North Central Section. The North Central Section was without a chairman in 2006 as the former chair of eight years, Scott Christensen, resigned to finish his Ph D. in comparative physiology. Because of this, communication within the Section was a problem, as the position is still unfilled. However, there were activities and climbing taking place! Major projects for 2006 were patterned after those of 2005: further work to develop a sorely needed Section Web site, clean-up days at two areas, and further communication with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regarding closed areas at the most popular climbing destination in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The clean-up days were held. The Web site is still incomplete. In addition, a small social was again held at an indoor climbing gym and restaurant in Stillwater, Minnesota, in October, and an AAC table was manned at Midwest Mountaineering’s gigantic Winter Fest in Minneapolis in November.

As background, Inter-State State Park lies along the St Croix River bordering Minnesota and Wisconsin. Because of the river valley, the geological formations are spectacular. The routed climbs vary from 5.3 to 5.12 and are about 50 feet long. In July of 2001 there was a large rock fall that necessitated closing 40 percent of the Minnesota side. The North Central Section continues to work with the DNR to point out the closed areas as well as plan for the possible re-opening of part of the area. In addition we had a garbage pick-up day at the park in June. There were five members on hand, and the day included some climbing and a barbeque, along with a meeting with the State Park staff. There were two other clean-up days in other parts of the summer at this crag. One of them, organized by the Access Fund, was attended by four of our members. The Section was represented again this year at a clean-up day on July 6 at Blue Mounds State Park in Luverne, Minnesota, along the Minnesota-South Dakota border. This is an area that has had a big increase in the number of climber visits over the past 10 years with growing maintenance needs

Scott Christensen, Past Chair