red river gorge climbers' coalition

The PMRP was purchased by the RRGCC in 2004 at a purchase price of $227,500.00 or $325.00 per acre for 700 acres. The purchase is owner financed at an interest rate of 8% per annum. In 2004 the RRGCC placed a downpayment on the property of $23,750.00 plus made an additional payment of $23,750.00 as the first of ten annual mortgage payments. The remaining nine mortgage payments, due by July 15th of each year, are five annual payments of $29,393.00 from 2005 to 2009 and four annual payments of $29,385.00 from 2010 through 2013.

In 2010, the RRGCC restructured the PMRP with the owners and with the Access Fund. Now, the Access Fund holds the loan and the RRGCC owes the AF approximately $65,000 due by May of 2012. The loan will be at a annual rate of 2.5% and should save the RRGCC over $10,000 over the course of the loan.

After the last payment is made in May 2012 the RRGCC will own the PMRP outright.

The RRGCC has four officer positions, President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers must be members of the Board of Directors and are elected by the Board to serve one year terms. No one person may serve more than three consecutive years in one position without taking a one year leave from that position.

To take a position on the Board of Directors you must be 21 years old and have been a member of the RRGCC for at least one year. Any member meeting these requirements may volunteer to be elected to the Board. For the practical functioning of the organization, people with relevant skills and experience are sought for Board service. Past non-profit service and/or knowledge in the areas of accounting, law, fundraising, public relations, business, and environmental issues are examples the types of experience sought in prospective Board members.

The RRGCC Board of Directors (BOD) consists of seven volunteer RRGCC members who have made a commitment to dedicate a portion of their time to directing and managing the organization. Board members serve for a three year term and may only serve two consecutive terms before they must leave the Board for at least one year before becoming eligible again.

The RRGCC is a non-profit corporation organized according to the requirements of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Federal requirements specific to maintaining a tax exempt status.

The Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve (PMRP) is a 750 acre tract of land located in Lee County, Kentucky that was purchased by the RRGCC from Mattie Murray, a descendent of Daniel Boone Pendergrass, in 2004. Realizing the fragility of access to climbing on private land in the Red River Gorge Area, the Murray Property was identified by the RRGCC as containing a significant amount of existing climbing routes with a number of quality crags (e.g. Drive-by, Bob Marley, Solar Collector, Darkside, Gold Coast.) The purchase of the PMRP is important because it secures access to an area containing over 400 existing climbing routes and in short because, “If we own it, they can’t close it!”

On the PMRP the mineral rights are severed from the surface rights. While the RRGCC has the surface right to the property, Charmane Oil has rights to extract oil lying beneath the surface of the PMRP.

In February 2004 the RRGCC obtained a Temporary Restraining Order that prevents Charmane from towing climbers’ cars from the PMRP. In the interest of respecting Charmane’s right to access their oil wells, the RRGCC has established designated parking areas on the PMRP. When visiting the PMRP you are asked to please follow posted signs, park in designated parking areas, and not block or interfere with Charmane’s right to access their oil wells.

The Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition (RRGCC) is a non-profit organization founded in 1996 to represent the interests of rock climbers in response to a bolting ban imposed by the US Forest Service in Red River Gorge, Kentucky. After successfully negotiating to have the ban lifted, the RRGCC has remained active in confronting various access issues both on public and private land in the Red River Gorge area.

Please send us your update information using our contact form at http://rrgcc.org/contact-us