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Chapter 1—Introduction <br />review was conducted during the early part of the process. Suitability determina[ions will be <br />analyzcd during the developmcnt ofthe revised RMP and flnalized in the ROD. <br />L4 Project Area <br />The Colorado BLM, GJFO RMP will cover approximately 1.2 million acres of 131.N1- <br />administercd public lands and LS million acres of federal mincral estate in Mesa, Dclta, <br />Montrose, and Garfield counties in noRhwcst Colorado (Map I.I ). n separate planning process <br />was conducted for the Mclnnis Canyons National Conservation Area (NCA) RVIP (13LM 2004a) <br />therefore, the GJFO RMP Revision will not consider lands and furthermore, not determine <br />eligibility of�watercourses within the NCA boimdary. F�lo���ever, the Colorado River is not <br />considered part of the NCA and thcrefore its segmcnt through the NCA portion of thc project <br />arca is includcd in this eligibility rcport. <br />1.5 Protection of F.ligible Segments <br />Segments detennined eligible in this report are subject to protection until the suitability stage is <br />completed. Pollowing suitability determinations, river segments dctermined non-suitable return <br />to the underlying management prescribed in the effective RMP, while suitable rivers are <br />managed to maintain thcir f�rec tlowing character and ORVs as per the altemative sclected in the <br />Final RMP. During the period between issuing the final eligibility report and the ROD, eligible <br />segments identified during a planning process (Section 5(d)( I) of the WSR Act) are offered a <br />different level of protection then river identitied for study by Congress (Section 5(a) of the WSR <br />Act). While congressionally authorized study rivers receive protection under the WSR Act, <br />protection of the free-flowing charac[eristics end ORVs of agency-identified study rivers occurs <br />through olhcr authoritics including thc National E?nvironmental Policy Act, thc Fcdcral Lands <br />Policy and Management Act, the Clean Watcr Act, and the Gndangercd Specics Act. I�or <br />example, a Iederal or federally permitted action subject to the Nltional Environmental Policy Acl <br />process would have to consider the effects on the tree-Flowing and ORVs of any affected eligible <br />stream segments. For a morc detailed representation of the standards for protection �fforded to <br />segments identified as eligible in an agency planning process sec Table l.l. <br />W ild and Scenic River Eligibilily Report. Grand Junc�ion Picld Office, Colorado <br />1-3 <br />