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CHAPTER FOUR Impacts from Withdrawals and Classifications. Continuing the B LM protective withdrawal C-0125423, and affecting the withdrawal in the American Basin ACEC, would preclude most surface.disturbing activities on 1,907 of the 4,315 acres of public land, which would in turn protect values on these lands. Upon the President's recommendation to Congress for designation, a temporary three-year withdrawal would take effect that would segregate, (1) the federal mineral estate from entry and location under the general mining laws, and (2) the federal surface estate from future appropriation under the general land laws, thereby protecting all values in the segment from surface disturbance for this period. CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON VALUES IN SEGMENT A Increased recreation use, primarily off-highway vehicle use, could result in some increase of impacts to scenic values. Impacts from other activities would be offset by required compliance with BLM's surface management regulations for locatable mineral activity, special management attention that would be contained in the ACEC plan, and actions in the management plan for the Alpine SRMA. If designation occurs, more attention and recognition would bring in more visitors, potentially resulting in more impacts to scenic values. IMPACTS ON VISUAL RESOURCES IMPACTS FROM PROPOSED MANAGEMENT ACTIONS Impacts from Visual Resource Management. Managing 4,358 acres in the High Mesa area under VRM Class II objectives and 6,000 acres in the Hartman Rocks area under VRM Class ill objectives would improve the scenic quality of the areas and reduce visually intrusive uses. CUMUlATIVE IMPACTS ON VISUAL RESOURCES The scenic quality would be improved or maintained on 10,358 acres of VRM Class I and II land due to the changes in management objectives. Visual impacts would be mitigated on a variety of VRM classes throughout the Planning Area. 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 disturbance would contribute to the 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. A projected 50% increase in recreational visitor use would be expected to result in some increase in site degradation. Education and interpretation would reduce these impacts. 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 be implemented. Increased visitor use would result in an increased vandalism, theft, and destruction of sites. IMPACTS ON RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY CORRIDORS IMPACTS FROM PROPOSED MANAGEMENT ACTIONS Impacts from Rlghts-of.Way and Rights-of-Way Corridor Management. Designation of an east to west rights-of-way corridor would allow major utility 4-26