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Show BLAA proposes four areas not wilderness Accelerated wilderness inventories on four designated natural areas in Garfield, Washington, Uintah and Emery Counties have been completed by the Bureau of Land Management, which is proposing that the areas be reported to the Secretary of Interior as not possessing wilderness characteristics. The public is being asked to comment on this proposal by February 15. The four natural areas are the Joshua Tree, Devil's Garden, Link Flats and Book Cliffs. According to Gary Wicks, BLM Utah state director, the four areas are among 11 agency -designated natural or primitive areas in Utah that were specifically identified by Congress in 1976 for early reporting on their wilderness values. These areas, which are also called Instant Study Areas by BLM, are under special management protection because of rare or unique ecological situations. They must be reported to the president for eventual recommendation to Congress by July 1, 19B0. Wicks said the public is being asked to comment on only four areas at this time. Of the other seven, only Pana Canyon Ca-nyon has gone through the public com- menl phase and Arizona is doing an environmental en-vironmental statement on it. Proposal on the remaining six areas will be announced an-nounced to the public in the future. More information and maps of the areas are available from the BLM Utah Stale office in Salt Lake City. This information in-formation is being mailed to people on BLM's wilderness mailing list. Comments should be sent to the BLM State Director, attention Wilderness, 136 East South Temple, Salt Lake Citv. Utah Mill. |