Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; Designation of Bicycle Routes; Deletion of Climbing Registration Regulation

Résumé

The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to amend its special regulations to designate certain routes within a nondeveloped area as open for bicycle use and to regulate their use in this area and to delete the regulation concerning the mandatory registration of technical rock climbing activities at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Bicycle use has been determined by the Superintendent to be a desirable recreational use within the Blue Mountain Lakes area of the park because such use is consistent with the protection of the park's natural, scenic and aesthetic values, safety considerations and management objectives and will not disturb wildlife or park resources. The requirement to register for climbing activities was originally intended to promote climbing safety, provide information concerning the location and difficulty of routes and provide climbers with procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. However, the registration system has not been effective and the NPS believes that a better course of action will be to promote self-responsibility within the climbing community. Many NPS areas with significant rock climbing activities do not require technical clim