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<br />(}(J733 <br /> <br />The Forest Service has also documented 30 adjudicated water rights, <br />and 361 existing mining claims, an electronic station, and several <br />established campsites and administrative buildings. These private <br />rights are respected in the proposed designation. other <br />considerations include the ability of the Forest Service to manage <br />wildlife habitat for the protection of the many animals in the <br />area, and sufficient allowance for the development of trailheads <br />and parking facilities for those traveling into the wilderness. <br />There are also significant timber resources which would be forgone, <br />including the use of the area by local residents for firewood and <br />Christmas tree harvesting. <br /> <br />WATER: The Forest Service has identified 30 adjudicated water <br />rights in the area and the proposed expansion, and the Colorado <br />River Water Conservancy District has documented 60 water rights in <br />the area. The eastern portion of the WSA contains parts of 13 <br />watersheds, all of which are tributaries of the Arkansas River. <br />The western part of the WSA includes portions of 14 watersheds, <br />which are all tributaries of the Rio Grande River. All streams are <br />high quality water. Current water yield for the WSA is estimated <br />at 79,000 acre feet per year, but through vegetation management <br />above 9,000 feet, the yield can be increased to 86,400 acre feet <br />per year. Several water improvements are located in the WSA. <br /> <br />MINERALS: There is much past and present mining activity in the <br />area, mostly concentrated north of Hayden Pass and between Mosca <br />Pass and Blanca Peak. About 53% of the WSA has high or moderate <br />potential for locatable minerals. The high potential occurs at the <br />northwest end of the WSA. Only 5% of the area is considered <br />unlikely to have any mineral potential. The area is believed to <br />have oil and gas potential along both sides of the Continental <br />Divide. <br />LEASES: The Forest Service has one lease application pending, and <br />several others have been documented totaling 102,300 acres. <br />CLAIMS: Over 360 unpatented mining claims are present in the <br />area. However, many have been avoided by this boundary. <br /> <br />TIMBER: Most of the WSA has been logged or had some timber cutting <br />in the past. About 25% of the WSA is forest land capable of <br />producing regulated timber products, but about 49% of this land is <br />on slopes of 45 degrees or less. The mountain pine beetle has <br />attacked the ponderosa pine, but is not as prevalent now as in past <br />years. The western spruce budworm is active in Douglas fir/white <br />fir stands throughout the WSA. Defoliation has been severe in some <br />stands and could remain stable or increase in the near future. <br /> <br />GRAZING: The WSA contains portions of 9 existing livestock <br />allotments in the San Isabel Forest, with a permitted use of 1,037 <br />animal unit months (AUM) per year. There is an additional 8,900 <br />acres of potentially suitable range, with an estimated capacity of <br />5,350 AUM's per year. Several of the grazing permittees have <br />expressed concern about their ability to exercise their rights if <br />the area is designated, given the increasing pressure to move <br />grazing off public lands. <br /> <br />RECREATION: The expanse of the area allows for a variety of <br />recreation opportunities to co-exist. Recreation in the area is <br />substantial and varied, including big game hunting, backpacking, <br />hiking, horsepacking, fishing, motorcycling, ATV riding, 4WD <br />recreation, rockclimbing, and mountain climbing. Access is <br />