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O~')!.e.,., ~J_ ....v '. Some motorized recreation use occurs in the area immediately adjacent to the river but is limited due to the lack of suitable vehicle routes and the topography of the canyons. The upland areas receive higher levels of motorized use, especially during the fall hunting seasons. There are several old two track roads that provide motorized access to some river sites. The 'majority of the project area is currently classified as 'Open' in the Off-Highway Vehicle plan adopted in 1988. Several of the primitive roads in the area have seasonal limitations to restrict access during the spring when the road surfaces are soft. Some ofthe routes had 'deferred' limitations for seasonal closures during the summer boating season, until such time as the use levels or conflicts between users increased. Two of these routes, one to the hot springs area and the other to the Benches area, have been closed seasonally during the boating season for the past several years after the conflicts between motorized vehicle users and river users reached unacceptable levels. These closures have greatly reduced the conflicts, but some motorized use occasionally occurs on both routes during the closure period. Environmental Consequences of Proposed Action: . Management Prescription #1 (Boundary Adjustment): The boundary adjustment is an administrative action that would not directly affect the recreation activities. The boundary would be expanded to include lands important to the river recreation experience. Management Prescription #2 (Identifying Land Use Priorities): Identifying the majority of the proposed SRMA with a recreation land use priority would help BLM to emphasize the recreation uses and needs along the river corridor into the future. As described in the RMP, a recreation priority is generally compatible with other resource uses, including mineral development, livestock grazing (Although grazing may be excluded on a site specific basis from developed or intensively used recreation sites.), soils objectives, watershed goals, water quality, wildlife (The priority requires protection of Critical wildlife habitat, including T &E species habitat.), cultural resources, and major realty actions. Excluded uses in a recreation priority include new mineral material sales, wilderness, and community expansion. The recreation priority would provide management direction for the recreational values in the SRMA in conjunction with the various other resources in the SRMA and the language of the RMP. Management Prescription #3 (NSO for Oil and Gas Leasing): This prescription would be a benefit to virtually all recreation activities in the SRMA as there would be no ground disturbance associated with oil and gas development. Management Prescription #4 (LandlMineral Withdrawal): This prescription would be a benefit to virtually all recreation activities in the SRMA as there would be no ground disturbance or dredging activities along the river associated with mining activity. Precluding mining activity would help protect the monetary investment the BLM has in recreational development along the river corridor. VISUAL RESOURCES Affected Environment: The project area is classified in the Visual Resource Inventory completed in 1980 as: 28