ABSTRACT
When it comes to wilderness, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is "the new kid on the block." In 1976, Congress passed the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, which, among other things, put BLM in the wilderness business. The natural diversity suggests that BLM lands may make an important contribution to rounding out the National Wilderness Preservation System with ecosystems and landforms not yet represented in the system. The BLM field offices analyze the manageability off each wilderness study area and present their findings in a draft environmental impact statement, which is issued for a 90-day public comment period. The basic reference we use to analyze an area's manageability is the BLM Wilderness Management Policy. To sort out the specific needs for a given area, the BLM will prepare a "wilderness management plan" for each wilderness area. The lands under wilderness consideration there are primarily BLM wilderness study areas—slightly over 1,000,000 acres.
