Episode #26- Chris Winter

The Climbing Advocate

The guest for today’s episode is Access Fund’s fearless leader, executive director Chris Winter. As executive director, Chris leads the charge on organizational development and holds a pulse on all operations of the organization. The unprecedented events of 2020 forced Chris and his team to think on their feet and quickly react to keep their strong work going. We spent our time together recapping the major events of 2020 and their impact on the climbing community. From the pandemic pushing more people outside to the climbing community looking inward following the racial injustices of 2020, it all forced us to take a deeper look at what can impact our community. Clichés about 2020 aside, Access Fund stayed resilient and curated an impressive list of accomplishments throughout the year. They did what they do best by spending hours stewarding climbing areas, conserving climbing areas, and advocating for climbers on Capitol Hill. The climbing community and our resources would look a lot different without this organization and the incredible work of local climbing organizations around the country. Climbers know how to stay resilient, and it’s clearly reflected in the work that happens day in and day out. Enjoy! 4:50 - Chris’ Intro 9:57 - Experience as an Environmental Lawyer 12:45 - Private Land Conservation 15:31 - Access Fund’s Impact 16:30 - Agenda for 2020 18:51 - Prioritizing Projects 22:51 - Valuing Outdoor Spaces 24:01 - Working w/Land Managers & Congressional Staffers 29:19 - Weather 2020, Climber Style 35:22 - To Our Community 37:46 - Turning Values into Action 41:24 - Top 12 Climbing Victories of 2020 49:22 - The Future for Access Fund & Climbing Gnarly Nutrition: https://gognarly.com/ Top 12 Climbing Victories of 2020: https://www.accessfund.org/open-gate-blog/top-10-climbing-advocacy-victories-of-2020 Weathering 2020, Climbing Style: https://www.accessfund.org/open-gate-blog/the-power-of-the-climbing-mentality To Our Community: https://www.accessfund.org/open-gate-blog/to-our-community COVID-19 Crushing Climbing Areas: https://www.accessfund.org/open-gate-blog/how-covid-19-is-crushing-our-climbing-areas Great American Outdoors Act: https://www.accessfund.org/news-and-events/news/victory-climbers-help-pass-great-american-outdoors-act Moab Oil & Gas Leases: https://www.accessfund.org/news-and-events/news/breaking-blm-cancels-plans-to-auction-85-000-acres-around-moab-amid-pressure-from-climbers John D. Dingell Jr., Conservation, Recreation and Management Act: https://www.accessfund.org/news-and-events/news/president-signs-public-lands-bill-wilderness-climbing-protections-written-into-law