WSP00531

• File Number: 8200.766
• Description: Gunnison River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 8/1/1987
• Author: BLM
• Title: Gunnison Basin and the American Flats-Silverton Wilderness - Final Environmental Impact Statement
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Purpose and Need

CHANGES FROM DRAFT EIS

On December 30, 1982, it was announced in
the Federal Register (Vol. 47, No. 251)
that by Secretarial Order all areas under
5,000 acres in size were no longer
considered as WSAs. and that split-estate
acreage (Federal surface. Sta te m; neral s)
waul d no 1 anger be cons; dered as a part of
the WSA. On March 17, 1983. the Federal
Register announced that American Flats
(CD-030-2l7), Needle Creek (CO-030-2298),
and Weminuche Contiguous (CO-030-2388)
would continue to be studied for possible
inclusion into the National Wilderness
Preservation System under Section 202 of
FlPMA. Bill Hare Gulch (CO-030-085) and
larson Creek (CO-030-086). which were in
the DEIS; and Sparl ing Gulch/Friends Creek
(CD-030-088/2l3) , and Slumgullion Slide
(CO-030-211), which were studied in the
Gunnison National Forest land use plan,
were determined not to be WSAs and no
1 anger under wil derness rev; ew. In
add; ticn to the above changes. adjustments
in WSA acreage in Redcloud Peak
(CO-D30-208), Handi es Peak (CO-030-241),
and Whitehead Gulch (CO-030-230B) as
affected by split-estate lands were made.

On April 18, 1985, a u.s. District Court
decision was issued vacating the
Secretarial Order. Consequently, the four
areas initially dropped continue to be
studied for wilderness designation under
Section 202. Bill Hare Gulch and larson
Creek. are included in this document and
Sparling Gulch/Friends Creek and
Sl umgull ion Sl i de conti nue to be analyzed
in the Forest Service planning effort.

A further change occured in 19B3 when the
Publ ic lands and National Parks Act (97
Stat. 909) adjusted the San Juan National
Forest boundary to i ncl ude all or parts of
four BlM WSAs. All of the Needle Creek WSA
and portions of Whitehead Gulch. Weminuche
Contiguous and West Needles Contiguous were
affected (see Map 1-2). The BlM portion

of West Needles Contiguous continues to be
studied jointly with the Forest Service.
As identified in a cooperative agreement
between the Montrose District of BlM and
the San Juan National Forest, the remaining
8lM porti ons of Whi tehead Gul ch and
Weminuche Contiguous WSAs are now being
considered in a separate joint EIS for
which the Forest Service is the lead agency.

The net result of all the above changes
since the DEIS was released is that this
FEIS addresses only five WSAs, Redcloud
Peak. Handies Peak, American Flats. Bill
Hare Gulch. and Larson Creek. The other
three WSAs analyzed in the DEIS, Weminuche
Conti guous, Whitehead Gul ch, and Needl e
Creek, are no longer in this EIS. but
rather are covered in San Juan National
Forest planning documents. Bill Hare
Gulch. Larson Creek, and American Flats
WSAs, being less than 5,000 acres each in
size. are being studied under Section 202
of FlPMA, while Redcloud Peak and Handies
Peak continue to be studied under Section
603.

In addition to these changes there were
a1 so some changes in the Proposed Acti on
for Redcloud Peak and Handies Peak WSAs.

For Redcloud Peak the Proposed Action was
changed from the Conflict Resolution
Alternative II Alternative, as presented in
the DEIS, to the Conflict Resolution I
Alternative. It was determined that this
alternative better protected the wll derness
resource while still allowing for mineral
development, particularly alunite. As the
Proposed Action, some modifications were
made to the boundary ; n the Confl i ct
Resolution I Alternaitve. These were made
as a result of input recei ved on the DEI S
and are considered to be minor in nature.

The boundary of the Proposed Action for
Handies Peak was al so modified as a result
of input on the draft. Again, these
adjustments are minor in nature. The

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