Understanding the Wilderness Recommendation Process What is the difference between designated wilderness and a recommended wilderness? Designated Wilderness

Recommended Wilderness

Designated wilderness is the highest level of conservation protection for federal lands. Only Congress may designate wilderness or change the status of wilderness areas. Wilderness areas are designated within existing federal public land. Congress has directed four federal land management agencies to manage wilderness areas so as to preserve and, where possible, to restore their wilderness character. In a wilderness area you can: fish, hunt, hike, backpack, ride horses, camp, ski, rock climb, mine*, graze*, conduct search and rescue, and conduct fire management. According to the 1964 Wilderness Act, in a wilderness area you can’t: use mechanized or motorized equipment. Examples include: bikes, cars, OHVs, chainsaws, large timber harvesting equipment, drones, and helicopters. *subject to valid existing uses

A recommended wilderness is one that has been identified by the land management agency as being suitable for wilderness designation. All plan components applicable to a recommended area must protect and maintain the social and ecological characteristics that provide the basis for wilderness recommendation. The plan may include direction that: • Enhances the ecological and social characteristics that provide the basis for wilderness designations; • Continues existing uses, only if such uses do not prevent the protection and maintenance of the social and ecological characteristics that provide the basis for wilderness designation; • Alters existing uses, subject to valid existing rights; or • Eliminates existing uses, except those uses subject to valid existing rights.

Steps in the Wilderness Recommendation Process: The wilderness process is divided into four primary steps. The public is invited to provide feedback and input on all significant milestones of the wilderness process, including both the criteria and results of each step. The four steps of the Wilderness Recommendation Process include:

1) Inventory: The primary function of the inventory step is to identify all lands on the Tonto that will be evaluated

for wilderness characteristics as defined in the Wilderness Act. The inventory is meant to be broad and inclusive.

2) Evaluation: The primary function of the evaluation step is to evaluate all lands in the inventory for wilderness characteristics. All lands included in the inventory must be evaluated.

3) Analysis: The Responsible Official shall identify which specific areas, or portions thereof, from the evaluation to carry forward as recommended wilderness in one or more alternatives in the forest plan EIS where it will be analyzed for the impacts, benefits, and effects of managing it as a recommended wilderness.

4) Recommendation: The final decision document for the forest plan must include recommended wilderness areas for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The forest plan will include plan components that protect and maintain the ecological and social characteristics that provide the basis for the wilderness recommendation.

Forest Service – Tonto National Forest

June 2017

More information on the Wilderness Recommendation Process can be found at www.tontoplan.org. Forest Service – Tonto National Forest

June 2017