WSP11312

• File Number: 7630.275
• Description: Wild and Scenic-Flat Tops Wilderness Area
• State: CO
• Date: 1/1/3000
• Author: USFS
• Title: Flat Tops Wilderness Area-A Proposal Flat Tops Wilderness-White River and Routt National Forests-Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Protracted Township 1 South, Range 89 West, Sixth Principal Meridian.
PSC No. 176, April 18, 1927.
All lands within V. mile of Marvine Creek and Marvine Lake.

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There are no known Federal Power Licenses (FPC), First Form Withdrawals, active
water storage, or other impoundments within the area proposed for Wilderness.

According to the Federal Power Commission, Power Site Classification No. 176, dated
April 18, 1927, includes three tracts with a total area of approximately 1,500 acres
within the proposed Wilderness:

Protracted Township 1 South, Range 88 West, Sixth Principal Meridian.
PSC No. 176, April 18, 1927.
All lands within V. mile of Trappers Lake and Big Fish Lake.

Protracted Township 1 North, Range 88 West, Sixth Principal Meridian.
PSC No. 176, April 18, 1927.
All lands within 1, mile of the North Fork of White River.

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There are no current plans to utilize these withdrawn lands for power development.

Forage

Grazing of domestic livestock within this area has been permitted continuously since
1911. Portions of six cattle allotments and 18 sheep allotments are located within the
proposed boundary.

Approximately 820 cattle and 20,000 sheep grazed under permit during 1965. This
amounted to 560 cow-months and 40,000 sheep-months of use, which supplied an im-
portant part of the summer grazing season for 29 separate ranch operations.

In 1966. this area provided forage for saddle horses and pack stock used by indi-
vidual recreationists. This use is noncommercial and requires no permit nor payment
of fees.

An estimated 6,000 elk and 2,500 deer also use the Fiat Tops for summer grazing.
The Colorado Department of Game, Fish, and Parks and the Forest Service have co-
operatively conducted numerous studies, investigations, surveys, and analyses of the
big game and their habitat. These important big-game herds are healthy, and their
numbers are in balance with available forage within the area. The harvest of big-game
animals should be increased, however, to reduce the impact on important winter range
outside the proposed Wilderness.

With increased recreation use. conflicts could develop between domestic stock, re-
creation stock, and big game. Some sites in waterfront and trailside zones, campsites,
alpine-flower meadows, snowbank slopes, and sites especialJy suitable for scientific and
educational purposes should receive special attention. Management of forage will be in
accordance with range management plans based on range analysis and actual use data.

Timber

Islands of timber surrounded by grassland comprise the typical vegetative pattern
on the plateaus. Approximately 40 percent of the plateau is grassland. Grass or brush