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G!)~526 II. ALTERNATI\'ES INCLUDING THE P],OPOSED ACTION A, OVERVIEW Because the Oh-Be-Joyful Wilderness Study i~ mandated by Congress in the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1980, the ma~or alternatives involve whether or not the area is to be recommended by the President as suitable for wilderness designation. All r0.asonable alternatives were considered in developing the range of alterratives discussed in this chapter. The Colorado Wilderness Act (PL 96-560) provides that the area's wilderness potential be maintained throughout the study period and that the provisions of the 1964 Wilderness Act apply in regard to minerals exploration and development. Other management activities in the area are governed by the direction contained in the East River Land Management Plan (L979). That plan provides for non-wilderness management in the Oh-B(~-Joyful area. PL 96-560 provides that, barring Congressional designat:i,on as wilderness, Oh-Be-Joyful will return to non-wilderness managem{'nt no later than fivE.' years after the act was passed. The East Rivel Land Management Plan, as temr-Iorarily modified by the Colorado Wilderress Act, is considered the cu~rent situation. B, ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED AND ELIMINATED FROM DET,ILED ANALYSIS Due to topography, a felsible partial wilderness suitability alterna- tive is to exclude Peel,~r Basin from the sui tablp. reconunendatior. A high ridge, including G.lrfield and Peel,=r Peaks, separates Peelf. r Basin from the rest of .he study area. Peeler Basin cannot be ~een from Oh-Be-Joyful Creek (within the Study Area), unless the vie....er is on top of the main ridgl separating the two. This alternative \".3.S not considered in detail, a~ it was determined that Peeler Basin is lot significantly different from the rest of the Study Area in regarl to its capability and availability for wilderness designation. C, ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED IN DETAIL 1, SUITABLE FOR WILDERNESS DESIGNATION The selection of this alternat Lve would involve the recomme.lda- tion of the President to Congr,!ss t;.hat the entirE.' Oh-Be-Joy:ul Wilderness Study Area is suitable for inclusion in the Natil)nal Wilderness Preservation System (including proposed legislat.on). Such a recorrunendation would li1.ely take the form of a propo!:al to add the Oh-Be-Joyfu1 vlildernes, Study Area to the existing Raggeds Wilderness. If selected, the] orest Service will maintain the existing wilderness character, nd potential for two years after the date of submission of a wi.derness recommendation to Congress. If no action is taken by Congrl ss during that period, the Forest Service will then manage the alea for nonwilderness purposes, including semi-primitive (motol ized and non-motorized) recreation opportunities, under the Forest Land and ResourCE Management Plan or the East River Land Managemtnt Plan, as directed by Congress in the Colorado Wilderness Act. 13