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Bureau of Land Management Wilderness and Watershed Policy
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) is the Bureau of
Land Managements (BLM) “organic” act (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). The BLM was
established in 1946 through the consolidation of the General Land Office and the Grazing
Service to protect, enhance and restore the environment. The priority of the agency is
“… improve the health and productivity of the land to support the BLM multiple-use
mission…” As with other federal land management agencies, water and soil resources
form the foundation of the BLM mission. Regulations for the BLM are found in
Title 43 Public Land: Interior, Subtitle B Regulations related to Public Lands, Chapter II:
Bureau of Land Management (Published in 2000).
o Subchapter B: Land Resources Management (2000) ties water and soil
resources to Land Use Plans
o Subchapter F: Preservation and Conservation (6000) pertains to
Wilderness Management (6300).
o BLM Manual 1600 provides direction for watershed resources in land
management plans.
o BLM Handbook H-1790-1 NEPA discusses vegetation management
standards related to wilderness.
Bureau of Land Management Wilderness and Watershed Policy is found in Manual
Section 8560 Management of Wilderness Areas (4/27/83). Section .11 describes the
preservation of wilderness character:
“ 3. The BLM will keep watersheds, water bodies, water quality, and soils in a natural
condition and will allow associated ecological processes previously altered by human
influences to return to their natural condition.”
Specific references to soil and water resources in wilderness are found in Section .36
Water Resource and Air Quality:
“ 3. Maintaining or enhancing water quality is of high priority in managing of the
wilderness resource. Water quality monitoring instruments and hydrometeorological
devices may be permitted if these are the minimum necessary for protection of the
wilderness resource. All instruments and devices must be miniaturized and unobtrusive.
No motorized vehicles are permitted for installation, maintenance, or monitoring and
surveillance”.
Wilderness Restoration is found in Section .11, Subsection A:
“1. When Restoration Is Allowed. Watershed restoration may be undertaken where
deteriorated soil and hydrologic conditions caused by human beings or human influences
create a serious threat or loss of wilderness values; or where, even though not humancaused, these conditions present a definite hazard to life or property, or where such
conditions could cause serious depreciation of important environmental quality outside
the wilderness. Where such dangers are not imminent or where natural vegetation may
be expected to return in a reasonable time, restoration work is not done.” And
“2. Vegetation Re-Establishment. Re-establishment of vegetation as a watershedrestoration measure, where there is no reasonable expectation of natural healing, will be
accomplished using native or naturalized species. Overland motorized equipment will
not be used where more primitive equipment can accomplish the restoration objectives.
Exceptions must be fully justified, based upon serious imminent threat to high
downstream values. Approval by the Director is required for all watershed restoration
proposals“.
Manual Section 8560 also provides direction for Rangeland Management, Section .37
and Minerals Management, Section .38.