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 Wilderness is one of the six multiple uses of National Forest Lands.
The National Forest Management Act of 1976 lists Wilderness as one of
the six multiple uses for which National Forest lands are to be managed.
Furthermore, four of the five other
multiple uses (recreation, range, fish and wildlife, watershed) occur
in Wilderness. Only one - timber harvest - cannot occur in Wilderness.
Wilderness
is multiple use management in fact. These current uses of the Boulder-White
Clouds will all continue when it is designated Wilderness: hunting and
fishing, horsepacking and hiking; scientific and archaeological investigation;
commercial outfitting; access to private inholdings; treaty-guaranteed
hunting and gathering; mining on valid claims; livestock grazing; and
all non-mechanized forms of recreation. The
following can also occur in Wilderness: fire suppression; insect and disease
suppression; fish and wildlife habitat improvements (prescribed burns,
stream barrier removal, stocking lakes, etc.); trail and bridge construction;
established aircraft use; and maintenance of weather communications, or
other such facilities. If needed, motorized equipment can be used for
these activities.
Wilderness
does NOT allow road building (with rare exceptions for mining or fire suppression),
mechanized recreation, timber harvest, or new mining claims. There is
little merchantable timber in the Boulder-White Clouds. Only 25,000 acres
of the total wild area is within the Sawtooth and Challis timber base.
There are no present or planned timber sales within the boundaries the
proposed Boulder-White Cloud Wilderness although future sales could be
proposed.
LOW
TRACE USE IN PROPOSED WILDERNESS
About half the Boulder-White Cloud proposed Wilderness area lies within
the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) , administered by the Sawtooth
National Forest. The SNRA has issued regulations and suggestions to help
reduce impacts from thousands of yearly visitors to the Boulder-White
Clouds. Here is a summary of the SNRA's regulations and some additional
comments of our own.
*WELCOME TO THE BOULDER-WHITE CLOUDS
By following these regulations, you can help provide yourself and future
generations with the benefits of an enduring primitive resource.
Enjoy and keep it a wild place!
CAMPING:
Camp at least 100 feet from trails, lakes and streams. This helps reduce
erosion and protects fragile vegetation along streams
and lake shores.
LARGE GROUPS: Groups must be limited
to 20 persons and 25 head of stock. Keeping groups HALF THIS SIZE is recommended
when traveling off trail.
[Note: We recommend keeping group size much smaller, especially on extended
trips. One of the attributes of Wilderness is solitude.
Twenty people and 25 horses or mules in one area, diminishes solitude.]
FIRE: Use of backpacking stoves is
high recommended. Campfires consume wood, damage vegetation, sterilize
soil and scar the land.
BUILD CAMPFIRES only in existing fire
rings. Do not burn foil or plastic in your campfire.
CAMPFIRES ARE NOT ALLOWED within 200
yards of the following lakes: Cirque, Cove, Sapphire, Sheep, Slide, Tin
Cup, Gunsight, Four Lakes Basin, Scree, Shallow, Castle and Chamberlain
9849. Wood is limited in these high alpine, fragile areas.
REFUSE: Pack out all your trash. This
includes food scraps. Help remove evidence of people and keep the area
clean.
BURY HUMAN WASTE at least 100 feet from water sources. "Cat holes"
should be dug 6-8" deep and covered. This helps reduce the threat
of bacterial contamination. Properly dispose of toilet paper. Either carry
it out (double zip lock bag), or if you must, bury it in your
cat hole 6-8" deep.
SANITATION: Wash 150 feet away from
lakes and streams. Even "biodegradable" soap pollutes. [Do not
use soap in lakes or stream.
Fill a pot with water and go away from water sources to a rocky or gravelly
area and wash there.]
ETIQUETTE: Stay on the trail, avoid
cutting switchbacks which causes erosion. Respect the quiet that wild
country offers. Avoid shouting, music and other loud noises that disrupt
the solitude and disturb wildlife. Do not disturb natural features. Leave
them for others to enjoy.
STOCK: Groups are restricted to 25
head of stock. Stock are not to be tethered within 100 feet of lakes,
streams and springs. This helps
keep bacteria out of water sources and protect fragile lake and stream
shores. All feed must be certified noxious weed seed free.
Do not tie stock to live trees for longer than an hour. Stock ties are
provided in some areas - use them!
KEEP MOTORIZED & MECHANIZED BIKES
on trails designated by Forest Service travel maps. Respect the solitude
and primitive experience that others are seeking. [NOTE: motor bikes and
mountain bikes are NOT allowed in designated Wilderness areas.]
EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER CHALLENGES and
risks of changing weather, rugged geography and other unexpected situations.
BE PREPARED!
*SOURCE: Sawtooth National Recreation
Area, Ketchum, Idaho. The SNRA welcomes your suggestions and comments.
The SNRA's phone is 208/727-5000. Boulder-White Clouds Council also welcomes
your suggestions and comments (e-mail them to us) and will post them on
this web site.
MORE TIPS
*WITHOUT A TRACE WILDERNESS USE: A PERSONAL ANSWER TO THE WILDERNESS
CHALLENGE
In years past, we used to speak of wilderness survival as the ability
of man to survive the wilderness.
Now we speak of wilderness survival as the land's capability of surviving
man. What can we do to protect the Wilderness?
As you pass, will the wilderness remain as it was? Will you make the No-Trace
Ethic your personal challenge?
A personal answer to the wilderness challenge.
I WILL PLAN AHEAD TO AVOID IMPACT
• Avoid holidays and weekends
• Travel and camp in small family-sized groups
• Carry Horse feed, picket ropes and hobbles
• Repackage food to reduce containers
• Take a litterbag to carry out all refuse
• Carry a stove and foods requiring little cooking
• Buy only gear in subdued forest colors
• Check with Ranger Station for low-use areas
• TRAVEL TO AVOID IMPACTS
• Walk single file in the center of a trail
• Stay on main trail even when wet or snow covered
• Never short cut switchbacks
• Travel cross country only on rocky or timbered areas
• Look at and photograph, never pick or collect
• Avoid popular areas
• MADE NO TRACE CAMPS
• Seek ridgetop or timbered campsites
• Choose well-drained, rocky or sandy campsites
• Never cut standing trees
• Avoid leveling or digging hip holes and trenches
• Make only small campfires in safe areas
• Carry small firewood from timbered areas outside camp
• Make camp 200 feet away from shore areas
I WILL
• Wash 100 feet away from water sources
• Rotate horses through grazing area
• Avoid even temporary typing of horses to small trees
• Stay as quiet as possible and enjoy the quietness
• Leave radios and tape players at home
• Leave my dog at home [or keep it under control at all times]
• LEAVE A NO TRACE CAMPSITE
• Pick up every trace of litter
• Erase all signs of fire
• Scatter horse manure, fill in pawed holes
• Replace rocks and logs where they were
• Pack out litter, mine and theirs
• Report significant information to the Forest Servce
• Look for signs of my passing. Did I leave any traces?
*U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Ogden
Utah. U.S. Government Printing Office 1080-0-679-740. Original document
prepared by the Pacific Northwest Region.
FURTHER READING: An excellent book "
Soft Paths", explains how to enjoy the wilderness without harming
it. "Soft Paths" is written by Bruce Hampton and David Coles
of The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and published by Stackpole
Books (1-800-READ NOW).
Return to About Wilderness.
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