Appendix II Dubois Badlands and Whiskey Mountain WSAs. Information and Recommendations

Transcription

1 Appendix II - 11 Dubois Badlands and Whiskey Mountain WSAs Information and Recommendations

2 Map 11 Existing Situation and Recommendation Dubois Badlands and Whiskey Mountain WSAs Both Recommended for Release Dubois Badlands WSA Whiskey Mountain WSA Legend Original BLM WSA County Roads

3 From BLM website: Dubois Badlands WSA Location: Fremont County Nearest Town: Dubois (2 miles) BLM Acreage: 4,520 acres Recommended for Wilderness: 0 acres Access Points & Directions: The Copper Mountain WSA is accessed from the Dubois dump road. Access to wild lands inherently requires navigational skills and in many cases, four wheel-drive/high clearance vehicles. Visitors should be prepared for adverse weather and road conditions. The WSAs in the Lander Field Office are primarily accessed by unnamed/unsigned two track roads; in many cases, these roads are impossible to find without good navigational skills and equipment. You will need to use your navigational skills to access the Dubois Badlands WSA from the Dubois dump road. Allowable Uses & Restrictions: Dubois Badlands WSA has been closed to all motorized use. Please abide by all posted regulations. Primitive & Unconfined Recreation: Opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation in the Dubois Badlands WSA are limited and lack outstanding characteristics. Day hiking would be possible, but the WSA s size and lack of water limits its attraction for extended backpacking. While some primitive recreation activities are clearly possible in the WSA, the limited number and scope of such activities result in less than outstanding opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation. Features: The Dubois Badlands WSA encompasses 4,520 acres of BLM-administered land with no split estate or private inholdings. The topography of the area is primarily badlands and flat topped benches, which are extensively eroded and separated by numerous and intricate drainage patterns. Bands of red and tan sedimentary rock and clays make interesting color patters through the area. Description: Elevation ranges from 6,720 feet to 8,179 feet. Depending on the light, the badlands present an array of colorful strata - red, lavender, pink, cream, orange and gray. Bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer and antelope use the area. Bald and golden eagles are also inhabitants. This WSA was not recommended for wilderness status in the 1992 report to Congress. Naturalness: The Dubois Badlands WSA is essentially in a natural condition. The topography of the WSA consists of badlands that are extensively eroded and separated by intricate drainage patterns. Eroded pinnacles and spires rise as high as 400 feet above the Wind River. Vegetation in the WSA varies with the elevation. The upper slopes have widely scattered limber pines, and the lower slopes contain sagebrush. The flat tops of most ridges have low-growing grass as the dominant plant life.

4 Intrusions include four fences, some very faint two-track ways and a reclaimed sand and gravel sale site. The WSA appears to be affected by the forces of nature with the imprint of man s work substantially unnoticeable. However, because of the WSA s narrow configuration and its locations adjacent to a sanitary landfill, the area s perception of naturalness is considered less than outstanding. Solitude: The WSA has limited vegetative screening. Topographic screening would only be available in the eroded draws that dissect the WSA. While secluded spots could be found, opportunities for solitude in the WSA as a whole are not considered to be outstanding. Visitor overlap would occur if just a few people were in the unit at any one time. Special Features: The Dubois Badlands WSA contains several special features. The area s relatively unique geology and its scenery are major attractions.

5 Whiskey Mountain WSA Location: Fremont County Nearest Town: Dubois (5 miles) BLM Acreage: 487 acres Recommended for Wilderness: 0 acres Access Points & Directions: The Whiskey Mountain WSA is accessed from the Trail Lake Road. Access to wild lands inherently requires navigational skills and in many cases, four wheel-drive/high clearance vehicles. Visitors should be prepared for adverse weather and road conditions. The WSAs in the Lander Field Office are primarily accessed by unnamed/unsigned two track roads; in many cases, these roads are impossible to find without good navigational skills and equipment. You will need to use your navigational skills to access the Whiskey Mountain WSA from the Trail Lake Road. Allowable Uses & Restrictions: Whiskey Mountain WSA has been closed to all motorized use. Please abide by all posted regulations. Primitive & Unconfined Recreation: The WSA makes a contiguous extension of the Fitzpatrick Wilderness Area, which has outstanding opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation. The larger Whiskey Mountain area, including the WSA, is an exceptional hunting, viewing, and wintering area for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Features: The Whiskey Mountain WSA encompasses 487 acres of BLM-administered land. The area is on the north-facing slope of Whiskey Mountain in the Wind River Mountains. These lands became a study area because of their proximity to the Fitzpatrick Wilderness Area. The terrain is rough and mountainous with scattered limber pine and Douglas fir. The largest concentration of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep in the United States inhabits the area and surrounding environs. Naturalness: The WSA is on the north-facing slope of Whiskey Mountain in the Wind River Mountains. In 1931, a fire burned quite a large area; the WSA is only a small part of the larger burnt-over hillside. The terrain is rough and mountainous, and the dominant vegetation is limber pine and Douglas-fir, interspersed with burnt-over snags. There are two very faint vehicle ways within the WSA. Past firewood cutting is evidenced by stumps in some areas. For the most part, the area is in a natural condition with the works of human activity substantially unnoticeable. Solitude: Solitude in the WSA is possible due to its topographic and vegetative screening, but because of its small size, the opportunities for solitude are less than outstanding. However, in conjunction with the Fitzpatrick Wilderness Area, opportunities for solitude could be considered outstanding. Special Features: Whiskey Mountain is within the primary winter range for the largest herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the coterminous United States. The sheep population is of national significance.

6 Dubois Badlands and Whiskey Mountain WSAs Recommendations Table Name Specific Recommendation Recommendation Acres Dubois Badlands WSA Release 4,583 Whiskey Mountain WSA Release 521 Comments (These individual acres provided here are only estimates)