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001591 CHAPTER 4 Lands and Realty Management BLM land manageability would improve through acquisition and disposal. This would likely result in a net gain in BLM land and would be based on the lands identified in the existing management framework plans (MFPs). All existing withdrawals would remain in place, which would result in no adverse effects. New withdrawals would be initiated with appropriate justification. Areas of Special Concern Wildlife, scenic, recreation, and wild and scenic river values would be protected on Blanca WHA, Trickle Mountain/ Ford Creek WHA, and the Rio Grande River Corridor SRMA (56,666 acres), which is 41 percent of the total. Special management to protect wildlife, recreation/scenic, cultural, or other unique values on the remaining 80,318 acres (59 percent) would not occur. Recreation Management Intensive recreation management of Blanca WHA and the Rio Grande River Corridor SRMA would occur and would enhance wildlife/recreation opportunities on 12,145 acres (2 percent). The primitive or wilderness type experience would be adversely affected without wild and scenic management. Extensive recreation management would maintain recreation opportunities on the remaining 508,532 acres (98 percent). Table 4-8 shows aHV designated acreages in the planning area. TABLE 4-8 OHV DESIGNATION Designation Acres Percent Open 435,005 84 Limited 80,612 15 Closed 5,060 01 - TOTAL 520,677 100 An NSa on the Rio Grande River Corridor SRMA would protect 4,395 acres from surface-disturbing activities. A nondiscretionary closure in the WSAs recommended for wilderness designation would protect 3,300 acres of wilderness values from mineral leasing. These acres would also be closed to disposal of mineral materials. Preserving riparian zones would enhance scenic and wildlife viewing opportunities on 1,678 acres. Management of the 7,750 acres in Blanca WHA would enhance opportunities for fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing. limiting aHV use to designated roads and trails in the Blanca and Trickle Mountain WHAs would reduce conflicts between users such as grazing permittees, members of the public viewing wildlife, hikers, and other nonmotorized recreationists. Additional BLM land gained through access acquisition and road development and improvement would increase camping, hunting, sightseeing, four-wheeling, and snowmo- biling opportunities. Temporary disruption of dispersed types of recreation activities could occur on 150 acres annually. Acquisition of land adjacent to the Rio Grande River Corridor SRMA would provide additional public access to the area and reduce conflicts between recreationists and private 1andowners. Additional land and access would provide increased recreational opportunities. Management of Trickle Mountain/Ford Creek WHAs would enhance recreation opportunities on 44,521 acres. Designation of the Rio Grande River Corridor as an SRMA would increase recreation water-based opportunities on 4,395 acres, and the primitive and wilderness type experience would be adversely affected on 1,760 acres (8.8 miles of the river) without wild and scenic management. Significant recreation opportunities in Ihe Rio Grande River Corridor SRMA would be enhanced in this alternative. In Blanca and Trickle Mountain WHAs, recreation opportun- ities would also be enhanced. Dispersed recreational opportunities in the San Luis Extensive Recreation Management Area would remain essentially unchanged. ~ ~ Visual Resource Management Protection of visual resources would not necessarily occur because visual resource management (VRM) criteria would not be followed in all cases. As surface-disturbing actions occur, visual resources would gradually be degraded. Mineral development would be expected to alter landscapes in a few localized viewsheds. Forest harvesting practices would be implemented on 1,660 acres of VRM Class II land in scattered localized viewsheds over a period of 120 years. Woodland harvest practices would be implemented on 7,685 acres of VRM Class II areas in a disperred pattern over a period of 175 years. \ ; , I' il ! 4-12