The Western New York Access Coalition, in conjunction with the Access Fund, has been working with the Erie County Parks Department since early February to address the ice climbing ban in 18 Mile Creek Park. As a result we are very excited to announce that workable solutions have been identified for addressing the County’s initial concerns regarding ice climbing at the park, and we are working diligently to get these solutions implemented by the start of the 2021 ice season.

Please note that there are several tasks that need to be accomplished before the ban is officially lifted, the most significant being the implementation of a free permitting/self registration system for ice climbers. Details related to how this new permitting system will be implemented have not been hammered out as of yet, but we are working to have those details identified by the end of the month, and will be continuing to advocate for a implementation plan that addresses the needs of Erie County, while not being overly burdensome for climbers. We believe that striking this balance will be critical to the success of this new permit program.

As we continue to work with Erie County, WNYAccess wants to reiterate, that the ice climbing ban remains in effect for now, and we ask the community to continue to honor it, and not jeopardize the relationship with the County that we’ve been working hard to establish to get us to this point.

---

WNYAccess is an Access Fund Affiliate