NEW GUIDANCE FROM INTERIOR DEPARTMENT WOULD GIVE
WESTERN ICONS A SECOND CHANCE:
Colorado’s Roan Plateau, New Mexico’s Otero Mesa, Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon and many
other magnificent, wild landscapes throughout the West that have been proposed for wilderness
designation have been vulnerable as a result of the “No More Wilderness” policy. Numerous
BLM land use plans issued after the 2003 policy and before the end of the Bush administration
left wilderness-quality lands riddled with roads and open to oil and gas drilling. If the No More
Wilderness policy were not revoked, these plans will extend the Bush administration’s antiwilderness policies for another 15-20 years, the lifespan of the plans.
Utah
The Bush administration’s No More
Wilderness policy, now rescinded by
Secretary Salazar’s order, grew out of a
lawsuit in which the State of Utah
attempted to halt an ongoing BLM
inventory of wilderness lands. The state
lost much of that suit, and the BLM
inventory challenged by the state, which
found that millions of acres of
previously overlooked wildernessquality lands were still eligible for
protection, was completed in 1999. Four
years later, the state revived the single
remaining claim that was still before the
court in the dormant suit and used it as
the vehicle to create the No More
Wilderness policy and block protection
Upper Desolation Canyon, photo by Ray Bloxham
of millions of acres across the West.
In Utah, the Bush administration used the No More Wilderness policy as the basis for six
land use plans it issued in 2008 for 11 million acres of spectacular red rock canyon country. The
final plans left 80% of the land open to oil and gas drilling and designated an astounding 20,000
miles of ORV routes. WSA designation and administrative protection would restore better
balance to these plans by protecting the 2.8 million acres of lands that still qualify for wilderness
but remain vulnerable to development.
Happy Canyon
An arm of the Dirty Devil River watershed, Happy Canyon is quintessential Utah canyon
country. No natural boundary separates it from the stunning scenery of adjacent Canyonlands
National Park and from the ground it is nearly impossible to tell where the Park Service land
ends and the BLM lands begin. Only small portions of Happy Canyon are protected by the
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existing French Spring-Happy Canyon WSA, and the WSA boundaries left out much of the
remarkable mesa and canyon complex.
The entire Dirty Devil area provides important habitat for wildlife. Herds of antelope roam
the plateau country along both canyon rims. Remote sidecanyons harbor rare populations of
beaver, desert bighorn sheep, and at least nine species of plants and animals which the BLM has
identified as "sensitive." Prehistoric artifacts are abundant here, as they are throughout the
Colorado Plateau. Studies by the National Park Service and the BLM (1984) suggest an average
density of 24 archeological sites per square mile, or up to 11,000 rock shelters, campsites, lithic
scatters, stone tool quarries, and petroglyph sites throughout the Dirty Devil region. Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid found refuge from the law here.
Since the 1930s, there has been a series
of proposals for preserving the primitive
character of the Dirty Devil canyons. In
1936, Wilderness Society founder Bob
Marshall identified the Dirty Devil canyons
as an integral part of the 8.9-million-acre
Colorado River canyons roadless area – the
largest remaining block of wilderness in the
lower forty-eight states. In the same year, the
U.S. Department of the Interior launched a
proposal to create a 4.5-million-acre
Escalante National Monument in Utah. The
monument's western boundary would have
included nearly 200,000 acres surrounding
the lower Dirty Devil River canyon. A 1961
proposal by Interior Secretary Stewart Udall
would have included some 37,000 acres of
the Dirty Devil region within Canyonlands
National Park. In 1970, the BLM identified a
candidate Dirty Devil primitive area of over
300,000 acres, and by 1979 the National
Park Service had identified the entire length
of the Dirty Devil River as a potential
addition to the National Wild and Scenic
River System.
Happy Canyon, photo by John Telford
Although one of the most remote places in the Lower 48, Happy Canyon and neighboring
BLM lands have been on the drilling wish list of the oil and gas industry and some exploration
has already occurred. Uranium prospectors have also targeted the areas for mining, and there is
an ambitious proposal to mine the area for tar sands, a proposal which in the past has included
steam generation plants, an electrical power plant, coking, sulphur recovery, and sewage plants,
oil storage tanks, a reservoir, and a solid waste dump.
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Upper Desolation Canyon
John Wesley Powell first explored Upper Desolation Canyon in 1869 during his famous
Green River expedition. Today, despite the threat of oil and gas drilling and the roads, pipelines,
sludge pits and traffic that come with it, Upper Desolation Canyon is much the same as when
Powell first saw it – so much so that the BLM found it eligible for wilderness preservation when
it reevaluated the area’s wilderness character in subsequent inventories as recently as 2008.
Upper Desolation Canyon includes an enormous variety of terrain, from river bottoms lined with
cottonwood trees to higher ridges and extremely scenic cliff bands. Artifacts left by Native
Americans centuries ago line the remote side canyons, and peregrine falcons, bald eagles, blackfooted ferrets and other wildlife make the canyon their home. Because of its natural beauty,
Upper Desolation Canyon is popular with boaters, kayakers and rafters who enjoy the primitive
setting.
Upper Desolation Canyon, photo by Ray Bloxham
Fiddler Butte
Like Upper Desolation Canyon, the BLM found that much of the spectacular canyon country
in the area of Fiddler Butte is also eligible for wilderness protection in its 1999 inventory. In a
pocket of BLM land just north of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and east of
Canyonlands National Park, this tortured landscape is a maze of rust-colored and purple buttes
that stretch to the horizon. Incised canyons provide unlimited opportunities for solitude and
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exploration in a stunning setting. Cedar Point, Butler Canyon and the “Irish Canyons” are
popular spots for slot canyoneers. Although arid, the nearby Dirty Devil River and a number of
springs provide water for native plant and animal communities.
Fiddler Butte, photo by Ray Bloxham
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California
The No More Wilderness policy stripped WSA protection from over 34,000 acres of wild
country in the Golden State. The California Wilderness Coalition (CWC) estimates that the
policy will also prevent over 376,000 acres from ever becoming WSAs through the BLM’s
resource management planning processes. This is in addition to over 932,000 acres of
legislatively-released WSAs that could eventually become WSAs once more if it was not for the
No More Wilderness policy.
Here are a few examples of affected wild areas.
Milk Ranch-Case Mountain
The 8,970-acre area lost its WSA status because of the No More Wilderness settlement. The
former WSA includes some of the westernmost groves of giant sequoias (the world’s largest
tree) in California, and it also borders Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. The BLM notes that
the area’s giant sequoia groves “possess high scenic, human interest, and scientific value,” and
that the former WSA offers critical winter habitat for migrating deer populations that must leave
Sequoia-Kings Canyon when the snow becomes too deep. Milk Ranch-Case Mountain is among
the very few government-managed giant sequoia groves that are not in a park, wilderness, or
monument. One of the more ominous reasons the BLM offered for not recommending the former
WSA for wilderness designation in 1990 is its “high potential” for producing lumber.
Case Mountain, photo courtesy of California Wilderness Coalition
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West Walker Ridge
The 8,100-acre roadless area in Lake
County was never identified as a WSA,
and the No More Wilderness policy
prevented the BLM from identifying it as
a WSA when the Ukiah Field Office
revised its Resource Management Plan in
2006. For decades, Walker Ridge has
been a Mecca for amateur and professional
botanists alike who are attracted by its
plethora of rare and unusual plants. The
ridge also offers visitors outstanding views
in all directions, as well as vibrant spring
wildflower displays. Despite its ecological
and recreational importance and the fact
that Walker Ridge is part of the proposed
Berryessa Snow Mountain National
Conservation Area, it is very seriously
threatened by a proposed wind energy
West Walker Ridge, photo courtesy of California Wilderness
Coalition
development project.
Malpais Mesa Proposed Wilderness Additions (also known as Conglomerate
Mesa)
This 33,000-acre area in Inyo County was once part of a WSA that was released by the
California Desert Protection Act of 1994. The area is dominated by Conglomerate Mesa, a
Native American sacred site that is a pristine transition zone between the Great Basin and
Mojave Desert with impressive Joshua tree forests and breathtaking 360 degree views of the
Sierra Nevada and Death Valley.
BLM staff have noted that the mesa has never been mined, homesteaded, grazed or used by
off-road vehicles. Recently, visitors have noticed that bighorn sheep have begun using the area.
Unfortunately, the former WSA is seriously threatened by proposed gold mining operations. The
CWC and members of the Big Pine Piute Tribe have proposed to legislators that it be added to
the adjacent Malpais Mesa Wilderness. In the meantime, given that the BLM and the public have
learned a great deal more about the social and ecological values of the area since it was released
sixteen years ago, conservationists believe that it should be designated as a WSA once more
when the Ridgecrest Field Office of the BLM revises its Resource Management Plan.
Unfortunately, this is precluded by the No More Wilderness policy.
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Conglomerate Mesa, photo courtesy of California Wilderness Alliance
Conglomerate Mesa, photos courtesy of California Wilderness Alliance
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Colorado
From the spine of the Continental Divide to the canyon country of the Western Slope,
Colorado's wilderness-quality lands offer rugged scenery and crucial wildlife habitat. In 1980,
BLM determined that of the 8.4 million acres of agency lands in the state, only 801,000 acres
(roughly 10%) were of wilderness quality and would be protected as Wilderness Study Areas. In
response, citizens conducted their own extensive inventory resulting in the Colorado’s Canyon
Country Wilderness Proposal, first released in 1994, that identified 1.3 million acres of BLM
lands suitable for wilderness designation, as well as 300,000 acres of adjacent national forest
lands. Included in this proposal are many of the state's most beautiful and most ecologically
diverse regions that provide critical winter range for big game, as well as year-round recreation
for hikers, backpackers, hunters, and other non-motorized recreationists, and provide important
revenue to support Colorado's hunting, fishing, recreation and tourism economies. Some of these
areas have since been designated as wilderness by Congress, however, 540,000 acres of WSAs
and an additional 700,000 acres of citizen-proposed wilderness lands still await congressional
action.
Prior to 2003, the Colorado BLM conducted re-inventories of some of these citizen-proposed
wilderness lands and identified a number of previously overlooked areas that qualified for
wilderness designation. Unfortunately, after the No More Wilderness policy was adopted, the
BLM abandoned land use planning processes that would have considered protection for most of
these newly-identified wilderness-quality lands. Instead 700,000 acres of these (non-WSA)
citizen-proposed wilderness lands were left with no interim protection, at risk from leasing for
oil and gas development, or new off-road vehicle routes.
Bangs Canyon
Extending from the Douglas fir and aspen
groves on the Uncompahgre Plateau to the
south bank of the Gunnison River, Bangs
Canyon provides remarkable backcountry
recreation opportunities and a place of
solitude just minutes from downtown Grand
Junction, western Colorado's largest urban
area. Bangs Canyon contains several wild
winding canyons, which together with their
tributaries include more than 35 miles of
Bangs Canyon, photo by Jeff Widen
flowing water, and which provide habitat for
desert bighorn sheep, healthy populations of
rainbow trout, and one of the richest occurrences of rare plants and animals in Colorado.
Although the BLM’s reinventory found Bangs Canyon to be of wilderness-quality, after 2003 the
BLM failed to consider protection of these wilderness qualities in its planning process and
instead designated an ORV trail through the middle of Bangs Canyon. Now that BLM has
secured a right-of-way easement across private lands for constructing the motorized route, Bangs
Canyon is under imminent threat.
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South Shale Ridge
Often called "Colorado's Bryce Canyon," South
Shale Ridge is a steep, multicolored escarpment of
vivid purples, oranges, and reds—ranging in
elevation from 5,000 feet to over 8,000 feet on the
summit of Corcoran Peak—with sweeping vistas
of the Grand Mesa, the San Juan Mountains, the
La Sal Mountains, and the scenic Roan Cliffs.
Over 40 miles of twisting arroyos carve through
this rugged and colorful landscape, including the
unique "Goblin Valley" with its ghostly collection
of white and gray hoodoos.
South Shale Ridge, photo by Jeff Widen
In addition to supporting large populations of three
rare plant species, South Shale Ridge provides
critical winter range for deer and elk and
outstanding hunting opportunities. Although the
BLM found the vast majority of South Shale Ridge
to have wilderness character, after the 2003 No
More Wilderness policy was adopted the BLM
proceeded with issuing an oil and gas lease in the
area, which was revoked for further analysis after
a lawsuit brought by conservationists.
Roan Plateau
Magnificent Roan Plateau in Colorado serves as a stunning visual backdrop for the state’s
western communities of Rifle, Parachute and Silt. Reaching 3,500 feet above the Colorado River
Valley, the dramatic plateau is an island of beauty surrounded by terrain being drilled by oil and
gas companies. The area is one of the most biologically diverse in western Colorado, providing
essential habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species. The imperiled plateau is also a
beloved spot of recreationists as well as hunters and fishers who are drawn by the abundance of
big game and native cutthroat trout.
Although the BLM found the top of the plateau to be wilderness quality, the agency
developed and issued a management plan that failed to consider wilderness protection as an
alternative, and then proceeded with leasing the entire Roan Plateau planning area for oil and gas
development—both actions which are currently being challenged in court by conservation and
local citizens.
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Colorado’s Roan Plateau, photo by Anita Gould
Thompson Creek
North Thompson Canyon reminds one of a western
slope "Garden of the Gods," with its stunning geologic
strata and vertical faulted hogbacks. Thompson Creek
itself is a beautiful stream with undisturbed woods
ranging from cottonwoods and ponderosa pine to
scrub oak, pinyon-juniper, Douglas fir, and aspen. The
forests provide a haven for wildlife including elk,
bear, mountain lion, wild turkey, and small game, as
well as the ubiquitous deer.
The BLM has long recognized the beauty of the
canyon and designated it an Area of Critical
Environmental Concern, however, a new BLM policy
would ensure that the BLM’s pending revision of the
Colorado River Valley Resource Management Plan
would adequately consider protection of the area’s
wilderness character.
Thompson Creek, photo by Kurt Kunkle
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New Mexico:
Home to a wide variety of native grassland species such as pronghorn antelope, black-tailed
prairie dogs, golden eagles, and mountain lions, Otero Mesa is threatened by oil and gas
development and off-road vehicles. Governor Bill Richardson and a broad coalition of New
Mexicans have long sought protection of this Otero Mesa and its vast scenic landscapes of
unusual, native Chihuahuan grassland.
Otero Mesa
Home to a wide variety of native grassland species such as pronghorn antelope, black-tailed
prairie dogs, golden eagles, and mountain lions, Otero Mesa is threatened by oil and gas
development and off-road vehicles. Governor Bill Richardson and a broad coalition of New
Mexicans have long sought protection of this Otero Mesa and its vast scenic landscapes of
unusual, native Chihuahuan grassland.A multi-year court battle was spurred and won, in part,
because the BLM believed it could not protect Otero Mesa from oil and gas drilling. A change in
the agency’s policy for identifying and protecting wilderness values could not only safeguard the
more than 500,000 acres of wilderness-quality lands that make up the core of this area, but also
provide a way to protect wildlife habitat, a wealth of rock art and Western history, and a
substantial freshwater aquifer.
Otero Mesa, photo courtesy of Nathan Newcomer/New Mexico Wilderness Alliance
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Petaca Pinta
The Petaca Pinta Proposed Wilderness Area is a beautiful slice of red-rock country that
features prairie grasses waving through the remnants of ancient civilization. A short day hike or
backpacking trip into the area quickly reveals a wild landscape free from most human
developments. Volcanic buttes jut from the valley floor; small mountains of lava roll out across
an open basin, and tuffs of red, orange and black rock, carved by years of wind and water, form
dramatic canyons and bowls where wildlife tracks remain and harden in the wet clay.
Two of the most striking features in this area are Volcano Hill and Mesa Gallina. Volcano
Hill, which erupted around three million years ago, rises 500 feet from the surrounding basalt
lava flow. Mesa Gallina’s hilly, juniper-covered terrain tops a stunning escarpment. The variety
of environments in the Petaca Pinta area supports myriad species: Scattered springs and
numerous natural depressions made by the lava flow provide important watering holes, while the
many canyons and washes in the area provide important riparian corridors for coyotes, badgers,
mule deer, and mountain lion. The cliffs in the escarpment provide homes to raptors including
golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and great horned owls. Herds of pronghorn dash across the open
grasslands while prairie dogs keep the grasses abundant. But this area’s rugged beauty is at risk
from off-road vehicle use and continuing aggregate mining, which will only increase due to its
surprising proximity to Albuquerque. Without a clear path to protect Petaca Pinta, the Bureau of
Land Management may not see a meaningful way to safeguard it in the new Rio Puerco
Resource Management Plan.
Mesa Gallina, photo courtesy of Nathan Newcomer/New Mexico Wilderness Alliance
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Volcano Hill, photo courtesy of Nathan Newcomer/New Mexico Wilderness Alliance
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Oregon
Located in the far southeastern corner of Oregon, the Owyhee Canyonlands is a landscape
filled with deep riverine canyons, rolling sagebrush hills and red rock geological formations.
The stark beauty of the "sagebrush sea" is home to the nation's largest herd of California bighorn
sheep, large herds of pronghorn antelope, mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk. The Owyhee
represents one of the largest remaining blocks of core-Category 1 habitat for the threatened
Greater Sage grouse. Although nearly 1 million acres of this fragile desert habitat has been
named as Wilderness Study Areas, an additional 1.1 million acres has been identified as
wilderness-quality land. Additional protection on these BLM lands through Wilderness Study
Area designation will preserve this key wildlife corridor.
Three Fingers Butte, photo by Mark Lisk
Owyhee overlook, photo by Greg Burke
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Arizona
The Arizona Wilderness Coalition has identified more than 2 million acres of BLM land
across Arizona that currently meets criteria for wilderness designation, but can no longer be
considered for protection as WSAs by the BLM.
Aravaipa Canyon
Aravaipa Canyon illustrates the threat in Arizona. Despite the fact that much of the area has
been proposed for wilderness protection by the Arizona Wilderness Coalition, a BLM draft
management plan now underway makes no mention of additional wilderness lands in Aravaipa.
Many stakeholders have urged the BLM and others to recognize the wilderness values of the
Aravaipa ecosystem, asking for appropriate lands to be recommended for wilderness designation
so that land and wildlife protections can be extended beyond the existing Wilderness Area.
Despite detailed analyses and repeated requests, the BLM’s draft plan for Aravaipa does not
even consider wilderness as a potential issue. Fortunately the BLM plan is still in a draft form
and there is time to influence the final decisions that will manage our lands for the next decade.
Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon, photo courtesy of Arizona Wilderness Coalition
Sand Tank Mountains
The Sand Tank Mountains, in the Sonoran Desert National Monument of southern Arizona,
are an example of how the No More Wilderness policy would bar BLM from protecting as
WSAs newly acquired lands, no matter how magnificent and primitive. Formerly managed as
lands under the Department of Defense, the Sand Tanks were conveyed to the BLM in the late
1990’s before their inclusion into the National Monument. This extraordinary area contains
dense saguaro forests, herds of bighorn sheep, outstanding recreational opportunities, and a
diverse mixture of prehistoric and historic cultural sites. The desert peaks and valleys of this
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vast landscape have never been considered for wilderness protection and given the large roadless
areas they represent, they deserve the opportunity to join the National Wilderness Preservation
System. Without cattle grazing for more than 50 years, the unique ecology and scenic character
of these mountains have quickly become a popular destination among desert adventurists.
Sand Tank Mountains, south of Phoenix, photo courtesy of Arizona Wilderness Coalition
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Sand Tank Mountains at sunset, photo courtesy of Arizona Wilderness Coalition
Wyoming
Adobe Town
Carved into intricate shapes by water and wind, Adobe Town is possibly the most
astonishing and remote set of badlands and geological formations in the entire state of Wyoming.
Throughout the area, which is virtually untouched by human activity, wide patches of desert and
rolling sand dunes stretch across the open spaces between colorful rock formations and rugged
canyons. Fossils of long-extinct mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates show visitors what once
inhabited this landscape. Several high priority plant species that have adapted to thrive in 5
inches of average rainfall sprout from the arid soil.
Adobe Town is famous for its trophy antelope and mule deer. In addition, Wyoming's largest
herd of wild horses roams here. Due to an abundance of jack rabbits and other prey, this area is
also prime raptor habitat. Golden eagles, prairie falcons, red-tailed hawks, burrowing owls, and
ferruginous hawks all nest in these badlands. Horned toads, rattlesnakes and other small desert
dwellers also abound. Like the Jack Morrow Hills, people have sought to protect Adobe Town
from development in the past, including an effort to have it designated as a national park.
However, when the BLM developed its wilderness recommendations, natural gas potential was
given priority over public recreation and environmental quality.
Adobe Town, photo courtesy of Biodiversity Conservation Alliance
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The Pinnacles (Adobe Town), photo by Erik Molvar
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Alaska
The Ring of Fire planning area, covering a total of 1.3 million acres, is home to the largest
number of sea birds in the North America. Nearly 40 million birds of 30 species come to the
Ring of Fire region each year to nest and raise their young. This area is also the home to the
highest densities of brown bear, moose and coastal wildlife.
In 2003 during the BLM scoping period for the Ring of Fire management plan, the Alaska
Coalition clearly stated the need to evaluate the Wilderness and protective status of lands and
that they be considered as a valued resource in the RMP and EIS. There was a direct request to
include an evaluation for wilderness as an equal resource which would become part of the
management structure of the BLM in Alaska.
The request for wilderness review was not included in the management plan. In fact, the plan
prioritizes mineral development, leaving this region vulnerable to private industry.
Ring of Fire, photo by David Thorne
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Ring of Fire puffin colony, USFWS photo
Ring of Fire mountain goats, USFWS photo
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