OCR Text |
Show ( Wilderness Areas Studies Two areas totaling ap-j ap-j proximately 86,000 acres in ; a Wayne County east of Hanksville have been designated as wilderness :. study areas (WSAs) by the : Bureau of Land Management (BLM). ; According to Gary Wicks, BLM Utah State director, due to information received from the public, his original proposal to designate approximately ap-proximately 90,000 acres in the Dirty Devil River Unit (UT-050-236) as a WSA was reduced to 61,000 acres. Also, as a result of comments com-ments which recommended that French Spring Canyon and the main fork of Happy Canyon be included iri the WSA, this portion of the unit was re-evaluated. It was determined that approximately ap-proximately 25,000 acres contain wilderness characteristics and this area has become a wilderness study area, said Wicks: An accelerated intensive inventory of the Dirtv Devil River Unit, totaling "356,000 acres, was done by BLM because of proposed minerals activities within the unit. A 60-day public comment period which ended June 5, 1979, field trip and a public meeting in Hanksville were held to gain comments on the BLM state director's proposal. Through these efforts, 414 comments were received. The final decision will become effective March 17, if no protest is filed. At that time, the portions of the unit not within the WSAs will no longer be subject to interim management policy and guidelines for lands under wilderness review. An information packet containing a map and boundary description of the WSAs is being mailed to everyone on BLM's wilderness mailing list. This information is also available at the BLM state office in Salt Lake City and the BLM Richfield District Office. |