The principle source of adverse impacts to geothermal exploration and development result from applying restrictions (i.e., managing these areas as administratively unavailable or applying NSO or CSU stipulations) on areas with development potential; managing these areas as open to geothermal leasing with standard restrictions would generally result in beneficial impacts. Geothermal resources in the Planning Area are classified as moderately low to negligible and, since none of these resources are capable of generating electricity, restrictions on geothermal exploration and development are anticipated to result in minimal impacts under all alternatives. Alternative B would result in the greatest potential for adverse impacts to geothermal exploration and development as it contains the largest area administratively unavailable to geothermal leasing (2,493,630 acres), followed by Alternative D (324,737 acres), Alternative A (154,861 acres), and Alternative C (147,760 acres). Alternatives B and D place additional restrictions on the geothermal development around the Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, the only area of moderately low geothermal resources in the Planning Area; though these restriction would prevent commercial development, these alternatives would provide the greatest protection to the current public uses of these thermal springs.