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L~~'),l t. __ ... 'J", The elevation of the Flat Tops ranges from 10,000 feet to 11,500 feet and drops off to 8,000 feet at the S. 702 boundary. Open grass parks are interspersed with islands of green timber and mature Englemann spruce. There are no known mineralized zones of any economic significance within the S. 702 boundary. The majority of the land comprising S. 702 is Forest Service land. Withdrawn lands of approximately 1,500 acres occupy the Marvine Lakes and Creek area, Trappers Lake and Big Fish Lake. These lands have been withdrawn by the Federal Power Commission and the Bureau of Recla- mation. However, the Forest Service feels that these withdrawals can be revoked. There are two tracts of patented land in the South Fork Canyon comprising 195 acres. Private lands within a wilderness area are con- formable provided that only adequate access is assured and no mineral interests remain in private hands. The westernmost tract is 90 acres and is undeveloped. The other tract of 105 acres contains several summer cabins and has 8 subdivisions with 7 owners. The owners have been approached by the Forest Service in the past and indicated that they would be amenable to sale or some kind of trade-off. In the past, the Forest Service has held that designated wilderness areas should be pristine with no evidence of the works or presence of man. The Wilderness Act of 1964, however, states that wil- derness is an area that retains its primeval character and is "without permanent improvements or human habitation" and that the "imprint of man's works is substantially unnoticeable." Recently, the Chief Forester in Was~ington has indicated that the Forest Service's prior interpre- tation of the Act was incorrect. The Wilderness Act also stipulates that the President may "authorize prospecting for water resources, the establishment and main- tenance of reservoirs, water conservation works, power projects, trans- mission lines and other facilities needed in the public interest." The Act also states that "the grazing of livestock, where established prior to the effective date of the Act, shall be permitted to continue." These statements have a direct bearing on the S. 702 Wilderness proposal. On October 10, 1966, the Forest Service held hearings in Glenwood Springs on its Flat Tops Wilderness proposal of 153,245 acres. At that time, the Colorado Open Space Council (COSC) proposed that a wilderness area of 230,000 acres be adopted, and the Colorado Game, Fish and Parks Commission proposed an area of 192,055 acres. A statement by Memorandum -2- July 5, 1973