Forest Service Roadless Area Conservation Final Environmental Impact Statement: Specialist Report for Wilderness and Special Designated Areas

摘要

Potential and existing Wilderness areas could be threatened when resource management activities either within or adjacent to these areas change human patterns or ecological values in a manner that diminishes Wilderness character or values. Threat to Wilderness characteristics and values was the measure used in this report to evaluate the effects of the range of alternatives in the final Roadless Area Conservation Environmental Impact Statement. Of the 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands, approximately 20 million acres are adjacent to designated Wilderness areas. Inventoried roadless areas are the 'reservoir' for future designated Wilderness areas. Alternative 1 has the highest threat to designated and potential Wilderness in relation to Alternatives 2, 3, and 4. This alternative would provide the least protection to Wilderness areas because under this alternative no national prohibitions on road construction or reconstruction would be applied to inventoried roadless areas. An increase in resource management activity and a reduction in ecological integrity in and around potential and designated Wilderness would increase the threat to their Wilderness characteristics and values. Because this alternative would provide the least protection for inventoried roadless areas, the greatest potential reduction of the 'reservoir' of future Wilderness areas would also exist under this alternative.