|
<br />,
<br />,
<br />
<br />OOl)88~
<br />
<br />WEST ELK WILDERNESS
<br />GUNNISON NATIONAL FOREST
<br />
<br />Located entirely within the Gunnison National Forest, the West Elk Wilderness of 61,412
<br />acres was established on January 12, 1932, as the West Elk Primitive Area, I t has been a unit
<br />of the National Wilderness Preservation System since the Wilderness Act of September 3,
<br />1964, was enacted,
<br />
<br />Forest Supervisor J, V, Leighou recommended establishment of the Primitive Area under
<br />Regulation L-20 on October 27, 1931. The dates entered on the Rocky Mountain Region's
<br />copy of the original report and management plan indicate that Allen S, Peck, Regional
<br />Forester, approved the report on February 25, 1932, although Forest Service Chief R, y,
<br />Stuart gave final approval on January 12 of the same year-a month earlier. Possibly the last
<br />two dates were transposed in making the file copies,
<br />
<br />Supervisor Leighou noted that the Engelmann spruce stands covering about 15,000 acres of
<br />the Primitive Area were of good quality but currently inaccessible, He stated, in accordance
<br />with the Regulation L-20 provisions, that the timber resources should be, ", . ,harvested as
<br />demand developes, , ':' but, ", , .in any event would be about the last stand in the Forest to
<br />be logged, No activity in this regard can be foreseen within the next twenty-five years,"
<br />
<br />The needs of big game, particularly deer and elk, were emphasized in Leighou's report.
<br />"Range management plans at the present time provide for the exclusion of domestic
<br />livestock from a large portion of the area and reserve it for wildlife," he said, adding that
<br />approximately 5,000 head of sheep graze the remaining portion of the area during the
<br />summer months, Although the subsequent Forest Service "U" Regulations for Wilderness
<br />and Wild Areas eliminated the possible commercial timber harvest for the classified areas,
<br />grazing domestic livestock was considered compatible with the wilderness concept and has
<br />carried forward into the 1964 Wilderness Act as a permitted use in designated Wilderness,
<br />
<br />Leighou felt no real possibilities for development of hydroelectric power or irrigation
<br />reservoirs existed and he noted that, "The area has been quite thoroughly prospected for
<br />minerals, No values have ever been discovered," He added that coal deposits might be
<br />present.
<br />
<br />Interesting in 1974 is the statement in the report, "No expression of public sentiment has
<br />been secured on the proposed primitive area, but expressions have been heard that would
<br />indicate that its creation would be welcome," Evidently, in those Depression years of the
<br />early 1930's, little public enthusiasm for wilderness management as a part of the National
<br />Forest pattern of land use existed, However, in spite of the lack of public support, Leighou's
<br />feelings for the intangible thing that is Wilderness-in 1931 and in 1974-show in his report,
<br />
<br />He said: "The West Elk Primitive Area is., ,one of the last frontiers of the Gunnison
<br />region, ' , , It is remote, , , , It has not been marred, , " It is the summer range of deer and
<br />elk and some mountain sheep, , ,it is likewise an almost virgin field from the standpoint of
<br />biological research:' and, "The area embraces a number of high mountain ranges; viz, Mt,
<br />
|