Supporting the health and…

Supporting the health and well-being of Ontarians by facilitating greater access to outdoor rock climbing crags is important to many members of the Ontario climbing community. I am one of those Ontarians who has benefitted tremendously from the availability of outdoor rock climbing crags in Southern Ontario. I fully support the amendment to the Devil’s Glen Plan to expand and include rock climbing in the park. There are several examples of extremely well managed collaboration between conservation bodies and the climbing community as they facilitate sustainable outdoor climbing that has a low environmental footprint. With climbing and other outdoor recreation, the environmental impact is minimal, but the benefit that it fosters in growing an inherent respect and value for environmental within individuals is invaluable to the future of conservation. Climbers are by and large respectful of the natural environment, and have a self interest in preserving the environmental integrity of crags. We are also parents who are raising the next generation of Ontarians, and bringing them with us to climb in our beautiful environment builds an intrinsic respect and value for environment and conservation. We need to expand the abundance of opportunities for the next generation to develop positive touch points with the environment. In so doing, we will imprint the next generation to value the natural environment and hopefully create the next generation of policy makers who will better fight for the preservation of the environment. Thank you for your consideration.