2.3.15.3. Management Actions

WC-7. Lands allocated to maintain wilderness characteristics are managed to protect primitive qualities. The management actions are designed to:

maintain low interaction among users away from designated routes, and
provide opportunities for experiencing isolation from the sights and sounds of other humans.

WC-8. Lands allocated to maintain wilderness characteristics will be managed to have limited evidence of human-induced management restrictions and controls. Visitors are encouraged to practice Leave No Trace skills to avoid human-induced impacts.

WC-9. In accordance with travel management planning and implementation, vehicle routes will be mitigated to resolve conflicts with cultural, biological, or other resources to achieve DFC objectives (which may allow for motorized access in these areas). Mitigation measures may include the following:

engineering to reduce conflicts,
limiting seasons of use, vehicle type, vehicle speed, or vehicle numbers, and
closing routes.

WC-10. BLM will consider building new routes only as a mitigation measure for route and resource conflicts or where necessary to meet approved administrative actions.

WC-11. The use of wheeled game carriers is allowed away from designated routes.

WC-12. Sites and areas affected by human activities will be reclaimed when such locales or sites are no longer needed by authorized land uses.

WC-13. Commercial recreation and vending operations, guided hunt and associated activities, and concession leases are allowed when such activities conform to to the following:

desired recreation settings,
VRM Class II objectives, and
other social and managerial settings.

WC-14. Discretionary surface-disturbing activities that involve excavations or the use of motorized or mechanized equipment and are not compatible with achieving the DFC or specifically approved are prohibited.

WC-15. Arizona Game and Fish Department ( AGFD ) use of motorized and mechanized equipment off designated routes is considered an administrative use and will be allowed in suitable locations (as agreed to by BLM and AGFD ) for such purposes including, but not limited to the following:

water supplementation,
collar retrieval,
capture and release of wildlife, and
maintenance, repair, and building or rebuilding of wildlife waters.

WC-16. Non-motorized access in areas managed for wilderness characteristics may include developing some trails, or simply marking foot routes with posts for minimal disturbance of the ground surface. Installing trails may be considered, where needed; to protect resources, to ensure public safety, or to advance public education and interpretation of objectives.