I believe that the…

I believe that the development of rock climbing (bolting, scrubbing, developing belay areas, displacing rocks and boulders from the cliff face, trimming vegetation, etc) & the act of rock climbing should not be allowed in Provincial Parks. I am a rock climber who lives in Ontario near Sleeping Giant Provincial park where climbing is prohibited due to sensitive species like the Peregrine Falcon and arctic alpine disjunct plants living within the park. Sleeping Giant is a Provincially significant and unique environment that was protected to limit the amount of human impact on the landscape and organisms. This, as I understand it, is in part the point of Provincial Parks. To protect provincially significant ecosystems, organisms, and cultural features from degradation.

With the sport of rock climbing growing at the rate it is in Canada and globally, I unfortunately do not have faith in organizations like the Ontario Access Coalition (OAC) to police the growing population of climbers so that climbing only takes place is sanctioned areas, using agreed upon tools, and in ways that are supposed to balance climbing and environmental protection. I think the easiest and most effective way to protect a place like Devil's Glen is to not allow a sport that could disrupt sensitive species like those that are found in this provincial park.

As a climber I believe that my obligation to truly being a steward of the environment is to listen when I am told I'm not allowed to climb somewhere due to the effect it may have on the environment and wildlife, and simply climb elsewhere. Climbing is a privilege not a right, and protection of the environment from an inherently and historically deleterious sport should always take precedent. There are plenty of other ways to recreate in the outdoors, build a connection with nature, and enjoy provincial parks that have far less impact than climbing does.