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OOJ036 Mechanized equipment, backcountry shelters, and permanent research facilities would be allowable under the land classification system. The current backcountry maintenance allotment of 2,160 mandays would not increase since mechanized equipment could be utilized. The current trail standards would thus be attained. B. Designate Deer Mountain Roadless Area Wilderness Addition of Deer Mountain road less area would increase wilderness designation by about 2,824.3 acres, and potential wilderness by 76 acres. The area .includes an important deer and elk winter range. Elevation ranges from about 8000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. Lower elevations contain montane forest (Ponderosa pine-Douglas fir), with cool and moist to hot snd dry biological climate. Use constraints permit the most random use of any management ecosystem in the park. At higher elevations in Deer Mountain roadless area is the subalpine forest (spruce-fir-lodgepole) with cold to moist biological climate. Use is channelized by vegetation. The road less area is about 3.7 miles long at its longest axis and about two miles wide at the widest place along the other axis. This is a day-use area and no overnight camping is permitted. Beneficial environmental impacts would include protection of about 2,900 acres of natural area in wilderness and potential wilderness addition where administrative decisions to construct roads, buildings or utility lines would be prohibited. Low quality wilderness environ- ment would be preserved. The wilderness visitor would have ready access to all parts of the wilderness area, except in the open meadow in the western portion where visitors are prohibited from leaving roadway when bighorn sheep are in the open meadow. No place in the designated area would be more than one mile from the nearest road, and associated noise and congestion of people. The city of Estes Park (l,6l6 people in 1970) and park roads surrounding Deer Mountain are visible from the proposed wilderness area. Human visitation to the area is heavy because of its accessibility from two entrance roads (Fall River Entrance and Beaver Meadows Entrance), Aspenglen Campground and horse paths from two liveries (76 horses). Pack trails include: Deer Mountain 5.4 miles 884 horse trips in 1971 Deer Ridge-Moraine Park 2.5 miles 1,765 horse trips in 1971 North Deer Mountain 5.1 miles 1,236 horse trips in 1971 Aspenglen-Deer Mtn. Cut-off .8 miles 7,358 horse trips in 1971 Little Horseshoe 2.0 miles ~O horse trips in 1971 An important deer and elk winter range would be protected from destruction by potential construction of roads and buildings. 32