Laserfiche WebLink
<br />" <br /> <br />GOU9H <br /> <br />NORTH ABSAROKA WILDERNESS <br />SHOSHONE NATIONAL FOREST <br /> <br />The North Absaroka Wilderness, adjoining Yellowstone Park along the Absaroka Divide, <br />became a unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System on September 3, 1964, upon <br />enactment of the Wilderness Act by Con9ress. This legislation provided for the automatic <br />inclusion of all National Forest Wilderness and Wild Areas in the System, giving <br />Congressional confirmation to the Forest Service's wilderness management policies which <br />evolved through the 1920's and 1930's. <br /> <br />Shoshone National Forest Supervisor J. N. Langworthy recommended establishment of the <br />North Absaroka Primitive Area under Regulation L'20 on March 7, 1930. His report and <br />management plan was revised on March 18, and approved by Allen S. Peck on April 5, 1932. <br />Chief Forester R. Y. Stuart gave final approval on October 1,1932, and the Primitive Area <br />was established. The concept of wilderness as it is known today had not fully evolved in <br />those early years, and Regulation L-20, which provided guidelines for the establishment and <br />management of Primitive Areas, permitted timber harvest and other resource uses. However, <br />such items as summer homes, resorts, and the like were restricted. No mention was made of <br />motor vehicle use in those years before the advent of four-wheel-drive vehicles, <br />snowmobiles, and trailbikes. <br /> <br />Supervisor Langworthy noted that the 379,460 acre Primitive Area, ". . .presents typical <br />wilderness conditions. The game herds from the Park cross the Absaroka Mountains, which <br />forms its western border, and range its grassy slopes throughout the summer season. This is a <br />part of the range grazed by the Northern elk herd. There are no settlements, no roads, and <br />the trails are primitive affairs. Real wilderness conditions are found here by those out with a <br />pack string on a camping trip, This is a heavily forested region. . .its influence on streamflow <br />is important." <br /> <br />Referring to the geologic history of the region, Langworthy said, "The most important <br />action. . .was the outpouring of extensive masses of breccia, and lavas. Igneous rocks poured <br />out from widely distributed centers, during the Tertiary period, and covered the whole <br />Forest excepting the portion north and east of the Clarks Fork. The stratum of volcanic <br />rock is responsible for the rim-rocked character of the higher portions of the Forest. The <br />valleys are flanked by rim-rocked mesas and mountains and it is the areas above these rims <br />which are proposed for the Primitive designation." <br /> <br />I <br />! <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Supervisor Lan9worthy observed that the better timber stands would someday, ". . .be <br />109ged as a tie (railroad) proposition. . .on a sustained yield basis," adding, "The present <br />demand for timber is negligible. . , ." <br /> <br />In 1951, the Forest Service reclassified the Primitive Area as the North Absaroka Wilderness <br />Area. All Primitive Areas were being reviewed and reclassified as either U-1 Wilderness Areas <br />(area 100,000 acres) or U-2 Wild Areas {under 100,000 acres}, providing for more restrictive <br />