WSP11321

• File Number: 7630.285
• Description: Wild and Scenic - General
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 2/6/1974
• Author: Haskell
• Title: Designating the Weminuche Wilderness - Rio Grande - and San Juan National Forests in the State of Colorado - Report to Accompany S 1863
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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At the urginO' of the muny titizens, IInd orglluization.s, nlld Stute
ollicillls, the bilF as introduced contnilled It number of additions 1.0 the
FOft'st Service proposal. The;:;c spokesmen furcefully argued thllt. val-
uable acreage, poR.."ies:;ing significunt wiltleoless vulues rtwJ chlll'llclRr-
istic::'> important. to the nUHlugement of lhp UI'('8. 1\8 \\;ldrows..q, was
uusent from the modest Forest ;.;en"j{'c pl'OpOSlll. S. 18G4, as amended,
preserves that additionul acreuge in tIte wihlenles..... S. 1864. liS
llIllellued, also contnin~ It further minor addition.
ar the R(hlitionul acreage in S. 1864, IlS Hmeuded, over thilt of the
Forest Service proposnI, the Iurgf'st nmoullt-29,OOO neres-lie:; within
the Chicago Bl\."lin on the west side of the wildernc~s urell. The Chicu~o
Basin provides un almo~t limitless vnriety of excellent wilderness
experience. The sccnery is superb, nud gUIDe null fuh fire plentiful. Th(l
B~in serves tl....; a major ilCCeS:i point to the higher ultitude,,, in the
wildernes.-:. Its less rugged topography llbo vrovidcs the opportunity
for more moderate \vilderue~s recreation for the less experienced.
On t,he Enstern side, the inclusion of t,1ll"> UfeilS denott>u us 0-1,0-2.
D-l, and D-2 on the mnp on file \\ith the Department of Agriculture
resulted in u net luJdit.ion of 5a,OOO ueTt's.
On the South is 11 (i67 tlCr~ nddition (denoted us ureu 6) mude uy
the Committee. The Forest Servkc hud originally oppoi'ed inclusion
of this un,'ll hecuu:ic it plUlUH'd to develop a campgrounu on till' site.
The ::),'rvice hns, howe.ver, since dcvclop('(1 a CllLnpgroulHl further :-:touth
ill Poison l'lu'k.
There tire llPproximutply 1,795 a(T('f; or inllOldings in the wildl'nH'ti~
nrt':l propo~'d by S. IS(j:~. as unwntled. The total e~timah'u VfiltH' of
tlH'~e inholdings is $G73,OOO.
OVt>f tlm.'c-qunrter8 of tJ1e ucrC'Hge of the. inholding:-; is ~ituntcd in
the Chica~o llu6in. The:->e illholdillgs arc Illo:;tly pnh'Ilts obtained
prior to 1928. Their vullle i~ not greut }wellllse they were obtnirwJ :.1."
gold ll.nil silver put(,llts during tilt' pro:"peeting nlld hnnd ::)ortillg days.
(Se(' helow ill "2. ~ljnerl1t.;" Hnul'r "D. Other 1\utural Rt'.f,ourct'~" for
furth('r tli:-;f'lI:-;sion or millf'rnl vnltll'S in the \\iltit'nll'ss.)
X 01, indudt'd in the inholdings s.tntisticf> is the 2,SOO-acre Duft1ng:o
Reservoir grunt. in tlH' Chicng'o Bll$.in. Forest Service pcrsonud st.tt.te
thut use of thllt. grunt is not ('outr!l.r\' to wildefm'-8S status u...~ the areu,
is to s-t~rve U-R a nlt-t ural watershed. Tlit'r(' nre no wutcr resource proj('cts
cont(,Inplu.ted for the gl"~mt u.rel\.
The inholding'S do virtually no dallHl{!e to tlw wilul'fue:s; values of
the propoS<'tl wlldern('~s. Few hh.\--e den'loJlmeuts upon tllt'In anJ. in
a nUmbl'f that do, tIlt. develupwellt..; are already rt'l'('(liug IHu~k iuto
the lu,IHbeupe. Acn>ss is largely Iimitf'd to foot ll-UU ho~c trtlil.
The 'Vild('rnpf':' Act of 19tH prohibited u~c of the Forest St'1"\;c'("s
conuNnwl.tioll nuthorit v ill \dld(>j.lw:-;s :.uens. TIm:" if S. 1863 w(>rc
e>nactt'd. inholdingf' wOlild f(,llw.in private property U1Ut'Sti purchasl' by
the Forest &>f\'ice were liiolJ('ces...~fully negotiated.

C. HECHEATIO:\"" .-\:\"P \rlLDLlFE Y;\.Lt'E::;

The prClpo~l'd ,rl'TlliIHH'hp \Yihh'nH'~:- ('ontains :"nllll' of tlH' l.e::;t
country in L'nlonulo ::;uitublp for prilllit.in> nlld unconfined outdoor
J'l'cn'l\tiol1. Opportllllitil':; ('xl::t for ('lilllping, hiking.lllo1llltnin climbing,
riding, h:'H.:k-pll('kiJl~. sdl'lllifi" ~tuJy, aUlI t})(' t1lljoYIIIl'nt of lI11ique
{'nvironllH'nt~. Jlllndrl'd~ of lJlil('~ of tr:lil provide "("cess to fecn'ulion