Notice2026-11970
Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship; Managing Climbing Activities in Wilderness
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 15, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the availability of a draft national guidance memorandum and proposed revisions for two Service Manual chapters to fulfill the direction in Section 122 of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act governing the management of climbing activities in wilderness areas in the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and, where applicable, the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS). The draft guidance memorandum and Service Manual chapter amendments clarify our wilderness policy by adding explicit policy elements related to climbing routes and equipment. We invite comments from the public, and local, State, Tribal, U.S. Territories, and Federal agencies.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 114 (Monday, June 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 114 (Monday, June 15, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35994-35995]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-11970]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1618; FXRS12610900000-267-FF09R20000]
Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship; Managing
Climbing Activities in Wilderness
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability of a draft national guidance memorandum and proposed
revisions for two Service Manual chapters to fulfill the direction in
Section 122 of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation
Experiences (EXPLORE) Act governing the management of climbing
activities in wilderness areas in the National Wildlife Refuge System
(NWRS) and, where applicable, the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS).
The draft guidance memorandum and Service Manual chapter amendments
clarify our wilderness policy by adding explicit policy elements
related to climbing routes and equipment. We invite comments from the
public, and local, State, Tribal, U.S. Territories, and Federal
agencies.
DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before August 14,
2026.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents
this notice announces, along with any comments and other materials that
we receive, online in Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1618 at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Comment submission: All submissions must include the docket number
FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1618 for this document. You must submit comments using
one of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic submission: Federal eRulemaking Portal at:
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. In the Search box, enter FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-
1618, which is the docket number for this action. Then click the Search
button. On the resulting page, you may submit a comment by clicking on
``Comment.'' Please ensure that you have found the correct document
before submitting your comments.
<bullet> U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1618, Policy and Regulations Branch, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church,
VA 22041-3803.
Comments submitted through any method not authorized in this
document, or sent to an address not listed here, will not be
considered. We will not accept comments via email, fax, or hand
delivery. We are not required to consider comments that are submitted
after the comment period ends or that are submitted via a method
outside of these instructions. Comments containing profanity,
vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate content will not be
considered.
We will post all comments at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. You may
request that we withhold personal identifying information from public
review; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. See
Public Comments for more information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick Kaczor, National Wilderness
Coordinator, Branch of Wildlife Resources, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6e00070d0531050f0d14011c2e08191d40090118"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="07696e646c586c66647d68754761707429606871">[email protected]</span></a>.
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in
the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In 2025, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences
(EXPLORE) Act was signed into law (Public Law 118-234). EXPLORE Act
Section 122, Protecting America's Rock Climbing (PARC), addresses
recreational climbing and is codified at 16 U.S.C. 8422. PARC requires
the Secretary of the Interior to issue guidance for recreational
climbing activities on covered Federal land. PARC further directs that
the guidance shall recognize that recreational climbing (including the
use, placement, and maintenance of fixed anchors) is an appropriate use
within a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System if
undertaken in accordance with the Wilderness Act and other applicable
laws (including regulations) and subject to appropriate terms and
conditions to be determined by the Secretary.
Accordingly, the Service has prepared a draft guidance memorandum
and amendments to Service Manual chapter 610 FW 1, General Overview of
Wilderness Stewardship Policy, and 610 FW 2, Wilderness Administration
and Resource Stewardship. To view the current manual chapters, visit
<a href="https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/610fw1">https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/610fw1</a> and <a href="https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/610fw2">https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/610fw2</a>. The draft guidance memorandum and proposed
amendments maintain compliance with the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) and the
Wilderness Act of 1964 (16 U.S.C. 1131-1136).
Draft National Guidance on Recreational Rock Climbing on National
Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery Lands as Directed by
the EXPLORE Act
The draft memorandum provides national guidance for the Service
regarding the consideration and management of recreational rock
climbing on lands administered by the NWRS and, where applicable, the
NFHS. This guidance, in tandem with associated policy amendments,
discussed below, fulfils the direction in Section 122 of EXPLORE Act.
It clarifies how the Service will evaluate, authorize, and manage
climbing activities, consistent with existing statutory authorities,
Service policy, and purposes of the lands administered by the Service.
Rock climbing is not known to occur on any NFHS lands, however, this
guidance establishes a framework for considering such proposals if they
arise.
The draft memorandum is available for public review online in
Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1618 at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Proposed Amendments to Service Manual Chapter 610 FW 1
In Service Manual chapter 610 FW 1, General Overview of Wilderness
Stewardship Policy, we propose to add the following definitions to
section 1.5:
<bullet> Fixed Anchor. Climbing equipment such as a bolt or piton
that is left permanently in place to facilitate ascent, descent, or
traverse of technical terrain.
<bullet> Installation. Anything made by humans that is not intended
for human occupation and is left unattended or left behind when the
installer leaves the wilderness.
[[Page 35995]]
Proposed Amendments to Service Manual Chapter 610 FW 2
In Service Manual chapter 610 FW 2, Wilderness Administration and
Resource Stewardship, we propose to revise section 2.5A and add a new
section 2.5D(6). These changes are described below.
Revised section 2.5A to read:
A.If a structure or installation existed before wilderness
designation, we may retain it if we determine it is the minimum
requirement to administer the area as wilderness and is necessary to
accomplish the purposes of the refuge, including Wilderness Act
purposes. Existing climbing routes established prior to January 4, 2025
(including fixed anchors along the routes) must be allowed to be used
and maintained. We will remove or allow natural deterioration of all
structures and installations that do not meet these criteria.
New section 2.5D(6) to read:
(6) Fixed Anchors. Fixed anchors for recreational rock climbing
that are necessary for the ascent or descent of a technical rock, ice,
or mountain climb will not be considered installations, and therefore
not subject to an MRA. The occasional placement and maintenance of a
fixed anchor for belay, rappel, or protection purposes will be allowed
in wilderness, and does not violate the Wilderness Act or necessarily
impair the future enjoyment of wilderness. Fixed anchors should be used
as a last resort when temporary anchors and equipment, which can be
placed and removed without altering the environment (clean climbing),
is not viable.
Public Comments
We invite comments from the public, and local, State, Tribal, U.S.
Territories, and Federal agencies on the draft guidance memorandum and
proposed Service Manual chapter amendments. All comments must be
received by the date specified above. If you submit a comment at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, your entire comment, including any
personal identifying information, will be posted on the website. If you
submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying
information, such as your address, phone number, or email address, you
may request at the top of your document that we withhold this
information from public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so. Moreover, all submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public disclosure in their entirety.
This request for public comment is entirely separate from the
opportunity to provide comments on Wilderness Administration and
Resource Stewardship; Request for Information that also published in
today's Federal Register. If you wish to submit comments on the broader
policy framework, please comment on Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-2575 at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Cynthia Martinez,
Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-11970 Filed 6-12-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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