1. Wilderness Characteristics Guidance for the BLM
I. Introduction
II. Inventory Procedures
Planning
A. Background to LWCs in Planning
B. Factors to Consider When Protecting LWCs
C. Placing LWCs in the Land Use Planning Process
D. LWCs and Proposed Projects
ADVANCE SLIDE
Planning – Background

2. Wilderness Characteristics Guidance for the BLM
Considering lands with wilderness characteristics
in land use planning:
Background
ADVANCE SLIDE
Planning – Background

3. Mandate from FLPMA Land Use Planning or Project Analysis:
Effects of protecting WCs
Effects of not protecting WCs
Effects of managing LWCs on other resources
You should remember from our introductory modules that managing the wilderness resource is part of the BLM’s multiple use mission, and that Section 202 of FLPMA directs us to consider all our resources when undertaking land use planning.
ADVANCE
Consequently, when undertaking land use or project planning, the BLM will analyze the effects of both protecting and not protecting wilderness characteristics on all plan or action alternatives where lands with wilderness characteristics are present,
…including the effects of management of lands with wilderness characteristics on other resources and resource uses.
We'll talk about integrating the lands with wilderness characteristics into the Land Use Planning Process or specific projects in upcoming modules. For now, just keep in mind that any land use plan, plan amendment, or project analysis must address the effects of the alternatives on lands with wilderness characteristics.
ADVANCE SLIDE
Planning – Background

4. Alternative Allocations
No LWCs present
document
LWCs present
emphasize other multiple uses
emphasize other multiple uses while mitigating impacts to WCs
emphasize protection of LWCs
combination of 1), 2), or 3)
In some instances, of course, there is no effect because there are no lands with wilderness characteristics present. (You know this because you followed the procedures outlined in the Instructions on Conducting Wilderness Characteristics Inventory on BLM lands attached to IM , right?
ADVANCE
And you remember you'd better document that absence, right?)
But where lands with wilderness characteristics are present, the BLM will examine options for managing these lands and determine the most appropriate land use allocations for them. These allocations could include:
emphasizing other multiple uses as a priority over protecting wilderness characteristics;
emphasizing other multiple uses while applying management restrictions (such as conditions of use or other mitigation measures) to reduce impacts to wilderness characteristics;
emphasizing the protection of lands with wilderness characteristics as a priority over other multiple uses;
any combination of the above -- for instance, some areas with wilderness characteristics might be protected, some areas where they were present wouldn't be protected, and/or some areas might not be protected per se, but would have restrictions placed to mitigate some impacts to wilderness characteristics.
ADVANCE SLIDE
Planning – Background

5. Presence of LWCs Protecting an LWC result of an inventory
not a management decision
Protecting an LWC
land use planning decision involving
other agencies; the public
called?
check with your SO
no universal name across the BLM
In the next module we'll look at the factors to be considered in deciding whether or not to protect the wilderness characteristics you've found to be present. In the meantime, keep in mind two essential ideas:
ADVANCE
One, whether a given area has wilderness characteristics is the result of an inventory and NOT a decision on how that area should be managed.
And two, the decision on how that area should be managed is part of a land use planning process that must involve cooperating agencies, the public, and other interested parties.
So. The result of our inventory process is that we have identified lands with wilderness characteristics. During our land use planning process, a decision may be made to protect some of those lands.
For planning purposes, what should you call them? They can't also be “lands with wilderness characteristics,” because that's an inventory term, not a land use allocation term. So what should they be called?
You could call them anything – except "Wild Lands“ -- anything that makes sense to be used during your plan development.
Check with your State Office in case one has already been chosen for your State. We're just not going to have one, universal name used throughout the BLM -- just as we're not going to have one, universal way of managing them throughout the Bureau. But we'll get to that in upcoming modules.
ADVANCE SLIDE
Planning – Background

6. Wilderness Characteristics Guidance for the BLM
Considering lands with wilderness characteristics
in land use planning:
Background
OK. You know you're going to consider protecting the wilderness characteristics on some of your lands with wilderness characteristics. What factors should be looked at in your land use plan or plan amendment to determine if you will protect those characteristics on … on whatever name you choose for those areas? For that, let's go to the next module.
ADVANCE SLIDE
End of Module IIIA
Planning – Background