1. Wilderness Characteristics Guidance for the BLM
I. Introduction
II. Inventory Procedures
A. Background
B. Route Analysis & Boundary Identification
C. Size
D. Naturalness
E. Outstanding Opportunities & Supplemental Values
F. Boundary Adjustments & LWC Documentation
III. Planning
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Inventory - Size

2. Inventory Procedures: Size
Wilderness Characteristics Guidance for the BLM
Inventory Procedures:
Size
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Inventory - Size

3. Size – Option 1 Roadless more than 5,000 acres contiguous BLM
do not count State or private inholdings
do not inventory State or private
The first criterion for deciding in an area has wilderness characteristics is its size. There are a number of ways this criterion can be met. There a number of ways this criterion can be met:
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An inventory area has sufficient size if it is a roadless area containing over 5,000 acres of contiguous BLM lands.
We don’t include state or private lands when making this acreage determination, nor do we inventory the wilderness characteristics on State or private lands.
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4. Size – Option I “Contiguous” having boundaries that touch
not “contiguous”
In case you’re unclear about what we mean by “contiguous,” we mean “having boundaries that touch each other.”
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Two areas bisected by a wilderness inventory road are not contiguous.
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Inventory - Size

5. Size – Option I “Contiguous” sharing an edge, not sharing a point
not “contiguous”
We mean “sharing an edge,” not “sharing a point.”
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Checkerboard lands are not contiguous.
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Inventory - Size

6. Size – Option I “Contiguous” sharing an edge, not sharing a point
This is contiguous.
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Inventory - Size

7. Size – Option I “Contiguous” sharing an edge, not sharing a point
Is this contiguous? You can’t really tell without knowing the scale of map. Use your best judgment.
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Inventory - Size

8. Size – Option 2 Roadless regardless of size
contiguous with lands formally determined to have
wilderness values
potential wilderness values
Federal lands managed to protect wilderness characteristics
Roadless BLM lands of less than 5,000 acres could qualify as having sufficient size if one of the following conditions apply:
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First, regardless of size, they are contiguous with lands that have been formally determined to have
wilderness or potential wilderness values, or any other Federal lands that are managed for the explicit protection of wilderness characteristics.
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9. Size – Option 2 Roadless regardless of size contiguous with
Wilderness (BLM, FWS, FS, NPS)
BLM Wilderness Study Area
FWS “Proposed for Wilderness Designation”
FS “Recommended Wilderness” or “Wilderness Study Area”
NPS “Recommended” or “Proposed”
We’re talking about:
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Wildernesses designated by Congress -- no matter which agency manages it -- BLM, Fish & Wildlife Service, Forest Service, or the National Park Service.
The size criterion is met if the inventory unit, regardless of size, is contiguous with a BLM Wilderness Study Area.
The inventory unit could be next to an area identified as “Proposed for Wilderness Designation” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Or a “Recommended Wilderness” or “Wilderness Study Area” of the U.S. Forest Service. Or, an area “Recommended” or “Proposed for Designation” as Wilderness by the National Park Service.
Keep in mind that we’re not inventorying these lands managed by other agencies that are adjacent to our inventory units. They’ve done that. And we trust the quality of their own inventories.
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10. Size – Option 2 Roadless regardless of size contiguous with
Wilderness (BLM, FWS, FS, NPS)
BLM Wilderness Study Area
FWS “Proposed for Wilderness Designation”
FS “Recommended Wilderness” or “Wilderness Study Area”
NPS “Recommended” or “Proposed”
NOT FS “Roadless” areas unless also “Recommended Wilderness”
NOT NPS “Eligible for Wilderness Study”
This list of other agencies’ lands with formally determined wilderness potential does not include Forest Service “Roadless Areas” unless they are also designated as “Recommended Wilderness” through a Forest Plan Revision. Nor does it include areas referred to merely as “Eligible for Wilderness Study” by the Park Service.
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11. Size – Option 3
Roadless and possible to manage as wilderness regardless of size
An inventory unit under 5,000 acres could also meet the size criterion if you could show that it was possible to preserve and manage it in an unimpaired condition even though it is small.
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This is mostly likely to be the result of some topographic extreme -- a rugged canyon or a mesa that is particularly difficult to access.
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12. Size – Option 4 Roadless Island Inventory - Size
Finally, the size criterion is waived for a roadless island of public land.
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And we mean an island island. You know -- a piece of BLM land surround by water. Not a piece of BLM land surrounded by non-BLM land!
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13. Size – Documentation Document size rationale
If no size criteria are met
no wilderness characteristics
further inventory activity not necessary
document!
If size criterion is met
proceed to “naturalness” criterion
So, by now you should know whether or not at least one of the size criteria are met by the lands within the inventory unit.
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Document -- in writing -- your rationale for this determination. Either way -- whether it does or does not meet the size criterion.
Note that if the inventory area does not meet at least one of the size criteria, it cannot contain wilderness characteristics. By our definition.
Further inventory activity is unnecessary. Of course, such a finding must be well…documented!
If the inventory unit does meet at least one of the size criteria, proceed to the next criterion -- naturalness.
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Inventory - Size

14. Inventory Procedures: Size
Wilderness Characteristics Guidance for the BLM
Inventory Procedures:
Size
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End of Module IIC
Inventory - Size