Grand Junction,
Colorado. October 9, 2014 - Western Colorado Climbers’ Coalition (WCCC) and
the Access Fund are pleased to announce the purchase of two major cliffs in
Unaweep Canyon that secure permanent public access. Acquisition of the Television
Wall and Lower Mothers Buttress culminates a 25-year history of conservation
and public access along this portion of the Unaweep/Tabeguache Scenic
Byway.
This purchase adds 40 acres of land that hosts more than 50
high-quality granite climbing routes to previously protected lands. Public access
to these walls was closed three years ago when the property owner sought to
sell the property. After two years of negotiations to purchase or lease the
cliff line, WCCC and Access Fund reached an agreement to obtain the properties.
“It is very exciting to have this long-term project come to
fruition,” says Jesse Zacher, WCCC President. “After many years of negotiations
and planning, it is fantastic to see it all finally coming together. Public access
to these previously closed cliffs is a great asset for present and future public
recreation groups.”
These two major crags are adjacent to the Sunday Wall, which
was purchased by the Access Fund in 1991 in partnership with three local
climbers, and the Upper Mothers Buttress, which was secured in 2010 by WCCC
with the help of Colorado climbers John and Marti Peterson. With much of the
canyon privately held, WCCC, Access Fund, and local climbers have worked
diligently to purchase the unique granite cliffs of Unaweep over the last two
decades.
Steve Johnson, chair of the Access Fund Loan and
Acquisitions Committee and Regional Coordinator for western Colorado commented,
“This land acquisition is important for climbers across the region and the
nation because it unlocks access to great multi-pitch granite crags in a really
scenic location. Acquisition of the Lower Mothers Buttress and the Television
Wall consolidates free public access to the major cliffs in Unaweep.”
With a narrow window of time to protect the properties, Access
Fund awarded WCCC with a Climbing Preservation Grant to defray closing costs and
an Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign low-interest loan of $134,200 to acquire
the threatened climbing area. Access Fund and WCCC have applied for a
significant grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), a lottery-funded open space
grant program. The project provides a unique opportunity to preserve conservation
and recreation values in the geologically unique canyon of the Uncompahgre
Plateau. The GOCO application comes with additional support from Mesa County’s
Board of County Commissioners, Mesa Land Trust, Conservation Colorado, the
American Alpine Club, and National Outdoor Leadership School. If WCCC is unable
to secure sufficient funds from grants or private donors, it will pursue an
alternative plan to subdivide the cliffs from the total of 40 acres, and will
sell two home sites, while preserving the cliffs in perpetuity.
WCCC now needs the support of climbers, recreationalists,
and the people of western Colorado to pay back the loan and fundraise for
stewardship of Unaweep Cliffs. Donations are encouraged and can be made to WCCC
at
www.westernslopeclimbers.blogspot.com.
WCCC is extremely grateful for the important role of its
partners and volunteers. Significant funding was received from the Aspen,
Colorado-based Alpenglow Foundation, the family foundation of climbers John and
Laurel Catto, and Shaw Construction in Grand Junction. As a Telluride-based
real estate attorney, Steve Johnson provided pro bono legal services to WCCC in connection with the purchase.
Dave Foley provided pro bono survey
work, and the appraisal work was also donated.
The Realtor assisting both parties in the transaction,
Christi Reece of Bray & Company, also generously donated $5,000 of her
commission. “I want to show [our local leaders] what a group of committed
citizens can do for our community. My dad, William C. Hall, was a Realtor and
was instrumental in preserving the Hartman Rocks area in Gunnison (CO) when it
came up for sale, in similar fashion, and I can’t imagine Gunnison without it.
I didn’t want to see these properties lost to owners who would not allow the
climbing to continue.”
The WCCC plans to partner with Access Fund to host a trail
day on October 26th to link existing trails to the new cliffs.
Eve Tallman
Secretary
Western Colorado Climbers’ Coalition
435.259.5639
Joe Sambataro
National Access Director
Access Fund
425.218.8234
