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<br />002382 <br /> <br />PIEDRA ADDITION TO THE WEMINUCHE WILDERNESS <br /> <br />Statistics <br /> <br />Jurisdiction: San Juan 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 />114,260 acres <br />41,500 acres <br />39,650 acres <br />41,500 acres <br />49,180 acres <br />61,480 acres <br /> <br />Location <br /> <br />The Piedra Wilderness Study Area lies within Archuleta and <br />Hinsdale Counties, 30 miles west of pagosa Springs. <br /> <br />Wilderness Qualities <br /> <br />The Piedra WSA encompasses the foothills of the San Juan Moun- <br />tains. The forest communities range from low elevation ponderosa <br />pine, juniper, and scrub oak, to the montane and sub-alpine <br />species of Douglas fir, ,white fir, aspen, and Englemann spruce. <br />Forest ecosystems of this type are not currently well-represented <br />in the NWPS. <br /> <br />The Piedra River cuts deeply through the pristine forests to form <br />two sheer-walled box canyons, providing a spectacular picture of <br />geologic history from Precambrian times. The river is also a <br />candidate for inclusion in the National Wild & Scenic Rivers <br />system. <br /> <br />The major tributaries of the Piedra are Sand Creek, First Fork, <br />Sheep Creek, and Indian Creek. This watershed produces over <br />41,000 acre-feet of high quality water, which is essential for <br />livestock, wildlife, fisheries, recreation, irrigation, and <br />domestic uses. Wilderness designation is the best way to protect <br />the water quality of the Piedra watershed from unnatural and <br />highly damaging sedimentation. <br /> <br />The Piedra drainage provides an important migration route between <br />the summer and winter ranges of elk and deer. Calving and fawning <br />areas also exist. Other important game animals inhabiting the WSA <br />are black bear, mountain lion, and blue grouse. Non-game animals <br />are prolific in the low-lying forests of the Piedra: badgers, <br />weasels, marmots, bobcat, pine marten and beaver are abundant. <br />River otters, an endangered species in Colorado, have been rein- <br />troduced to the Piedra River drainage and are in need of continued <br />protection. The endangered peregrine falcon nests near the area, <br />and has been known to hunt within it. The Piedra provides <br />suitable habitat for wolverine and grizzly bear, but no confirmed <br />sightings of either animal have been made in recent years.26 <br /> <br />26Colorado Division of Wildlife. <br /> <br />23 <br />