Superior Ethics or Environmental Recklessness

My friend Toby has a blog and this topic has been dealt with there http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.com/2007/07/superior-ethics-or-littering.html (albeit in a different context). I wanted to raise the question again as this is read by different people.

This is the first of three rappel stations from the top of Lotta Balls buttress.


The American Safe Climbing association has done a fantastic job replacing bolts at Red Rocks. They haven't retro-bolted routes (as far as I'm aware) but replaced old dodgey bolts with modern safe ones. The bolts on Lotta Balls are new and I would assume placed by them. Someone has gone to the trouble of equiping the rap stations with slings and rings. I wonder is it acceptable to bolt descent routes when no bolts were previously placed? Do we have to wait until the tree dies of semi-natural causes before bolts can ethically be placed? I for one, would happily see two expansion bolts here and the holly given a fairer chance for life.