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<br />OUil783 <br /> <br />a. Roadless Areas and Roadless Island Identification <br /> <br />Procedures. The process of roadless area identification begins by <br /> <br />determining which of the many roads, trails, and railroads on the <br />public lands fit the "road" definition. Then those roadless tracts <br /> <br />containing more than 5,000 acres of public lands are identified. <br /> <br />Roadless tracts containing less than 5,000 acres will be identified if <br /> <br />they are contiguous with wilderness areas or wilderness study areas <br /> <br />under the management of other agencies. Other areas of less than 5,000 <br /> <br />acres may be carried forward in the inventory process if they offer <br /> <br />high potential for wilderness designation and can be reasonably managed <br /> <br />as a separate unit. <br /> <br />b. Wilderness Characteristics Inventory Procedures. The <br /> <br />roadless areas will be inventoried to determine their wilderness charac- <br /> <br />teristics. Those areas found to have wilderness characteristics will <br /> <br />be designated as potential wilderness study areas. <br /> <br />The definition of wilderness contained in section 2(c) of the Wilderness <br /> <br />Act is composed of several interrelated statements which provide the <br /> <br />basis for identification of wilderness characteristics. These include: <br /> <br />(i) "An area where the earth and its community of <br /> <br />life are untrammeled by man" (emphasis added). <br />(ii) "An area of undeveloped Federal land retaining <br />its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or <br /> <br />human habitation." <br /> <br />(iii) "Generally appears to have been affected primarily <br /> <br /> <br />by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially <br /> <br /> <br />unnoticeable" (emphasis added). <br /> <br />20 <br />