Description: <div>With the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964, Congress created the National Wilderness Preservation System. Wilderness areas are managed to preserve their natural conditions and wild character for present and future generations. They possess outstanding ecological, geological, scientific, educational, scenic, or historic values.</div><div><br /></div><div>Currently the GMUG has a total of 498,152 acres of wilderness acres, making up nineteen percent of the three-million acre forest (map). These areas include:</div><div><br /></div><div>Collegiate Peaks Wilderness</div><div>Fossil Ridge Wilderness</div><div>La Garita Wilderness</div><div>Lizard Head Wilderness</div><div>Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness</div><div>Mt. Sneffels Wilderness</div><div>Powderhorn Wilderness</div><div>Raggeds Wilderness</div><div>Uncompahgre Wilderness</div><div>West Elk Wilderness</div>
Description: <div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight:bold;">The polygons in this layer represent the additional polygons for wilderness recommended under Alternative B of plan revision for the GMUG National Forests.</span><br /></div><p>Alternative B (the preferred alternative) was released for public feedback as the working draft plan, and it was subsequently updated in response to public feedback and internal review. Alternative B includes approximately 34,000 acres analyzed for potential wilderness recommendation across 12 analysis polygons.</p><p>o Four<b> </b>areas are adjacent to <b>Mount Sneffels</b> designated wilderness area.</p><p>o Five<b> </b>areas are adjacent to <b>Lizard Head</b> designated wilderness area.</p><p>o One area is adjacent to the <b>Raggeds</b> designated wilderness area.</p><p>o Two areas are adjacent to the <b>West Elks</b> designated wilderness areas.</p><p>Several factors were considered in developing the areas to be analyzed for potential wilderness recommendation in Alternative B. The 34,000 acres were selected based on consideration of the information within the GMUG wilderness evaluation, which indicate that these areas possess wilderness characteristics such as naturalness; undeveloped quality; outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation; or other special features such as ecological, geological, or scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value. Other considerations were the ability to protect and manage the areas to preserve its wilderness characteristics, minimization of conflict with existing uses, as well as input received from public feedback opportunities. Cooperating agency input, including that of the counties, was considered.</p>
Description: <p>Alternative D can be broadly described as the “special area emphasis” alternative, with more special area allocations, a smaller vegetation and fuels management program, more active and restrictive recreation use management, more non-motorized settings, and fewer areas allocated as suitable for timber production.</p><p>Alternative D includes approximately 261,000 acres analyzed for potential wilderness recommendation across 42 analysis polygons throughout the forest. These 42 polygons include the 12 analysis polygons in Alternative B.</p><p>Several factors were considered in developing the areas to be analyzed for potential wilderness recommendation in Alternative D. The approximately 261,000 acres were selected based on consideration of the information within the GMUG wilderness evaluation, which indicate that these areas possess wilderness characteristics such as naturalness; undeveloped quality; outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation; or other special features such as ecological, geological, or scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value. The team also considered input received from public feedback opportunities, including support for proposed wilderness areas within the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act and Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy Act, as well as two other collaborative efforts – the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI) and the Community Conservation Proposal (CCP).</p>