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OOJiHl D. Designate combined roadless Areas 1 and 2 wilderness, including Fall River Road The master plan suggests an alternative use of this nine-mile road as a trail. This one-way dirt road going up Fall River Valley begins at about 8600 feet above sea level at the edge of the wet meadow and continues uphill through the subalpine forest (spruce- fir-lodgepole) to an elevation of about 11,800 feet above sea level to the alpine tundra (Krummholtz tundra, dwarf shrub-herb-sedge-grass complex) which has very cold/dry or moist biological climate where need to restrict and channelize use is very important. Preclusion of vehicle traffic would allow the corridor to be incorporated adding about 1,600 acres to wilderness. Beneficial impacts would result in wilderness Units 1 and 3 being combined. Average annual maintenance costs will be reduced by $17,000 by removing a corridor of intrusive vehicular activity from the wilderness. Adverse impacts of dust pollution which now arises from vehicular traffic and application of calcium chloride which now is applied to the road to reduce dust will be terminated. Severe soil erosion that now follows rains would eventually be reduced and an excellent wilderness hiking and horse riding trail would be created. ~ " Adverse impacts would include the cost of placing about six miles of telephone line underground which follows the road; loss of a potential National Register property; and the future prohibition of wilderness threshold travel for 112,800 people annually who enjoyed this route in 1972, but would not or could not walk or ride a horse because of physical handicaps or time limitations. Part of the 31,000 vehicles annually which travel this one-way road to the Alpine Visitor Center would be added to Trail Ridge Road. However, these must use Trail Ridge Road at the present time for the return route from the Fall River Road. ~ Fall River Road was not included in the wilderness recommendation because of the social benefits accruing to 112,800 people annually who travel it as a threshold wilderness experience to the Alpine Visitor Center, the need for balance between wilderness and non- wilderness areas (about 91 percent is recommended for wilderness without including this road) and its historic significance for the National Register. E. Designate a portion of Beaver Meadows & Moraine Park potential wilderness addition About 535 acres could be added to wilderness by obliterating the road in the west portion of Moraine Park that extends west of the livery. 37