WSP03726 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

OOiln~ (iv) "~;ns outstandinQ opportunities fot" solitude E!. a primitive and unconfined type of recreation" (emphasis added). (v) "Has at least 5,000 acres of land, or is of sufficient size to make practical its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition" (emphasis added). (vi) '~ay also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value" (emphasis added) . These statements of wilderness character require some interpretation. This leads to the listing of the essential attributes of wilderness which will be utilized by the BLM. " (a) Size. The area must contain at least 5,000 ;, " " roadless acres of contiguous public lands, or it must be of sufficient size (considering its configuration and location) so that its preserva- tion and use in an unimpaired condition would be practical. (b) Naturalness. It.must be possible to observe the area as being generally natural. It must generally appear to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature. Man's work must be substantially unnoticeable. It must retain primeval character. It should be an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled (unencumbered/unconfined) by man and his activities. Desig- nated wilderness may include some man-made features provided the impacts of such features are substantially unnoticeable and they do not require motorized equipment or mechanical access (whereas in a wilderness study ~ the use of motorized equipment and mechanical access can continue while the area is under the study and report phases of the wilderness review process.) Those parts of the roadless area where intrusions, inside or adjacent to it, creaLe a contrast--where the imprint of man's work is substantially noticeable in the enviro~ent--will be closely examined. A 21