Wilderness Study Areas

In 2009, Congress designated as Wilderness more than 323,000 acres of public lands in Owhyee County.  Certain lands from 2 former wilderness study areas portions of which lay in the Jarbidge Field Office are now part of the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness.

Portions of the Bruneau River-Sheep Creek WSA and the Jarbidge River WSA not designated Wilderness were released for multiple use under the Jarbidge Resource Management Plan.  The BLM is developing specific plans for managing the newly designated Wilderness areas, according to the Wilderness Act of 1972.

Lands on the east side of the Bruneau and Jarbidge Rivers released from WSA status are now managed under the Jarbidge Resource Management Plan.