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00013r1 fluctuations. A 'baseline measurement' of the ecological community at a given time is a snapshot of a complex system in turbulent motion, not a stable picture of a system in a static 'balance of nature.' The imperative of Wilderness preservation is not that the turbulence should cease, but that it should be untrammeled. It is not that there should be no disturbance, but that the responses of each component in the comunity of life should be its own natural responses. "There is, then neither present evidence nor future expec- tation that precipitation management, at the present state of the technology, in any way impairs the Wilderness character. It does not trammel the natural responses of the Wilderness community of life to the forces that influence that community; it introduces no observable artificiality into the primeval character, influence, or appearance of the Wilderness. It does not make or leave a noticeable imprint of man's works. It does not produce ecological or physical effects in any way distinguishable in character from the ecological and physical effects produced by normal fluctuations in climate and weather or in any way artificial in nature. It does not trammel the species composition or the gene pool. In and of itself, it introduces none of the identified negative attributes: no roads, transportation, commerce, or installations." [23, pp. 17-19J Because of the designation of many wilderness areas in the high-yield water-producing, alpine watersheds of Colorado's Rocky Mountains, it is likely that the Bureau will be required to request permits to install hydrometeorological data collection networks in wilderness areas in order to collect the scientific information required to conduct and evaluate CREST on behalf of the Basin. Experience indicates that sites can be selected for wilderness area data collection in cooperation with the management agencies in a manner that will not damage the landscape or interfere with wilderness experi- ence by visitors. Management agencies have permitted installation of hydrometeorological data collection stations in the Weminuche Wilderness Area in Colorado as well as at sites immediately adjacent to wilderness areas. In 1982, approval for installation of telemetered hydrometeorological snow sensors was approved for the Golden Trout Wilderness, the John Muir Wilderness, the Emigrant Wilderness, Minarets Wilderness, East/West Yuba RARE II Further Planning Area, Emigrant Basin Primative Area (RARE II recommended wilderness), and Night RARE II California V. Bergland State Suit Area. Reasons provided in the decision notices [24, 25J included: the installation and operation of the station was desired because baseline hydrometeorological data were deficient for the wilderness area, taking advantage of the Reclamation operation would build the agency's data base, reliable correlations can be established 33