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<br />002378 <br /> <br />OR BE JOYFUL <br /> <br />Statistics <br /> <br />Jurisdiction: Gunnison National Forest, <br />RARE II Inventoried Roadless Area: <br />Wilderness Study Area: <br />RARE II Recommendation: <br />Reagan Administration Recommendation: <br />State of Colorado Recommendation: <br />Conservationists' Recommendation: <br /> <br />US Forest Service <br />5,500 acres <br />5,500 acres <br />Non-wilderness <br />Non-wilderness <br />5,500 acres <br />5,500 acres <br /> <br />Location <br /> <br />The Oh Be Joyful Wilderness <br />northwest of the town of Crested <br />Raggeds Wilderness. <br /> <br />Study <br />Butte. <br /> <br />Area is located four miles <br />It is an addition to the <br /> <br />wilderness Qualities <br /> <br />The Oh Be Joyful Basin is a backyard wilderness to Crested Butte <br />and the upper East River valley area. Residents and visitors <br />alike frequent the basin. Oh Be Joyful is probably best known as <br />a superb example of glacially-cut alpine. country; its valley is a <br />long, narrow U-shape, with steep wal~s.on three sides. Above the <br />valley, and at its head are high basins, luxuriant with summer <br />wildflowers and containing. dramatic cirques, attracting many <br />campers, photographers, and other visitors. Numerous small lakes <br />are found at the bases of the mountain walls. Waterfalls cascade <br />down nearly every slope. <br /> <br />Water is one of Oh Be Joyful's most abundant and valuable <br />resources. Water quality is good, and quantity is estimated at <br />12,000 acre-feet per year. The drainage has been considered an <br />alternative or additional water supply for Crested Butte. Any <br />diversion would necessarily take place below the wilderness <br />boundary and would not be affected by wilderness designation. <br />Designation could help protect this valuable resource. Oh Be <br />Joyful received a high Wilderness Attributes Rating System (WARS) <br />score of 23 out of a possible 28 from the Forest Service, which <br />put it in the top 8% of Colorado RARE II areas. <br /> <br />In comments to the Forest Service at a public meeting, the town of <br />Crested Butte endorsed Oh Be Joyful for wilderness designation <br />because it .....would protect a needed access corridor to the <br />Raggeds Wilderness and access that can be reached on foot from the <br />town....[DJesignation has been shown to have significant economic <br />potential for tourist-related economies....Protection of high <br />altitude ecosystems, pristine watersheds, and wildlife habitat is <br />critically important to our town, the state, and our nation...22 <br /> <br />22US Forest Service hearings, July 7, 1981. <br /> <br />20 <br />