Lands with Wilderness Characteristics 

San Juan Islands National Monument RMP 

Lands with Wilderness Characteristics and the Planning Process 

While the San Juan Islands National Monument does not include any Congressionally designated wilderness, it 

does include 260 acres of lands that have been identified as possessing wilderness characteristics. These lands are 

roadless islands that possess naturalness and outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined 

recreation. 

Through the planning process, the BLM will determine how and whether to protect the monument’s wilderness 

characteristics over the next 15 to 20 years. This would include exploring any potential trade-offs between short-term 

impacts on wilderness characteristics and management that might restore or enhance the values identified in the 

 

proclamation. (More information on reverse side.) 

Preliminary Planning Issues 

•	Where within the monument should the BLM protect identified lands with wilderness

characteristics? 

•	How should the BLM manage identified lands with wilderness characteristics for the

next 15 to 20 years? 

What is THE San Juan Islands National Monument RMP? 

The Bureau of Land Management is developing a Resource Management Plan (RMP) 

for the San Juan Islands National Monument which will guide the management of these 

spectacular lands in a manner that ensures the protection of their remarkable cultural, 

historic, and ecological values for the benefit of generations of Americans to come. 

news & updates 

Scan our QR Code or visit us at: 

www.blm.gov/SanJuanIslandsNM/RMP 

Or send us an email to: 

blm_or_sanjuanislandsnm@blm.gov 

San Juan Islands National Monument 

BLM, Lopez Island Office 

P.O. Box 3 

Lopez, WA 98261 

mdechade@blm.gov 

Contact us 
Lands with Wilderness Characteristics and the San Juan Islands 

Wilderness Characteristic Inventories (WCI) will be reviewed and updated, as needed, as a component of Resource 

Management Planning (RMP) for the San Juan Islands National Monument. Regardless of the past inventory, the 

BLM must maintain, as necessary, its inventory of wilderness resources on public lands. The BLM must determine 

whether its wilderness characteristics inventory requires updating when it is undertaking a land use plan or plan 

revision process. The last WCI for the San Juan Archipelago was completed in 2009/2010 prior to the designation 

of the San Juan Islands National Monument. 

The BLM released Manual 6310 - Conducting Wilderness Characteristics Inventory on BLM Lands - in March 

2012. This manual updates policy, direction, general procedures, and guidance for conducting wilderness 

characteristics inventories under Section 201 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. However, 

the overall process and specific criteria were unchanged by the new manual direction and, therefore, do not 

automatically require new inventories. 

Wilderness Characteristics Inventory Process: 

The BLM may conduct the inventory using available information (e.g. maps, photos, records related to projects, 

monitoring data, etc.) and field check the information as necessary. In maintaining its inventory, the BLM uses 

the same criteria from Section 2(c) of the Wilderness Act to determine the presence of wilderness characteristics, 

namely: 

Size: The roadless area has at least 5,000 acres of contiguous public lands or is of sufficient size as to make 

practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition. Areas under 5,000 acres in size must meet one of 

the size exceptions described in the 6310 Manual, including an exception for roadless islands of public land, which 

have no minimum size requirement. 

Naturalness: The area generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with any human 

imprints being substantially unnoticeable. 

Outstanding Opportunities: The area provides outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and 

unconfined type of recreation. 

Supplemental Values: The area may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, 

educational, scenic, or historical value. 

How Does the Proclamation Address this Resource or Use? 

The proclamation does not directly address lands with wilderness characteristics. It is likely, however, that 

management that protects and restores the values identified in the proclamation will often be compatible with the 

protection of wilderness characteristics. In some cases, there may be decisions involving short-term and long-term 

impacts to wilderness characteristics related to restoration or invasive species treatments. 

How Does this Resource or Use Fit Into the Planning Process? 

Through the planning effort, the BLM will determine how the identified lands with wilderness characteristics will 

be managed for the next 15 to 20 years. It will also document any impacts to lands with wilderness characteristics 

that would be caused by any of the range of management approaches it considers in the planning process.