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<br />allow for development of base and precious <br />metals in the American Basin and Campbell <br />Creek areas With the excepti on of these <br />valid rights the high mineral potential <br />within this WSA would be foregone. <br /> <br />The exi s ti ng primiti ve backcountry <br />recreation setting would be maintained <br />except where altered by mineral <br />development. The existing 4000 RUOs of use <br />would increase by 9 percent annually. <br /> <br />Soil productivity would be lost on up to <br />115 acres, water quality wuld be protected <br />and wildlife habitat would be protected <br />with the preclusion of mineral exploration <br />act; vi ty. <br /> <br />No Wilderness Alternative <br /> <br />None of the <br />recommended as <br />designation. <br /> <br />18,860 acres <br />suitable for <br /> <br />woul d be <br />wilderness <br /> <br />Wilderness values would be lost on about <br />1,400 acres as a resul t of mineral activity <br />in American Basin and near Campbell Creek. <br />Wil derness val ues woul d be unprotected on <br />the remaining acreage and are expected to <br />be lost eventually on the entire 18,860 <br />ae res. <br /> <br />The entire WSA would remain open to mineral <br />entry. Production of base and precious <br />metals. uranium. and strategic minerals is <br />predicted to occur, <br /> <br />The exi sting primiti ve backcountry <br />recreation setting would remain except <br />where altered by mineral development. The <br />existing 4000 RUOs of use would increase by <br />about 5 percent annually. <br /> <br />Soil producti vi ty woul d be lost on up to <br />155 acres, water qual i ty wou1 d be degraded <br />and elk and bighorn sheep populations would <br />be affected by mineral exploration and <br />development. <br /> <br />Wilderness Manageability Alternative <br /> <br />With this alternative 8,220 acres would be <br /> <br />vi <br /> <br />recommended <br />recommended <br />designation. <br /> <br />suitable and <br />nonsuitab1e <br /> <br />10,640 acres <br />for wi 1 derness <br /> <br />Wilderness designation would provide <br />protection to 8,220 acres although about <br />l,400 of those acres cou1 d be affected if <br />projected mineral developments take place. <br />About 10 to 20 acres could be lost within <br />the nonsuitable area as a result of mineral <br />exploration. The entire 10,640 acres <br />recommended nonsuitable would eventually be <br />lost. <br /> <br />The 8,220 acres recommended as suitable <br />would be withdrawn from mineral entry. <br />Valid existing rights would allow for <br />development of three mines in American <br />Basin and one near Campbell Creek. With <br />the exception of these valid rights, the <br />high mineral potential in this portion of <br />the WSA would be foregone. No development <br />is projected in the nonsuitable portion of <br />the WSA. <br /> <br />The 8,220 acres recommended as suitable <br />would continue to provide a primitive <br />backcountry recreation setting although <br />mineral development could change some of <br />that within American Basin and near <br />Campbell Creek to one infl uenced by the <br />sights and sounds on mining activity. <br /> <br />5011 productivity would be lost on up to <br />135 acres, water quality would be degraded <br />and bi ghorn sheep popu1 ati on woul d be <br />affected by mi neral development and <br />exploration. <br /> <br />American Flats (CO-030-217) <br /> <br />Proposed Action <br />Alternative) <br /> <br />(Conflict <br /> <br />Resolution <br /> <br />Under this alternative 1,505 acres would be <br />recommended as sui tabl e for wil derness <br />designation and 3,205 acres as nonsuitab1e. <br />The 1,505 acres recommended suitable would <br />receive the protection provided by <br />wilderness designation. Wilderness values <br />could be lost on about 315 acres within the <br />