Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Blaine County's roadless areas


Boulder/White Cloud Roadless Area

This area encompasses 322,732 acres of the Sawtooth National Forest (Blaine County), and 140,089 acres of the Salmon-Challis National Forest (Custer County). This steep, rugged area adjoins three Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas.

The current management prescriptions are recommended wilderness with active restoration and maintenance of aquatic, terrestrial and hydrologic resources and undeveloped recreation (including motorized use).

Blaine and Custer county commissioners recommend retaining the current prescriptions.

Much of this area also is included in Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson's proposed Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act designed to designate three key areas of the Boulder-White Cloud mountains as wilderness areas.

Buttercup Mountain Roadless Area

This region includes 56,654 acres in Blaine and Camas counties (three miles southwest of Ketchum and nine miles northeast of Fairfield).

Also described as rugged and steep, the Buttercup area is currently prescribed for undeveloped recreation with no roads but allowing for motorized use.

Blaine and Camas county commissioners recommend retaining the current prescriptions.

Pioneer Mountains Roadless Area

This rugged area includes 119,559 acres in the Sawtooth National Forest (Blaine) and 169,371 acres in the Salmon-Challis National Forest (Custer).

Located 20 miles southwest of Mackay and five miles east of Ketchum, the area is characterized by mountainous terrain and numerous lakes and streams.

Current prescriptions include recommended wilderness; active and passive restoration and maintenance of aquatic, terrestrial and hydrologic resources; undeveloped recreation; and restoration and maintenance within shrubland and grassland landscapes to provide a diversity of habitats, reduce risk from disturbance events, and create sustainable resources for human use.

Blaine and Custer county commissioners recommend retaining the current prescriptions.

Smoky Mountains Roadless Area

The Smoky Mountain roadless area comprises 304,159 acres in the Sawtooth National Forest (Blaine) and 42,938 acres in the Boise National Forest (Elmore and Camas).

This area, which contains the headwaters of the Big Wood River, Salmon River and South Fork of the Boise River, is 45 miles wide with the eastern border located two miles west of Ketchum.

Current prescriptions include active and passive restoration and maintenance of aquatic, terrestrial and hydrologic resources, and undeveloped recreation.




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