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000814 If an existing mining or grazing use is already impairing an area's wilderness quulities, Congress hus prohibited the secretary fro~ regu- lating it solely to preserve wilderness characteristics. Section 603 specifically alloll.s those activities to continue if they are carried out to the sa~e degree and in the s~~e manner as they were carried o~t on October 21, 1976, notwithstanding the fact that ~~ese activities might destroy the area's wilderness characteristics. 7/ For exa~?le, . if a miner I.Jas using on O:tober 21, 1976, motorized vehicles, €X?los- ives, and drilling equipment to ex?lore for hardrock minerals o~ a particular mining clai~, the Secretary may not now restrict the miner to using a burro and a pickax in order to preserve wilderness charac- teristics. 8/ Similarly, grazing levels in practice on OCtober 21, 1976 may not be reduced solely because they may be i~airing or may eventually impair an area's wilderness characteristics. But Section G03(c) mandates that the level .of physical or aesthetic im- pairment caus'?d to an area by these activities ,"ay not differ in "manner and degree" without being subject to regulation in the interest of ~lilG- erness preservation. Except for the specific q~alification im?Qsed o~ the Secretary's authority by the viords "existing" and "m=er and de')ree," Section 603 directs the Secretary to regulate exisLing uses of BL'\ a~~:~ istered lands under review in order to preserve their \1ilderness charac- teristics. For exa~le, unless the impact of such activities would no~ impair the area's suitability for wilderness, a miner who was using a pickax and burro on October 21, 1976 must not be allowed to Degin using a bulldozer and explosives thereafter in a wilderness study area unless these activities are subject to appropriate regulation. ~c lan9u~ge of section 603(c) irrylicitly directs the Secretary to regL~ late new mining uses which would Lcpair the wildern2ss characteristics of the land under review. But, while directing the Secretary to regulate new mining uses, Congress at the sa~e time pro~ibited the Secretary fro~ withdral.,ing any of the vlilderness study la.-:ds fro;n appropriation un:3er the Mining Laws of 1872, solely to preserve vlilderness characteristics. Section 603(c) states, , ! I Unless previously withdra\,~ from appropriation under the mining laws, such lands shall continue to be subject to such appropriation during the period of review unless withdrawn by L~e Secretary under the procc~ures of section 204 of this Act for reasons other than preservation of their wil- derness character. Although this sentence deprives the Secretary of au~'1ority to 11ithdraw wilderness review lands [rom appropriation under the mining law in order to protect their wilderness characteristics, section 603(cj clearly directs the S'2cretary to regulate how activities undertal;en pursuant to the mining law are carried out. Thus the secretary must, to the extent necessary to protect wilderness characteristics, regulate the activities 6