Wilderness Study Areas

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WSA Factsheet

The Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976 directed BLM to inventory its lands for wilderness characteristics and report its findings to the President by October 21, 1991. Wyoming BLM identified wilderness study areas (WSA) that met certain wilderness characteristics and submitted ts report to President George H. W. Bush, who then forwaded BLM's findings to Congress in 1992.

These WSAs are managed to preserve their wilderness values until Congress makes a decision to either designate the areas as wilderness or to release the areas for non-wilderness management. The Lander Field Office manages eight WSAs.

Copper Mountain

Outstanding opportunities for solitude and great scenery exist in the Copper Mountain WSA located 10 miles north of Shoshoni, Wyoming. The elevation ranges from 5,000 to 6,400 feet and the topography consists of mountainous, rocky slopes. The WSA includes sagebrush/grass, juniper, and limber pine. Mule deer and antelope inhabit the 6,858-acre WSA. This WSA was not recommended for wilderness designation.

Dubois Badlands

The Dubois Badlands WSA is two miles east of Dubois, Wyoming, and consists of 4,520 acres. Its topography includes badlands and flat-topped benches extensively eroded and separated by numerous drainages. Depending on the light, the badlands present an array of colorful strata - red, lavender, pink, cream, orange, and gray. Bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, and antelope use the area. Bald and golden eagles are also inhabitants. This WSA was not recommended for wilderness status in the 1992 report to Congress.

Sweetwater Rocks WSA Complex

The four WSAs making up the Sweetwater Rocks WSA Complex are Split Rock, Miller Springs, Lankin Dome, and Savage Peak (total acreage is 32,575). They are located from 10-31 miles east of Jeffrey City in the Sweetwater Rocks (also called the Granite Mountains). The topography of these WSAs consists of uplifted mountains of reddish granite rocks, slabs, exfoliating domes, and sagebrush flats. Pockets of limber pine, aspen, and juniper dot the rocky landscape. Bighorn sheep historically inhabited this area, but the only big game species currently in residence are elk, antelope and mule deer. Golden eagles, prairie falcons, and red-tailed hawks soar overhead. The four WSAs were not recommended suitable for wilderness status in the 1992 report to Congress.

Sweetwater Canyon

The Sweetwater River meanders for nearly seven miles through a 500-foot deep canyon in central Wyoming. Its inaccessibility means that outstanding opportunities for solitude exist in the dramatic canyon. Rainbow, brown, and brook trout inhabit the river and its tributaries, and moose, elk, mule deer, and antelope may be found in the area, depending on the time of year. Golden eagles, prairie falcons, and ferruginous and red-tailed hawks dot the skies. The river canyon offers opportunities for hiking, backpacking, fishing, hunting, nature study, and photography. Of the 9,056-acre WSA, 5,538 acres have been recommended for wilderness designation in the 1992 report to Congress.

Whiskey Mountain

The 487-acre Whiskey Mountain WSA and its surroundings are home to one of North America's largest herds of wintering bighorn sheep. Approximately five miles south of Dubois, Wyoming, the WSA is rough and mountainous with an elevation of over 8,000 feet. It is adjacent to the USDA Forest Service's Fitzpatrick Wilderness Area. This WSA was not recommended for wilderness status in the 1992 report to Congress.