Wilderness Characteristics Guidance for BLM Inventory Procedures
This document provides comprehensive guidance for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on wilderness characteristic inventory procedures. It includes steps for assessing naturalness, boundary identification, and opportunities for wilderness. Specific options for size inventory are outlined, detailing the criteria for classifying roadless areas and their contiguity with recognized wilderness values. Emphasis is placed on the importance of documentation and rationale for size assessment, which are critical in determining potential wilderness areas. Enhanced understanding of these inventory procedures supports effective land management.
Wilderness Characteristics Guidance for BLM Inventory Procedures
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Presentation Transcript
Wilderness CharacteristicsGuidance for the BLM I. Introduction II. Inventory Procedures A. Background B. Route Analysis & Boundary Identification C. Size D. Naturalness E. Outstanding Opportunities & Supplemental Values F. Boundary adjustments & LWC documentation III. Planning Inventory - Size
Wilderness CharacteristicsGuidance for the BLM Inventory Procedures: Size Inventory - Size
Size – Option I • Roadless more than 5,000 acres contiguous BLM • do not count State or private inholdings • do not inventory State or private Inventory - Size
Size – Option I • “Contiguous” • having boundaries that touch not “contiguous” Inventory - Size
Size – Option I • “Contiguous” • sharing an edge, not sharing a point not “contiguous” Inventory - Size
Size – Option I • “Contiguous” • sharing an edge, not sharing a point “contiguous” Inventory - Size
Size – Option I • “Contiguous” • sharing an edge, not sharing a point “contiguous”? Inventory - Size
Size – Option 2 • Roadless and less than 5,000 acres regardless of size contiguous with lands formally determined to have: • wilderness values • potential wilderness values • Federal lands managed to protect wilderness characteristics Inventory - Size
Size – Option 2 • Roadless regardless of size contiguous with • Wilderness (BLM, FWS, FS, NPS) • BLM Wilderness Study Area • FWS “Proposed for Wilderness Designation” • FS “Recommended Wilderness” or “Wilderness Study Area” • NPS “Recommended” or “Proposed” NOT FS “Roadless” areas unless also “Recommended Wilderness” NOT NPS “Eligible for Wilderness Study” Inventory - Size
Size – Option 3 • Roadless and possible to manage as wilderness regardless of size Inventory - Size
Size – Option 4 • Roadless Island Inventory - Size
Size – Documentation • Document size rationale • If no size criteria are met • no wilderness characteristics • further inventory activity not necessary • document! • If size criterion is met • proceed to “naturalness” criterion Inventory - Size
Wilderness CharacteristicsGuidance for the BLM Inventory Procedures: Size End of Module IIC Inventory - Size