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<br />ROAD LESS STUDY AREAS <br /> <br />There are three road less areas of more than 5,000 contiguous acres <br />within the monument. The largest is a 163,000-acre area containing the <br />canyons of the Green and Yampa R ivers, and most of the plateau <br />country around them. It includes 44 miles of the Green and 48 miles of <br />the Yampa. South of the Yampa River is a 26,500-acre unit that <br />contains a portion of Blue Mountain and Yampa Bench, limited by the <br />monument boundary to the south and dirt roads along its other three <br />sides. In the northeastern part of the monument, in a section of <br />Zenobia Basin, is the third road less area. Enclosed by the monument <br />boundary on the east and south, and dirt roads on the other two sides, <br />it is a small area of 5.400 acres. <br /> <br />Several influences affect the wilderness suitability of portions of the <br />road less areas. These have been analyzed and carefully considered prior <br />to arriving at a wilderness proposal for Dinosaur National Monument. <br /> <br />GRAZING ALLOTMENTS <br /> <br />The Act of September 8, 1960 provided for entrance roads to the <br />monument and revised boundaries of the monument subject to valid <br />existing rights. Thus, there was included within the monument a <br />number of privately owned ranching properties and Federal lands <br />subject to grazing. The Act provided for the extension of existing <br />leases, permits, and licenses on Federal lands for a period of 25 years <br />from the date of the Act, and, thereafter, for the lifetime of his heirs, <br />successors, or assigns (under certain conditions). Under this Act, some <br />of the grazing will be terminated by 1985, but final phase out of <br />grazing is not expected until around the year 2030. The grazing <br />operations involve the routine use of motor vehicles and mechanical <br />equipment as well as various types of buildings, structures and facilities. <br />There are numerous roads and vehicle tracks within the grazing area, as <br />well as various structures such as water impoundments, fences and <br />stock enclosures which are used by ranchers in their livestock <br />operations. <br /> <br />5 <br /> <br />\ <br />1259 <br />