Newsroom
News Release
USDA Forest Service
White Mountain National Forest
15-Nov-2006
Local Contact: Alexis Jackson 603.528.8724
2006 WILDERNESS ACT CREATES WILDRIVER WILDERNESS AND EXPANDS SANDWICH RANGE WILDERNESS
Forest Supervisor Tom Wagner said he is pleased that the additions to White Mountain National Forest Wilderness received support in both houses. "The creation of the Wild River Wilderness and the enlargement of the Sandwich Range Wilderness make great additions to the Wilderness system and is an important step in implementing our Forest Plan."
The Wild River Wilderness is approximately 23,700 acres, and the addition to the Sandwich Range is 10,800. Wagner continued, "Our recommendation to designate these lands as Wilderness was based on a careful evaluation of the inventoried roadless areas on the Forest. The recommendation was part of a delicate balance of desires and needs between many competing interests. Crafting that balance means that some of the inventoried roadless areas were recommended for Wilderness designation, many are managed as areas that emphasize dispersed recreation experiences within unroaded landscapes, and some are "zoned" to provide for a wide range of activities including motorized access, wildlife habitat creation, and timber management."
"This balanced approach to management resulted in a Forest plan that has been highly supported by the public and was not appealed. This lack of a Forest Plan appeal is almost unheard of in the agency and is a result of intense public involvement."
"We will continue working toward full implementation of the Forest Plan decisions made with our constituents."
|
