WSP05115

• File Number: 8200.766
• Description: Gunnison River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 8/12/1987
• Author: DOI-BLM
• Title: Gunnison Basin and the American Flats-Silverton Wilderness - Final Environmental Impact Statement
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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CHAPTER 2

ALTERNATIVES [NCLUOING THE PROPOSEO ACTION

This EIS deals with five different
wilderness study areas and examines from
three to fi ve alternatives for each. With
the exception of the No Wilderness
(No-Action) Alternative for each WSA, all
al ternati ves propose recommending to
Congress some lands as additions to the
Nati onal Wil derness Preservati on System.
If designated, Bill Hare Gulch, Larson
Creek, and American Flats would become part
of the adjacent Big Blue Wilderness Area.
Redcloud Peak and Handies Peak would become
separate wilderness areas (see Map 1-2).

If desi gnated by Congress, these addi ti ons
to the National Wilderness Preservation
System would be managed according to
provis ions of the 1964 Wil derness Act, the
1976 Federal Land Policy and Management
Act, and BLM's Final Wilderness Management
Policy of September 24, 19B1. These Acts
and management policy di rect the
administering agency to be responsible for
preserving the wilderness character of the
area. Section 4 of the 1964 Wilderness
Act, which deals with use in wilderness
areas, states that they shall be devoted to
the public purposes of recreation. scenic,
scientific. educational, conservation. and
historical use.

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

Since the pattern of future actions within
the WSAs cannot be predicted with
certainty, assumptions were made to allow
the analysis of impacts under the various
a1 ternati ves. These assumptions are the
basis for impacts identified in this E[S.
They are not to be considered as management
plans or proposals, but rather as
representi ng feas i bl e patterns of
activities which could occur under the
alternatives considered.

Discussions of future management actions
are restricted to mineral development and

recreation. Management actions related to
these two activities would change with the
various alternatives. Although management
directions exist for activities such as
w1l d11 fe, fisheri es, range and f1 re, as
described below, these are not expected to
change from one alternative to the next.

Wildlife management direction within the
Gunnison Basin and American Flats Planning
Unit calls for the allocation of sufficient
forage for elk, deer and bighorn sheep.
Since winter range is the constraining
factor for these populations, assuring
adequate forage is not a problem.
Consequently, no speci a1 management acti ons
that woul d be affected by wilderness
designation are proposed. Similarily no
projects or specific management actions are
proposed for the fisheries resource that
would be affected by wilderness designation.

Management of the range resources is
directed toward optimizing livestock forage
production on a sustained basis while
i mprovi ng the range candi ti on and trend.
Grazing in this area 1s restricted almost
totally to sheep. As such no project
developments are requi red and as a resul t
range management direction would not be
affected by wilderness designation.

Given the primitive nature of the resource
in these WSAs fi re management techni ques
are restricted to those that will minimize
disturbance of the natural environment.
These would not be expected to change
significantly with designation.

With the exception of the Red Mountain
alunite deposit, few site specific mineral
eval uations have been conducted in any of
the WSAs. The projected mineral
developments identified in each of the
alternatives are for the purposes of
analysis only. These predictions are based

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