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Wilderness
Congress established the National Wilderness Preservation System to ensure that an increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization, would not occupy and modify all areas of the United States. The Wilderness Act of 1964 defines wilderness character and specifies the uses of Wilderness and the activities allowed or prohibited within its boundaries. In general, wilderness areas offer a contrast with lands where human activities dominate the landscape. Only Congress, with presidential approval, may designate lands as Wilderness. Section 603 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) makes the BLM a full partner in the National Wilderness Preservation System, along with the other Federal resource management agencies. The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11) designated 518,000 acres of public lands in Owyhee County in southwestern Idaho as Wilderness and released 199,000 other acres in Owyhee County previously classified as wilderness study areas (WSAs) to be managed for multiple use under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). Wilderness designated in Title I - Subtitle F of the Act (Owyhee Public Land Management) is located in two BLM Field Offices, Bruneau and Owyhee, with some acreage in the Jarbidge Field Office also affected. The BLM is currently preparing a Wilderness and Wild & Scenic River Management Plan (WMP) for these wilderness areas and the Wild & Scenic River segments designated in the Act. A separate travel management plan in being developed for routes in Owyhee County outside of designated Wilderness.
Wilderness FAQs | Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness Plan BLM Field Offices managing Wilderness: Bruneau | Owyhee | Jarbidge
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