Wilderness Recommendation Process

During this step, all Forest Service lands in the plan area that may have “wilderness characteristics” are documented on a map. Lands that meet criteria related to roads, developments, and size are included in the inventory. 

The inventory is intended to be reasonably broad and inclusive so that more, rather than less, lands will be carried forward to the next step to be evaluated for wilderness characteristics. Inclusion in the inventory is not a designation that conveys or requires a particular kind of management.

The inventory criteria are applied using available geospatial data to create the inventory map. Starting with the entire boundary of the plan area:

a. Exclude all lands not managed by the Forest Service.

b. Exclude existing designated wilderness areas.

c. Exclude existing roads open to motor vehicle use.

d. Exclude areas where linear structures have been permanently installed through a permit, agreement, or easement, and vegetation on the land in the vicinity has been cleared to support operation and maintenance of the structure. Examples of structures with such a "right-of-way" may include those that pass over, under, or through Forest Service managed lands, such as powerlines or pipelines.

Then, using a combination of geospatial data and any other available information:

e. Include other improvements or developments where they are “not substantially noticeable in the area as a whole,” meaning their appearance does not dominate the area and they are not visible from most vantage points in the area. Otherwise, exclude improvements from the inventory. Examples of the types of improvements that are assessed for noticeability “in the area as a whole” include, but are not limited to:

i. Vegetation treatments

ii. Timber harvest areas 

iii. Areas of mining activity 

iv. Range improvement areas 

v. Recreation improvements 

vi. Watershed treatment areas

The resulting map will be divided into “areas” (called “polygons” for GIS purposes) to be further assessed during the inventory such that the inventory map: 

f. Includes areas of 5,000 acres or more.

g. Includes areas of less than 5,000 acres that are of sufficient size for preservation and use in an unimpaired condition.

h. Include any other areas that were "excluded," specifically for the purpose of carrying them forward to the evaluation step, such as areas in pending legislation or identified through a collaborative effort, or individually, by interest groups, Tribes, or others.

• Lands That May Have Wilderness Character Inventory Map
• Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Brochure
• Wilderness Inventory - 2012 Planning Rule

Prior to starting the evaluation, areas may be combined or separated to make the evaluation easier to document. A name or unique “Evaluation ID” is assigned to each area or group of areas. 

Then, information about the “wilderness characteristics” of each area or grouping of areas is compiled from a variety of sources, including from the public, State and local governments, and Tribes. Descriptions of the “wilderness characteristics” of each area are not used to score or rank the importance of one area over another. Rather, describing the wilderness characteristics provides thorough documentation for each area. All types of knowledge about wilderness characteristics, including Indigenous, local, regional, and national values or context, is important to include in the evaluation for each area.

Wilderness characteristics—defined in FSH 1909.12, Chapter 70 include:

1. Apparent naturalness: How obvious the human influences on an area are to observers. Evaluation of apparent naturalness may also generate information related to habitats for plants and animals, water quality and watershed function, etc.
2. Solitude:  How much an area offers opportunities for individuals or groups to avoid seeing and hearing other people. Evaluation of solitude may also generate information related to popular/crowded attractions, sounds of motorized recreation, "screening" by topography/vegetation, etc.
3. Primitive and unconfined recreation: How much an area offers opportunities to experience nature, such as observing wildlife, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, floating, kayaking, cross-country skiing, camping, and enjoying nature.
4. Size:  If an area is less than 5,000 acres, how possible is it to manage the area in an unimpaired condition.
5. Other Features of Value: How likely an area is to contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.
6. Manageability:  How possible it is to manage an area to preserve its wilderness characteristics, considering the configuration of the area, legally established rights or uses within the area, relevant Federal or State laws, presence and amount of non-federal land within the area, and management of adjacent lands.

Tribal, Governmental, and Public Involvement

Everyone’s input throughout this wilderness recommendation process is important and valued. If you would like to be involved or kept informed, please see the following links for information:  

• Blue Mountains Draft Evaluation of Wilderness Characteristics Map - Tri Forest
• Blue Mountains Draft Evaluation of Wilderness Characteristics Map - Malheur NF
• Blue Mountains Draft Evaluation of Wilderness Characteristics Map - Umatilla NF
• Blue Mountains Draft Evaluation of Wilderness Characteristics Map - Wallowa-Whitman NF
• Blue Mountains Wilderness Evaluation Background and Methodology Report
• Blue Mountains Draft Wilderness Evaluation Report
• Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Brochure
• Wilderness Inventory - 2012 Planning Rule

Learn more about the Plan Revision Process here.

Step 3: Analysis - Alternatives for which evaluated areas, if any, to include in the plan as “recommended wilderness” are designed. As part of the National Environmental Policy Act process, information is published about the effects of each alternative. Not all areas that were evaluated in step 2 are required to be included in an alternative.

Plan components—such as desired conditions and management objectives, standards, and guidelines—are also developed in the Land Management Plan for all areas included as recommended wilderness. All plan components must protect and maintain the social and ecological characteristics that provide the basis for the wilderness recommendation. 

The environmental impact statement contains an appendix that includes the evaluation report and an analysis report. The analysis report provides the following information about each of the areas included in the proposed action or any alternatives:

a. Name and number of acres  

b. Location and summarized boundary description  

c. General geography, topography, and vegetation 

d. Current uses and management 

e. Wilderness characteristics and the ability to protect and manage to preserve its wilderness characteristics 

f. Factors considered and the process used in developing the alternatives 

g. Ecological and social characteristics that would provide the basis for the area’s suitability for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System

The draft environmental impact statement and draft plan are published as part of a formal comment period. Everyone can provide comments on the areas and plan components that are included in the proposed action and the alternatives as recommended wilderness, as well as the analysis and the analysis report. The Forest Service will review these comments and provide information on how comments may have changed the information presented or been included in the plan or analysis. The final environmental impact statement will include any changes that were made from the comment period.

At the end of the analysis, a decision is made on which areas, if any, to recommend to Congress for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. This decision is published in a record of decision for the plan and final environmental impact statement as a “preliminary administrative recommendation.” Plan components that guide desired conditions and management for the recommended and evaluated areas are also included in the record of decision and plan. The plan components from the signed plan will guide management of those areas until Congress makes a final decision on wilderness designation.  

After the Forest Supervisor signs the record of decision, recommended wilderness areas are not immediately designated by Congress and included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Instead, the Forest Service transmits the “preliminary administrative recommendations,” if any, to Congress. If any lands are recommended, only Congress has the authority to make final decisions on wilderness designation.  Any member of Congress may introduce wilderness designation bills, however, there is no requirement for Congress to act. It is common for wilderness designation bills to be amended or not enacted at all. For more information, see FSH 1909.12, Chapter 70, Section 74.