Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds and Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness
Sawtooth National Forest
June 2018 - August 2018
- Project Description
On August 7, 2015, President Obama signed the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act, which designated three new wilderness areas as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System: Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness, Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness, and Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness. These protected areas preserve 275,665 acres of high mountain backcountry with crystal lakes and abundant wildlife.
Project Summary
The designating legislation for these three wilderness areas required the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to develop wilderness management plans no “later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act.” Thus, the purpose of this project was to develop a wilderness management plan and associated NEPA analysis for two of the wilderness areas: the Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness and Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness.
This project also included a Forest Plan amendment that provided management direction for preserving wilderness character, developing clear wilderness management objectives, and providing opportunities for interested publics to supply input and participate in the planning process.