APPENDIX H 

POTENTIAL WILDERNESS INVENTORY 

 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-1 

APPENDIX H 

INVENTORY OF POTENTIAL WILDERNESS AREAS and 

IDENTIFICATION OF OTHER UNDEVELOPED LANDS 

BACKGROUND

This document describes the process and rationale used to inventory for and identify potential wilderness 

areas within the South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project, Pomeroy Ranger District, 

Umatilla National Forest. The inventory is based on, and consistent with criteria found at Forest Service 

Handbook (FSH) 1909.12 Ch. 71. 

Each step of the inventory process is visually documented as a map (see map discussion below). These 

maps are displayed in this appendix. The Forest Service used professional judgment and local knowledge 

regarding unique, site-specific conditions of each area being considered for placement in the inventory of 

potential wilderness areas. 

Potential Wilderness Areas (PWA): Areas of potential wilderness identified using inventory 

procedures found in Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 1909.12 Chapter 71 are called potential 

wilderness areas. The inventory is conducted with the express purpose of identifying all lands 

that meet the criteria for being evaluated for wilderness suitability. 

Potential wilderness areas are not a land designation decision, they do not imply or impart any 

particular level of management direction or protection, they are not an evaluation of potential 

wilderness (FSH 1909.12, Chapter 72), and lastly they are not preliminary administrative 

recommendations for wilderness designation (FSH 1909.12, Chapter 73). The inventory of 

potential wilderness areas does not change the administrative boundary of any inventoried 

roadless areas (IRAs), any congressionally established wilderness, or any forest plan management 

areas. 

Typically, PWAs substantially overlap and/or are contiguous with inventoried roadless areas. 

PWAs may also be contiguous with designated wilderness. Some newly inventoried PWAs may 

be stand alone areas that were not identified as ‘roadless areas’ in Appendix C of the 1990 

Umatilla Forest Plan and ‘inventoried roadless areas’ as identified in a set of maps in the 2001 

Roadless Area Conservation Rule (RACR). PWAs overlap inventoried roadless areas only where 

those acres of land are consistent with the inventory criteria (FSH 1909.12 Chapter 71) and may 

extend beyond IRA and wilderness boundaries consistent with inventory criteria. 

METHODOLOGY:

The inventory process was conducted through a sequence of GIS analyses and application of professional 

judgment. The judgment applied was situational and instance by instance. 

Each map (Maps H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4, and H-5) in this appendix documents the outcome of the application 

of specific inventory criteria. Inventory criteria were applied in a different order than appears in Chapter 

71 but all criteria were considered and accounted for as described below under the Map H2 – H-5 

headings. Table H-1B was used to account for and display all polygons as described in Map H-4. Table 

H-1C shows the Forest Service’s consideration of the four largest polygons in relation to potential 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-2 

wilderness inventory criteria. Map H-0 is a summary map that depicts all five maps to aid the reader’s 

understanding of this inventory process. 

Examples of typical situations that required applications of professional judgment included, but are not 

limited to: 

1. placement of PWA boundaries along permanent natural or semi-permanent human-made features 

such as ridges, streams, topographic breaks, past harvest, or forest roads to facilitate easy on the 

ground identification; (See map H-5A. The Forest Service took a hard look at how polygon 1 would 

be affected); 

2. whether to proceed through an isthmus (or pinch point) created between two roads or two harvest 

areas or place a PWA boundary across the isthmus; and 

3. whether to locate a PWA boundary around a peninsula or place the boundary through the peninsula. 

The scope of this potential wilderness inventory included all acres contained within the project planning 

area boundary. 

Map by Map Descriptions:

Table H-1A below is a summary of acres in the inventory process. 

Table H-1A Potential Wilderness Area Inventory Summary 

Approximate Acres 

Total Acres Inventoried 21,000 

Acres Removed from inventory (past harvest) 

Map H-2 

6,890* 

Acres removed from inventory (300 feet each side of roads) 

Map H-3 

4,925* 

Acres identified as Other Undeveloped Lands 

Map H-4 

8,875** 

Acres of Potential Wilderness Areas identified 

within the project planning area 

Map H-5 

0 - None 

*Acres that overlapped were not considered in this figure. 

** This number does not include polygons less than one acre in size.

Map H 

Map displays South George project planning area, in context with Umatilla and other nearby National 

Forests, Inventoried Roadless Areas, and designated Wilderness areas. 

Map H-0 

Map H-0 is a summary map that displays all five maps described below. 

Map H-1 

Map H-1 displays South George project planning area, forest roads, and Asotin Creek and Wenatchee 

Creek inventoried roadless areas (IRAs). Asotin Creek and Wenatchee Creek IRAs are outside the 

project planning area and separated by forest roads (FR) 4400 and FR 4300 and FR 4304. No project 

activities are proposed in the IRAs. South George project planning area is approximately 21,000 acres. 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-3 

Map H-1A 

Map H-1A is a NAIP09 imagery photo representation of Map H-1. 

Map H-2 

Map H-2 displays South George project planning area, forest roads, past harvest, and Asotin Creek and 

Wenatchee Creek IRAs. The entire planning area was overlain with Pomeroy district's GIS harvest layer 

which displays locations of timber harvest over the past 60 years. Past timber harvest included clear-cuts 

to thinning units. The past timber harvest layer also includes lands where local knowledge and field visits 

were utilized to verify past timber harvest (notes from field verification) can be found in the South 

George project record. In all cases, past timber harvest resulted in features such as stumps, skid trails etc. 

which are evident; therefore, all acres (approximately 6,890 acres) depicted in the map do not meet FSH 

1909.12 Ch 71.11(9) inventory criteria and will be removed from the inventory in Map H-3. 

Map H-2A 

Map H-2A is a NAIP09 imagery photo representation of Map H-2. 

Map H-3 

Map H-3 displays South George project planning area, forest roads, acres with evidence of recognizable 

stumps, skid trails, uneven canopy closure, and Asotin Creek and Wenatchee Creek IRAs. The entire 

project planning area was overlain with Pomeroy district's GIS forest roads layer. Forest roads have 

associated permitted uses (danger tree removal) and maintenance. Road maintenance and many permitted 

uses have removed trees and created visible stumps in the corridor. These activities are expected to 

continue into the future. 

During initial road construction trees were felled within a clearing limit to provide for safe and efficient 

construction and future operational safety of road users. Clearing distances away from the edge of a road 

varied by many factors including tree height, topographic slope, and other factors. Past clearing of trees 

along forest roads created stumps that are evident and recognizable. 

Road maintenance occurs to varying degrees along each road according to an assigned maintenance level 

and available funding. Road maintenance includes the periodic clearing of brush and the falling of danger 

trees that present a hazard to forest visitors, employees, and contractors as defined by the Region 6 

Danger Tree Policy (2008). The distance of the hazard removal away from a road varies by tree height, 

topographic slope, and other factors. Past removal of danger trees along forest roads created stumps that 

are evident and recognizable. 

Harvest of trees for personal-use firewood is permitted within 300 feet of open forest roads consistent 

with project NEPA decisions and travel and access management plan decisions. Past firewood gathering 

along open forest roads created stumps that are evident and recognizable.

We recognize stumps are not present along every mile of forest road; for example roads adjacent to a 

meadow, talus, or a lake. The judgment we applied in setting a PWA boundary balanced inventory 

criteria regarding excluding past harvest and facilitating easy on-the-ground identification. 

Based on local knowledge, and professional judgment regarding the evidence of recognizable stumps, 

skid trails, etc. which occur to varying degrees adjacent to forest roads (as described above) and to 

facilitate easy on-the-ground identification of a uniform, measurable boundary along a semi-permanent, 

human-made feature; the boundary was set as 300 feet each side of the forest road. 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-4 

This boundary is fully consistent with and supported by the following inventory criteria. 

• FSH 1909.12 at 71.1(3); potential wilderness areas do not contain forest roads therefore all acres 

that are a forest road will be removed from the inventory in Map H-4. 

• FSH 1909.12 at 71.1(9); acres with evidence of past logging and roads will be removed from the 

inventory in Map H-4. 

• FSH 1909.12, at 71; locate potential wilderness area boundaries at semi-permanent, human-made 

features to facilitate easy on-the-ground identification of a boundary. 

Therefore, highlighted acres along forest roads (approximately 4,925 acres) in Map H-3 will be removed 

from the inventory in Map H-4. 

Map H-3A 

Map H-3A is a NAIP09 imagery photo representation of Map H-3. 

Map H-4 

Map H-4 displays South George project planning area, forest roads, acres that do not contain evidence of 

past harvest or forest roads, and Asotin Creek and Wenatchee Creek IRAs. Approximately one hundred 

and four (104) individual polygons were evaluated. Thirty-three (33) individual polygons less than 1 acre 

in size were eliminated from further study. The removal of these polygons resulted in seventy one (71) 

individual polygons, ranging in size from 1 acre to approximately 4,440 acres, covering approximately 

8,785 acres being evaluated. 

Map 4 displays 71 polygons, each with its own unique, numeric identifier. These polygons do not have 

substantially recognizable stumps, do not contain forest roads, and each polygon boundary is greater than 

or equal to 300 feet from a forest road. 

All of the 71 polygons are not contiguous with inventoried roadless areas due to the presence of main 

access forest system roads (FRs 4400, 4300, and 4304) and or past timber harvest activity. All 71 

individual polygons are part of a larger ecosystem and none are separate, self-contained ecosystems, such 

as found on an island surrounded by water. None of the 71 polygons can be separately preserved due to a 

physical terrain or a natural condition in part because of their small size and in part because they are each 

part of a larger, overall continuous ecosystem condition distributed throughout and beyond the project 

area (see Table H-1B). Based on the discussion above, local knowledge, and professional judgment none 

of these individual polygons met inventory criteria at 71.1 2a, 2b, or 2c, and therefore will not be brought 

forward as potential wilderness areas (PWAs). 

An outcome of the PWA inventory process was the identification of isolated polygons of other 

undeveloped lands (Table H-1B). These 71 polygons are other undeveloped lands. These 71 polygons 

did not meet inventory criteria as PWAs, and they are not inventoried roadless areas or a designated 

wilderness area. Each individual polygon of isolated land has no history of harvest activity and does not 

contain forest roads. They are stand-alone polygons of varying acreages all less than or equal to 4,999 

acres within the project planning area. Other undeveloped lands will be brought forward and displayed in 

Map H-5. 

Map H-4A 

Map H-4A is NAIP09 imagery photo representation of Map H-4. 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-5 

Map H-5 

Map H-5 displays the Forest Service’s completed inventory of PWAs within South George project 

planning area. There are no areas that meet the inventory criteria as PWAs. Map H-5 also displays 71 

polygons of other undeveloped lands within South George project planning area. These approximate 

8,785 acres of land have no history of harvest activity, do not contain forest roads1 and are not designated 

as a wilderness area or inventoried as a PWA. 

The only areas showing as PWAs are the Asotin Creek and Wenatchee Creek IRAs which are separated 

from South George project planning area by existing forest system roads. As mention in previously, 

typically PWAs substantially overlap and or are contiguous with IRAs and can be considered an 

IRA/PWA (Chapter 3, p. 3-178). A PWA inventory was not done for Asotin Creek and Wenatchee Creek 

IRAs because South George project planning area in not contiguous to these areas and no activities would 

occur in either IRA. 

The remaining acres of land (approximately 11,815 acres) within South George project planning area 

displayed in Map 5, are essentially developed because they contain forest roads or have evidence of past 

timber harvest 

Map H-5A 

Map H-5A is NAIP09 imagery photo representation showing Forest Service consideration of placement 

of PWA boundaries along permanent natural or semi-permanent human-made features such as ridges, 

streams, topographic breaks, past harvest, or forest roads to facilitate easy on the ground identification for 

polygon 1 the largest polygon. 

Maps H-6, H-7, and H-8 

Maps display interaction between Other Undeveloped Lands and activities in Alternatives B, C and D. 

 

1

 Forest Road – A road wholly or partly within or adjacent to and serving the National Forest System that the Forest 

Service determines is necessary for the protection, administration, and utilization of the National Forest system and 

the use and development of resources. Road – A motor vehicle route over 50 inches wide, unless identified and 

managed as a trail (36 CFR § 212.1). 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-6 

Table H-1B: South George Potential Wilderness Inventory 

The following inventory for the South George project planning area was created using the inventory criteria found in 

Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 1909.12 Chapter 71.1. Each polygon from Map H-4 (described above) was examined 

against the following criteria from FSH 1909.12 Chapter 71.1:

(1) Area is more than 5,000 acres in size

(2) Area contains less than 5,000 acres, but can meet one or more of the following criteria:

2a. Area can be preserved due to physical terrain and natural conditions.

2b. Areas are self-contained ecosystems, such as an island, that can be effectively managed as a separate 

unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

2c. Areas are contiguous to existing wilderness, primitive areas, Administration-endorsed wilderness, or 

potential wilderness in other Federal ownership, regardless of their size. 

The Forest Service relied on local knowledge and judgment regarding unique, site specific conditions of each area being 

considered for placement on the inventory of potential wilderness. Delineation of areas for potential wilderness 

inventory; locate boundaries at prominent natural or semi-permanent human-made features to facilitate easy on-theground identification. 

Note 1: The following narrative is a comment that applies to each of the 71 polygons in Table H-1B. ‘This individual 

polygon displayed on Map H-4 is part of a larger ecosystem and is not a separate, self-contained ecosystem, such as 

found on an island surrounded by water. This polygon cannot be separately preserved due to a physical terrain or a 

natural condition because of the small size and shape of this polygon in relation to the setting of its physical terrain. 

While there are no roads or past timber harvest in this polygon, this condition alone is not a sole indication of a natural 

condition. For example, policies over the past 50 years have excluded fire disturbance from much of the area surrounding 

this polygon creating a context of uncharacteristic or un-natural conditions. In addition this polygon is part of a larger, 

overall continuous ecosystem condition distributed throughout and beyond the project area. This isolated, individual 

polygon cannot be effectively managed as a separate unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Polygon ID Sum of Acres 

FSH 

1909.12 

71.1 (1) 

FSH 

1909.12 

71.1 (2a.) 

FSH 

1909.12 

71.1 (2b.) 

FSH 1909.12 

71.1 (2c.) 

Comments 

Note 1 above 

applies to all 71 

polygons in 

Table H-1B

1 4,440 No No No No See Comments in 

Table H-1C 

2 995 No No No No See Comments in 

Table H-1C 

3 1,115 No No No No See Comments in 

Table H-1C 

4 1,055 No No No No See Comments in 

Table H-1C 

5 161 No No No No 

6 129 No No No No 

7 109 No No No No 

8 98 No No No No 

9 83 No No No No 

10 75 No No No No 

11 54 No No No No 

12 35 No No No No 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-7 

Polygon ID Sum of Acres 

FSH 

1909.12 

71.1 (1) 

FSH 

1909.12 

71.1 (2a.) 

FSH 

1909.12 

71.1 (2b.) 

FSH 1909.12 

71.1 (2c.) 

Comments 

Note 1 above 

applies to all 71 

polygons in 

Table H-1B

13 35 No No No No 

14 28 No No No No 

15 28 No No No No 

16 25 No No No No 

17 21 No No No No 

18 20 No No No No 

19 19 No No No No 

20 16 No No No No 

21 15 No No No No 

22 15 No No No No 

23 14 No No No No 

24 12 No No No No 

25 11 No No No No 

26 10 No No No No 

27 10 No No No No 

28 9 No No No No 

29 8 No No No No 

30 8 No No No No 

31 7 No No No No 

32 7 No No No No 

33 6 No No No No 

34 6 No No No No 

35 6 No No No No 

36 5 No No No No 

37 5 No No No No 

38 5 No No No No 

39 5 No No No No 

40 5 No No No No 

41 4 No No No No 

42 4 No No No No 

43 4 No No No No 

44 4 No No No No 

45 4 No No No No 

46 4 No No No No 

47 4 No No No No 

48 3 No No No No 

49 3 No No No No 

50 3 No No No No 

51 3 No No No No 

52 3 No No No No 

53 3 No No No No 

54 3 No No No No 

55 3 No No No No 

56 3 No No No No 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-8 

Polygon ID Sum of Acres 

FSH 

1909.12 

71.1 (1) 

FSH 

1909.12 

71.1 (2a.) 

FSH 

1909.12 

71.1 (2b.) 

FSH 1909.12 

71.1 (2c.) 

Comments 

Note 1 above 

applies to all 71 

polygons in 

Table H-1B

57 3 No No No No 

58 3 No No No No 

59 2 No No No No 

60 2 No No No No 

61 2 No No No No 

62 2 No No No No 

63 2 No No No No 

64 2 No No No No 

65 2 No No No No 

66 1 No No No No 

67 1 No No No No 

68 1 No No No No 

69 1 No No No No 

70 1 No No No No 

71 1 No No No No 

Grand Total 8,785 

INVENTORY RESULTS:

In summary there are no areas within the project planning area that meet the inventory criteria as potential 

wilderness areas as displayed in Map H-5. 

CONSIDERATION OF FOUR LARGEST POLYGONS:

The following four polygons of undeveloped lands were analyzed in more detail because of their size. 

Other remaining polygons of undeveloped lands were smaller in size (about 160 acres or less). 

Table H-1C reflects the result of the review. 

Table H-1C – Consideration of Four Largest Polygons of Other Undeveloped Lands 

PWA Inventory 

Criteria

Polygon 1 

Approx. 

4,440 acres 

Polygon 2 

Approx. 

995 acres 

Polygon 3 

Approx. 

1,115 acres 

Polygon 4 

Approx. 

1,055 acres 

FSH 1909.12 71.1 (1)

Areas contain 5,000 

acres or more 

No No No No 

FSH 1909.12 71.1 

(2a.) 

Areas contain less 

than 5,000 acres but, 

can be preserved due 

to physical terrain 

and natural conditions

The majority of acres are in 

FP management area 

allocations C4 and C3A. 

The goal and desired future 

condition for both MAs is 

to provide high levels of 

habitat effectiveness for big 

game and other wildlife. 

Prescribed fire alone 

without management of 

Size and shape of 

polygon prohibits 

preserving it due to 

physical terrain and 

natural conditions. 

It is located in FP 

management area 

allocations C3 and 

C3A. The goal and 

Same as 

Polygon 2 

(size and shape 

of polygon and 

majority of 

acres are in MA 

C4) 

Same as 

Polygon 2 

(size and 

shape of 

polygon and 

majority of 

acres are in 

MA C4) 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-9 

PWA Inventory 

Criteria

Polygon 1 

Approx. 

4,440 acres 

Polygon 2 

Approx. 

995 acres 

Polygon 3 

Approx. 

1,115 acres 

Polygon 4 

Approx. 

1,055 acres 

vegetation would not 

maintain or enhance big 

game or other wildlife 

habitat. If added to the 

PWA inventory future 

options for big game and 

wildlife habitat would be 

limited and eventually in 

the long-term have a 

negative impact on 

wildlife. 

Proximity of existing road 

systems adjacent to the 

polygon with ongoing 

activity, adjacent private 

land and associated 

activities, and the size of 

the polygon itself would 

preclude a primitive 

wilderness experience. 

Adjacent private land 

(Cloverland area) on the 

western boundary is being 

parceled off in 5-acre 

sections for development. 

Past history and ongoing 

experience is that some 

private landowners enter 

onto National Forest land 

from their adjacent 

property on ATVs, and 

snowmobiles regardless of 

whether the Forest Service 

land is open to that use. It 

would not be possible to 

monitor this boundary area 

at all times. 

desired future 

condition for these 

MAs is to provide 

high levels of habitat 

effectiveness for big 

game. Prescribed fire 

alone without 

management of 

vegetation would not 

maintain or enhance 

big game habitat. If 

added to PWA 

inventory future 

options for wildlife 

habitat would be 

limited and 

eventually in the 

long-term have a 

negative impact on 

wildlife. 

Cook Ridge Pond is 

located within this 

polygon and is used 

for the grazing 

allotment. 

FSH 1909.12 71.1 

(2b.) 

Areas contain less 

than 5,000 acres but, 

are self-contained 

ecosystems, such as 

an island, that can be 

effectively managed 

as a separate unit on 

the National 

Wilderness 

No 

It is part of a larger overall 

contiguous ecosystem 

condition distributed 

throughout and beyond the 

project planning area. 

No 

Same as 1 

No 

Same as 1 

No 

Same as 1 
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - DEIS 

H-10 

PWA Inventory 

Criteria

Polygon 1 

Approx. 

4,440 acres 

Polygon 2 

Approx. 

995 acres 

Polygon 3 

Approx. 

1,115 acres 

Polygon 4 

Approx. 

1,055 acres 

Preservation System 

FSH 1909.12 71.1 

(2c.) 

Areas contain less 

than 5,000 acres but, 

are contiguous to 

existing wilderness, 

primitive areas, 

Administrationendorsed wilderness, 

or potential 

wilderness in other 

Federal ownership, 

regardless of their 

size 

No No No No 

FSH 1909.12 71.1 (3)

Areas do not contain 

forest roads (36 CFR 

212.1) or other 

permanent authorized 

roads, except as 

permitted in areas 

east of the 100th 

meridian. 

No roads No roads No roads No roads