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0)2373 Resource Information The principal controversy surrounding the Oh Be Joyful WSA is the possibility of the presence of valuable minerals. Information on mineral existence is contradictory; however, most sources seem to agree upon two facts: 1) there is very little hard data avail- able because of little drilling or other exploration, and 2) there has been no discovery of any large ore bodies, much less any economically recoverable deposits. The Forest Service's Wilder- ness Study Report stated, "The actual mineral value present is unknown because the study area has received only minimal sub- surface exploration.23 While the Bureau of Mines has found small to medium potential for gold, silver, zinc or lead, the Forest Service document notes that "...the base and precious metals occur in vein-type deposits of relatively small size, making the economic viability of these deposits doubtful." (Later, the document contradicts this by attributing an $8 billion value to Oh Be Joyful minerals. Most of this is based on comparison with the proposed Mt. Emmons mine, which is currently not economically feasible. The Bureau of Mines did not make a mineral survey of the area.)24 Donald R. Baker, Professor of Geology at Rice University in Texas, has studied the geology of the CresteQ'Butte vicinity since 1968. In his comments on the Forest Service DEIS, he questioned the minimal exploration efforts of mining interests: "...[I]f the private mining interests agree with [the] $8 billion speculation, why have they done so little exploration work in the Study Area? ....My opinion is that this represents a mere pittance of techni- cal effort. Perhaps the private mineral interests do not really consider [it] worth significant exploration investment because they do not regard the mineral potential as high as your DEIS suggests,,,25 . Impacts on Oh Be Joyful's apparent naturalness are slight: an old cabin at the head of the valley (which often shelters day hikers from the daily thunderstorms) is seen only in the immediate vicinity. A 4-wheel drive route runs up the middle of the valley, but its poor condition makes it unusable by vehicles. It is being eroded and obstructed by frequent avalanches. The road has no effect on the natural integrity of the basin, and cannot be seen in most places in the WSA. There are a few hand-dug adits and shafts from old mineral exploration in Peeler and Democrat Basins, 230h Be Joyful Draft EIS, Grand Mesa/Uncompahgre/Gunnison National Forest, June 1981. 24Ibid. 25US Forest Service hearings, July 7, 1981. 21