A.A.C., Blue Ridge Section. 1983 was a trying year for this Section. After an acrimonious dispute over The American Alpine News, Lin Murphy resigned from the Section Chair and the Club. Director Sallie Greenwood also resigned. Their loss is sorely felt, and the Section passed a resolution urging the Club to learn from this sad incident and to be more open and representative in its procedures in the future. The undersigned resumed as Chair, with Joe Murphy continuing as Secretary and Francis Soges as Treasurer. Andy Kauffman continued as a Club Director.

Section members climbed in the Cordillera Blanca, the Alps, and the Canadian Rockies, where John Christian led the first ascent of Mount Arras in the Freshfield area of British Columbia.

The Section continued its conservation work on erosion control and rehabilitation of the Carderock, Maryland, climbing area in the Potomac Gorge just outside Washington. This is a joint project directed by Janet Young and cosponsored with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. Other members and I represented the A. A.C. Conservation and Use Committee before the Senate and the U.S. Forest Service in an effort to preserve the Menagerie rock-climbing wilderness in Oregon.

George R. Merriam, Chairman