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Show I BLM beginning work j on roadless study; I hearing set for Moab I J The Bureau of Land Manage-. ! ment is asking organizations and individuals to help develop ground I rules and guidelines for carrying j out an inventory of potential wilderness areas on public lands I managed by the bureau. I According to Paul L. Howard, I BLM Utah state director, the first ! step for the agency is to come up j with an acceptable method of identifying potential wilderness areas. Copies of the proposed I procedures are available at the I BLM Utah State Office and District j Offices, including the one in Moab. J An informational meeting to ! explain the proposed procedures I will be held April 11 at 7 p.m. in room 134 of the School of Social I Work Building on the University of I Utah campus. (It's the building east I of the Einar Nielson Fieldhouse and j south of the Marriott Library.) j Additional meetings will be held in Moab on April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Southeast Elementary School j auditorium on Millcreek Drive, and I in Cedar City on April 21. I People may send their written J comments to the Director (370), J Bureau of Land Management, Washington, D.C. 20240, until May 17, 1978. I Lands administered by BLM I were not covered by the Wrilderness I Act of 1964 but the Federal Land ! Policy and Management Act of 1976 directed that appropriate areas I managed by BLM be evaluated for j wilderness consideration. I Mr. Howard said that during I the study period, most multiple-use activities can continue on public ! land. The activities will be possible as long as they are planned and controlled to protect the wilderness potential of the proposed study I areas. j Five major objectives of the ! wilderness designation process are: (1) consider all public lands for their wilderness potential; (2) j inventory all roadless areas of 5,000 I acres or more, plus all roadless I islands and identify those with J wilderness characteristics as "wil- ! derness study areas" within approximastely 2 years; (3) study and report to the President the j wilderness potential of all natural I and primitive areas already identi- I fied; (4) study and report to the ' President on the suitability or ' nonsuitability for wilderness of all J wilderness study areas; and (5) i apply protective interim manage- j ment on areas that qualify for I wilderness preservation until a final I determination is made by Con- gress. ! After the proposed procedures ! now open for public comments are i determined, Bureau field personnel will launch the wilderness inven- I tory process, with maximum public I involvement. Areas without wilder- ' ness characteristics will be dropped from further study while those with wilderness potential will become i study areas subject to interim management to protect wilderness j values. I Study areas will be carefully reviewed and then recommended to the President as either suitable or unsuitable for inclusion in the i Wilderness System. The President will then make his recommenda- I tions to the Congress which will I make the final wilderness deter- j mination. Areas found unsuitable for wilderness by Congress will ! revert to their original status and i management. i H |