to learn that the Access Fund was awarding me a Sharp End award.  My first though was, “for what?”  Don’t get me wrong, I have been working hard on behalf of local climbers since forming the NEOCC last May, but I thought these awards were for people that achieved big results, like opening a new area, or preventing the closure of an existing one.

There is a link below to the Spring 2010 edition of the Access Fund’s Vertical Times which announces the awards (page 11).  In this edition there is also reference to a quote, “80% of success is showing up,” which I suppose sums up the justification for giving me the award.  Although the NEOCC may not have any big accomplishments to tout yet, we have achieved less tangible results.  Among these is starting annual clean-ups at local crags AND areas where we would like to obtain access in the future, as well as establishing positive relationships with the various local park services.

So now that we have “shown up,” I hope that the next year brings continued progress and maybe some of those big results.  Thank you to everyone that has been involved so far.

–Brian

Link to Spring 2010 Vertical Times

Recap of CVNP Public Input Sessions

This past weekend I attended one of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) public input sessions for the new Trail Management Plan (TMP) and Environmental Impact Study (EIS) they are working on.  If you were unable to attend, you can still give your two cents online by clicking here and choosing “comment on document.”