Wilderness Study Areas

Section 603 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) establishes the BLM's role as a full partner in the National Wilderness Preservation System established by the Wilderness Act of 1964.  FLPMA directs the BLM to, first, inventory areas on public lands with wilderness characteristics, the criteria for which are set forth in the Wilderness Act:

♦  sufficient size, and  
♦  naturalness, and
♦  outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive & unconfined recreation.

Areas of BLM-managed public land with these characteristics are known as wilderness study areas (WSAs).  This inventory was completed in 1980, with identification of more than 800 WSAs nationwide.  The Idaho wilderness inventory was published in November, 1980.

The second step in the process was to study the WSAs and make a recommendation to the President on the suitability or non-suitability of each for preservation as Wilderness.  The BLM began these studies in 1980.  The Idaho Wilderness Study Report was completed in 1991, along with studies in other states with BLM-managed lands.  President George H.W. Bush submitted the state-by-state recommendations to Congress between July 1991 and January 1993.

648,515 acres of BLM-managed lands in Idaho are currently in WSA status.  They range in size from 40 acres (Worm Creek, near Soda Springs) to 66,200 acres (Hell's Half-Acre, near Idaho Falls).  More than 517,000 acres of lands inventoried as WSAs are now Wilderness, while another 225,700 acres formerly managed as WSAs have been released for multiple use.

Until Congress acts to either designate a WSA as Wilderness or release a WSA for multiple use, the BLM manages each WSA "in a manner so as not to impair the suitability of such areas for preservation as wilderness" (Section 603(c), FLPMA). 

The BLM manages WSAs to meet this "non-impairment standard" using its Interim Policy for Lands Under Wilderness Review.  Under the policy, most uses that could impact the wilderness qualities of WSAs are restricted.

For example, travel by off-highway vehicle (OHV) is limited to designated routes (no motorized cross-country travel is allowed in WSAs), but lands in WSAs are available for a variety of other recreation activities, such as hiking and hunting (as licensed and permitted under state hunting regulations). 

Remoteness is a characteristic of all WSAs, so it’s a good idea to contact the local BLM field office for information about access, resources and management before you visit. 

Field Office WSA pages:  Challis | Shoshone | Pocatello | Jarbidge | Salmon | Upper Snake | Burley | Four Rivers | Cottonwood | Coeur d'Alene