Draft Evaluation Criteria for the Tonto National Forest Wilderness Recommendation Process

Transcription

1 fr the Tnt Natinal Frest Wilderness Recmmendatin Prcess Intrductin When revising the Frest Plan, the Tnt Natinal Frest is required t identify and evaluate lands that may r may nt be suitable fr inclusin in the Natinal Wilderness Preservatin System (NWPS) and determine whether t recmmend t Cngress any such lands fr wilderness. A descriptin f this prcess can be fund in Chapter 70 f the Frest Service Land Management Planning Handbk This prcess includes the fllwing fur steps: 1. Inventry: Identify and inventry all lands that may r may nt be suitable fr inclusin in the Natinal Wilderness Preservatin System using a given set f criteria. 2. Evaluatin: Evaluate the wilderness characteristics f each inventried area using a given set f criteria and assign a ranking f high, mderate, lw, r n fr its wilderness character. 3. Analysis: The frest supervisr will determine which areas t further analyze in the Natinal Envirnmental Plicy Act (NEPA) prcess. 4. Recmmendatin: The Frest Supervisr will decide which areas, if any, t recmmend t Cngress fr inclusin in the Natinal Wilderness Preservatin System (NWPS). Lands evaluated and analyzed thrugh this prcess and the resulting NEPA analysis are nly preliminary administrative recmmendatins; Cngress has reserved the authrity t make final decisins n wilderness designatin. Mre infrmatin n wilderness areas and the wilderness recmmendatin prcess can be fund n the plan revisin website Step 1: Inventry The primary functin f the inventry step is t identify all lands n the Tnt Natinal Frest that will be evaluated fr wilderness characteristics as defined in the Wilderness Act f The inventry is intended t be brad and inclusive. Chapter 70, Sectins thru 71.22b, f the Frest Service Land Management Planning Handbk utlines criteria fr what shuld and shuld nt be included in the inventried areas. There are tw brad categries f criteria: 1) size and 2) imprvements. The draft inventry criteria identified in the Frest Service Handbk (FSH Chapter 70, Sectin 71.2; thru 71.22b) and further defined by the interdisciplinary team and public engagement can be fund here. Step 2: Evaluatin The primary functin f the evaluatin step is t identify all lands in the inventry fr wilderness characteristics. All lands included frm the inventry must be evaluated fr their wilderness characteristics. 1

2 The evaluatin is based n the criteria identified in the Frest Service Handbk (FSH Chapter 70, Sectin 72.1) and further defined by the Tnt Natinal Frest thrugh resurce specialist and public engagement. This dcument utlines draft criteria definitins that the Tnt Natinal Frest planning team develped thrugh internal engagement and public participatin. The evaluatin step f the prcess has a given set f criteria which are explained and identified belw in the fllwing sectins. These criteria will be used fr ranking areas either high, mderate, lw, r n fr the level f wilderness characteristic the area has. This criteria, alng with a guide detailing the ranking system, will be cllabratively reviewed and finalized after cmpleting the inventry step. Evaluatin Criteria Chapter 70, Sectin 72.1, f the Frest Service Land Management Planning Handbk utlines criteria fr evaluatin f lands fr wilderness characteristics. In this step we will be evaluating the areas frm the inventry fr their apparent naturalness, utstanding pprtunities fr slitude r a primitive and uncnfined type f recreatin, size, unique and utstanding qualities, and manageability. These criteria, and draft definitins further defined by the Tnt Natinal Frest and ur publics, are utlined in the fllwing sectins. Criterin 1: Apparent Naturalness This criterin evaluates the degree t which an area generally appears t be affected primarily by the frces f nature, with the imprints f man s wrk substantially unnticeable. Table 1. Apparent Naturalness Criteria Evaluatin Criteria Identified in Planning Handbk Questin 1a. What is the cmpsitin f plant and animal cmmunities? Questin 1b. What is the extent t which the area appears t reflect eclgical cnditins that wuld nrmally be assciated with the area withut human interventin? Describe the vegetatin types, assciatins, and plant and animal cmmunities. D the plant and animal cmmunities appear substantially unnatural? Hw are cncentratins f nnnative plants and/r animals distributed acrss the landscape? Hw wuld the average frest visitr perceive the naturalness f the area? Describe the distributin and intensity f vegetatin restratin treatments (e.g. thinning), timber harvest areas, and assciated activities (e.g., clear cuts, bulldzer lines, fuel breaks). Des the ecsystem appear natural (cnsider elements, including but nt limited t vegetatin, wildlife, sil, air, etc.)? Cnsider places where human interventin has imprved the apparent naturalness. 2

3 Evaluatin Criteria Identified in Planning Handbk Questin 1c. What is the extent t which imprvements included in the area represent a departure frm apparent naturalness? Cnsider the extent t which the fllwing imprvements cause the appearance t depart frm apparent naturalness in the area as a whle. Any remaining rads (including decmmissined, temprary, r user-created), system trails, and knwn unauthrized rutes Airstrips and heliprts Permanently installed vertical structures Areas f mining activity Range r wildlife imprvements. Recreatin imprvements. Grund-return telephne lines, electric lines, and pwerlines Watershed treatment areas. Structures, dwellings, and ther relics f past ccupatin. Cnsider the building materials and permanence f the imprvements n the landscape. Cnsider if the imprvements are similar in type and appearance t imprvements that exist in current Tnt Natinal Frest Wilderness. 3

4 Criterin 2: Outstanding Opprtunities fr Slitude r a Primitive and Uncnfined Type f Recreatin This criterin evaluates the degree t which the area has utstanding pprtunities fr slitude r fr a primitive and uncnfined type f recreatin. An area nly has t pssess ne r the ther; the area des nt have t pssess utstanding pprtunities fr bth elements, nr des it need t have utstanding pprtunities n every acre. The definitins fr this criterin are identified in the table belw. Table 2. Outstanding Opprtunities fr Slitude r a Primitive and Uncnfined Type f Recreatin Criteria Evaluatin Criteria Identified in Questin 2a. Cnsider impacts that are pervasive and influence a visitr s pprtunity fr slitude within the evaluated area. Questin 2b. Cnsider the pprtunity t engage in primitivetype r uncnfined recreatin activities that lead t a visitr s ability t feel a part f nature. Is there pervasive evidence f civilizatin frm within the area? Cnsider prximity f area t high use areas, trailheads, private lands, rads, and/r activities that impact pprtunities fr slitude. Cnsider frequency f impacts and seasnal variabilities. Describe the general tpgraphy f the area fr its visual, spatial, and acustic envirnment. Cnsider hw peple travel acrss the landscape. Cnsider the differences between urban and rural ideas f slitude. Describe the types f primitive recreatin (hunting, fishing, dispersed camping, hiking, rck climbing, etc.) activities in the area. Describe the amunt f nn-primitive recreatin (muntain biking, mtrized recreatin, fee sites, bating, etc.) activities in the area. Percent f land with primitive classificatin n the Recreatin Opprtunity Spectrum. Is the area relatively free f restrictins n visitr behavir, prviding an uncnfined experience? What is the level f challenge and risk in the area? Criterin 3: Size This criterin evaluates if an area less than 5,000 acres is f sufficient size t make its preservatin and use in an unimpaired cnditin practicable. Table 3: Size Criteria Evaluatin Criteria Identified in Questin 3a. Evaluate hw an area less than 5,000 acres is f sufficient size t make its preservatin and use in an unimpaired cnditin practicable. Cnsider areas less than 5,000 acres if they are adjacent t anther Wilderness area r an area prpsed t be ne. Cnsider primitive areas, r areas that are part f anther wilderness inventry n an adjacent land management agency unit. Cnsider if areas smaller than 5,000 acres can be cmbined. 4

5 Criterin 4: Unique and Outstanding Qualities This criterin evaluates the degree t which the area may cntain eclgical, gelgical, r ther features f scientific, educatinal, scenic, r histrical value. These values are nt required t be present in an area fr the area t be recmmended fr inclusin in the Natinal Wilderness Preservatin System, but their presence shuld be identified and evaluated where they exist. When evaluating unique and utstanding qualities, cnsider if the feature is icnic, unique at a reginal r natinal scale, and the extent that the feature defines hw peple think abut and value the area. Table 4. Unique and Outstanding Qualities Criteria Evaluatin Criteria Identified in Questin 4a. Des the area cntain Presence f rare species, endemic species, r species f rare plant r animal cmmunities cnservatin cncern? r rare ecsystems? Presence f rare ecsystems? Questin 4b. Are there any utstanding landscape features such as waterfalls, muntains, viewpints, waterbdies, r gelgic features? Questin 4c. Are there histric and cultural resurce sites in the area f reginal r natinal significance? Questin 4d. Are there any research natural areas? Presence f uncmmn habitats? Describe any utstanding and unique landscape features in the area, including their significance and extent that the feature defines hw peple value the area. Identify any eligible Wild & Scenic Rivers. Cnsider the density f utstanding r unique landscape features. Presence f significant histric r cultural resurces sites? Cnsider if the feature is natinally recgnized (fr example, thrugh an fficial designatin such as the Natinal Register) r if the features is cnsidered a pririty heritage asset. Cnsider the density f histric/cultural sites in the area. Percent f area that is part f a research natural area. Questin 4e. Are there any high quality water resurces r imprtant watershed features? Presence and extent f high quality water resurces r imprtant watershed features in the area. Cnsider watershed cnditins and eligible, suitable, r designated Wild & Scenic Rivers. Include any additinal infrmatin relate t the questin. 5

6 Criterin 5: Manageability This criterin evaluates the degree t which the area may be managed t preserve its wilderness characteristics, cnsidering current cnditins. Table 5. Manageability Criteria Evaluatin Criteria Identified in Questin 5a. Can the area be managed t preserve its wilderness characteristics? What is the shape and cnfiguratin f the area? Describe the bundary, edge t interir rati, presence f cherry-stemmed rads, etc. Describe the presence and extent f legally established rights r uses within the area and hw theses uses may supprt r impact managing an area fr wilderness characteristics (e.g. active mining claims, special uses, cultural r traditinal uses). Cnsider the ability t use alternative appraches fr managing the area fr its wilderness characteristics. Cnsider the impacts f restratin and/r treatments n the area that allw it t have wilderness characteristics. Cnsider the presence and extent f any specific Federal r State laws that may be relevant t the area r the ability t manage the area t prtect wilderness characteristics. Describe the management f adjacent lands and cnsider current management plans, activities, and/r restrictins fr the area. Presence f Inventried Radless Area. Include percent if pssible. 6