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M:S'l6 Tr.e Study Area is encwnhered wi th over 200 mining claims I on which the Forest Service has authority over environmental protection measures of surface resources but no authority to det~rmine whether or not development occurs. Likely future activities may be incompatible with wilderness preservation. There are no anticipated adverse effects on management of adjacent lands. The Study Area is consi,lered unsuitable for wilderness d2signation using the availability :riteria. This conclusion is rea~hed because of the high mineral pot~ntial and the chance of not making a significant mineral discovery under: wilderness designation. Wilderness need ------ The amount of wildernes3 near the Study Area increased Ci 463,900 acres in December 1980 ~ith passage of the Colorado Wilcerness Act. No opportunity to imprcve distribution or to decrease plessure on adjacent wildernesses \'.as identified. Wilderness desigl.ation could decrease the Study Arec's capacity to provide a variety of recreation opportunities. The St~dy Area is not needed to improve the repre- sentation ,::>f landforms and ecosystems in the National Wi.lderness Preservation System. No threatened or endangered plant or wildlife species have been identified in the Study Area. No sen;itive plant or animal species have be(~n identified that require a wild ~rness environ- ment for survival. An additionll element was added to the need analysis as a result of public resp<>nse to the Draft Environmental Impact Statellent. This element ana yzes the need for the Study Area as an inte~rral part of the Raggeds Wilderness. The analysis indicates the Stuey Area would provide prillitive recreation opportllnities and add diversity to the southern po. .tion of the Raggeds Wilderness. Addition of the Study Area would llave little effect on natural integrity, apparent natural- ness, oppor_unity for solitude and manageability of the Raggeds Wilderness. There is no evidence that wilderness designation of the Study Area LS essential to the integrity or manageability of the Raggeds Wilderness. The Oh-Be-J'::>yful Wildern~ss Study Area is considered to be unsuitable for wildern'~ss designati~n using the need criteria. Forest Service Preferred Alternative ------ -------------------- - --.- Application of the suitability criteria can be summarized as follows: Clpability - suitable A~ailability - unsuitable Need - unsuitable Based on the analysis and evaluation disclosed in this F nal Environmental Impact Statement, the Forest Service preferred alternati\e is to adopt alternatlve 2 for the Oh-Be-Joyful Wilderness Study Area. That alternative finds the Study Area unsuitable for wilderness designaticn. v