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<br />disturbing activities. <br /> <br />Wildlife Habitat. Bighorn sheep habitat in the Smith Fork Canyon (2,250 acres) will be <br />monitored and protected. Activities and land uses that are consistent with maintaining <br />the necessary forage and isolated habitat requirements of bighorn sheep will be permitted. <br /> <br />Livestock Grazing. Uvestock grazing will continue at current forage allocation levels <br />and seasons of use unless studies indicate that adjustments are needed. The 140-acre <br />Gunnison Forks habitat management area will remain unallotted for livestock grazing. <br />Uvestock forage utilization will be limited to 35 percent in the Elephant Skin Wash area <br />(2,370 acres) if necessary to protect soils by maintaining an optimum basal ground cover. <br /> <br />Forestry. A 1 ,255-acre portion (in the Black Ridge area) ofthe 2,500 acres of harvestable <br />woodlands within the management unit will be available for harvest. This area will be <br />closed to harvest from December 1 through April 30, to protect crucial deer and elk winter <br />range. The remaining harvestable woodlands (1,245 acres) will be closed to harvest. <br /> <br />Off-Road Vehicles. A total of 15,610 acres in the Peach Valley area will be open to ORV <br />use. To protect natural and scenic values, vehicle use in the Elephant Skin Wash area <br />and the remainder of the management unit will be limited to designated roads and trails <br />yearlong. <br /> <br />Visual Resources. The 15,610 acres open to ORV use will be managed under VRM <br />Class IV guidelines. <br /> <br />Major Utilities. A total of 2,462 acres in the Smiths Mountain and Gunnison Forks areas <br />will be open to, but not preferred for, development of new major utility facilities. These <br />lands may be utilized for major utility development if there are no feasible alternatives. <br />The remainder of the management unit will be closed to new major utility development <br />to protect natural and scenic values. <br /> <br />Acquisition of non-Federal lands. Actions will be initiated to acquire 2,200 acres of <br />non-Federal lands as identified in the Gunnison Gorge Recreation Area Management <br />Plan, that are necessary to facilitate public access and enhance recreational values. <br /> <br />Access. Public access will be acquired along the Gunnison Gorge rim southwest of the <br />Gunnison Forks and from Colorado Highway 92 to the Gunnison River in the Austin area <br />for recreation purposes. <br /> <br />Fire Management. A total of 26,070 acres of public land will be managed under the fire <br />suppression category and identified as conditional suppression areas. A total of 14,722 <br />acres will be managed under the fire-use category where fire will be utilized as a <br />management tool. Planned or natural ignitions meeting pre-determined prescriptions will <br />be allowed on these areas. <br /> <br />For more detailed information concerning the existing management of Units 4 and 6, <br />contact the BlM area or State office. <br /> <br />32 <br />