WSP07926

• File Number: 8200.766
• Description: Gunnison River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 3/1/1991
• Author: BLM
• Title: Gunnison Resource Area - Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement - Draft - Chapter 4 to end
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

CHAPTER FOUR

easements would also improve visitor opportunities
and help to distribute use more evenly in the WSAs.

Impacts Irom Acquisition of Non-Federal Lands.
The acquisition of non-federal lands, including private
inholdings within WSAs would have a high positive
impact by eliminating the possibility that these parcels '
could be developed for uses that conflict with
wilderness values.

Impacts from Rights-ol-Way. The development of
rights-of-way in WSAs would result in a minor to high
negative impact to wilderness values, depending on
the extent and location of disturbances.

Impacts Irom Fire Management. Suppressing
wildfIres according to current policies in WSAs would
result in some deterioration of scenic quality in areas
allowed to burn. In the long term however, rue would
have positive impacts on WSAs by helping to maintain
healthy ecosystems and reducing fuel loading.

CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON WILDERNESS
STUDY AREAS

Wilderness values could be degraded, depending on
the extend and location from activities associated with
minerals, grazing, and rights-of-way. Development of
private inholding, including road access (especially in
Redcloud peak WSA) and other minor or moderate
effects in WSAs has resulted in some lowering of
wilderness values, naturalness, solitude, and
backcountry recreation experiences.

Positive impacts would result from soil and water
resources, riparian zones, visual resources, WSA,
transportation and access, non-federal land
acquisition, and rue management, and withdrawals.

IMPACTS ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL
AND HISTORICAL RESOURCES
(CULTURAL RESOURCES)

IMPACTS FROM PROPOSED MANAGEMENT
ACTIONS

Impacts from Archaeological and Historical
Resources Management. The gathering of
archaeological or historical information required by

law in response to project development or proposed
disturbances would contribute to our current
knowledge and data base. However, any physical
disturbance and extraction of information from sites,
other than that for documentation, would remove that
data from context, and destroy the integrity of sites.

CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
RESOURCES (CULTURAL RESOURCES)

Existing policies, procedures, and regulations would
provide for the protection, preservation and
enhancement of sites from authorized projects.
Effects from other dispersed activities, and nature, are
not subject to standard operating procedures, thus
these effects would not be mitigated and preventative
or corrective actions would not be implemented. An
increase of 30% in visitor use would result in some
increase in vandalism, theft, and destruction of sites.

IMPACTS ON RIGHTS-OF-WAY

IMPACTS FROM PROPOSED MANAGEMENT
ACTIONS

Impacts !'rom Wilderness Study Area Management.
Interim Management guidelines for wilderness study
areas impose strict limitations on the location of
rights-of-ways, precluding nearly all development.

SHORT- TERM USES vs LONG- TERM
PRODUCTIVITY

SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES

Mineral development proposed under this alternative
would potentially result in some increases in long-term
erosion and sediment yields and possibly some
decrease in the quality of surface waters from mine
discharge and spoil pile runoff. Some loss in soil
productivity would be expected in areas where
surface-disturbing activities, such as OHV use, would
occur.

RIPARIAN ZONES

Timber harvest restrictions and potential livestock
grazing management adjustments would result in long-

4-U