Navigate this page
Bureau of Land Management | Forest Service
Fish & Wildlife Service | Park Service | Interagency
Bureau of Land Management documents
Department of Interior's wilderness-management directives in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This link takes you to the government's website where you will find “CFR, Part 6300—Management of Designated Wilderness Areas.” It is nicely indexed so you can find specific rules quickly.
Management of Designated Wilderness Areas (Public) [BLM Manual 6340]; (PDF)
BLM's 2012 revised guidelines to managing wilderness on BLM-managed lands. [Replaces Manual section 8560 and Handbook section H-8560-1. You can find these replaced sections here.]
Management of Wilderness Study Areas (Public) [BLM Manual 6330] (PDF)
Tells how BLM will manage Wilderness Study Area's so as to prevent impairment of wild qualities and how they will restore those qualities, should they be impaired. [This 2012 document replaces ldquo;H-8550-1, Interim Management Policy for Lands Under Wilderness Review.”]
Congressionally Required Maps and Legal Boundary NLCS Designations - (Public) [BLM Manual 6120] (PDF)
This 2010 manual describes the BLM's policies and authorities for developing maps and boundary descriptions for National Landscape Conservation System areas.
National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, and Similar Designations (Public) [BLM Manual 6220] (PDF)
In 2012 the BLM defined its guiding principles, goals, procedures and actions appropriate to managing monuments, NCA's, and similar areas on BLM-administered lands.
National Landscape Conservation System 15-year Strategy 2010-2025 (PDF)
This document summarizes the BLM's long-term strategy for managing public lands of the National Landscape Conservation System.
Section 603 (FLMPA) about BLM WSA’s (PDF)
The BLM wasn't included in the Wilderness in 1964 and didn’t get involved in wilderness management until 1976. This section of the Federal Land Management Policy Act involves BLM in wilderness.
BLM Wilderness Management Regs (PDF)
Finalized in the December 14, 2000 Federal Register, these regulations are in a series of comments and answers about BLM’s wilderness management.
BLM Interim Management Handbook (Pgs. 1-26) (PDF)
This 1995 Handbook guides how the BLM manages wilderness study areas BEFORE they become wilderness. These pages are a general overview.
BLM Interim Management Handbook (Pgs. 27-end) (PDF)
This half of the Handbook contains detailed information on how wilderness study areas are managed regarding lands actions, minerals, grazing, wild horses, wildlife, recreation, cultural resources, fire, etc.
BLM WSA Wildlife Management Update (PDF)
In 2002, BLM updated how wildlife would be managed in wilderness study areas.
BLM Climbing in Wilderness - 2007-IM (PDF)
This 2007 document sets out BLM's policy on climbing and setting of permanent fixed anchors (bolts) in wilderness.
Issuance of authorization to NDOW - IM: NV-2011-044 (PDF)
2011 policy regarding NDOW's maintenance of wildlife water developments on BLM wilderness areas in Nevada.
Considering Lands with Wilderness Characteristics in the BLM Land Use Planning Process [BLM Manual 6320] (PDF)
This 2012 document outlines how BLM is to consider lands with wilderness characteristics in its land use planning process (this supersedes sections 6302 & 6303).
Conducting Wilderness Characteristics Inventory on BLM Lands [BLM Manual 6310] (PDF)
In 2012, BLM developed this guidance for how it will conduct wilderness characteristics inventories of the public lands it manages (this supersedes section 6301).
Specific BLM-wilderness-area management plans
BLM Wilderness Management Plan — Fortification Range, Parsnip Peak and White Rock Mountains wildernesses
(27MB PDF) This 2009 document sets out BLM's final policy (including environmental assessment) for managing three wilderness areas in the Ely District.
BLM Wilderness Management Plan — Delamar Mountains, Meadow Valley Mountains and Morman Mountains wildernesses (20MB PDF) BLM's (2009) draft management plans for and environmental assessment of these three wilderness areas in the Ely District.
BLM Wilderness Management Plan — Big Rocks, Mount Irish and South Pahroc wildernesses
(10MB PDF) In 2008, BLM finalized their management plans for and environmental assessment of these three wilderness areas in the Ely District.
BLM & NPS Wilderness Management Plan — Muddy Mountains Wilderness
(7.5MB PDF) This 2007 document sets out BLM and NPS joint-agency, final, management policy with environmental assessment for the Muddy Mountains Wilderness area in Clark County.
BLM Wilderness Management Plan — North McCullough Wilderness
(6MB PDF) In 2005, BLM finalized their management plans for the North McCullough Wilderness in the Southern Nevada District.
BLM Wilderness Management Plan — South McCullough and Wee Thump Joshua Tree wildernesses
(3MB PDF) BLM's (2005) final management plans for and environmental assessments of two wilderness areas in the Southern Nevada District.
Superceded BLM-wilderness-management documents
BLM Wilderness Management Handbook [H-8560] (1983) (PDF)
In 1983 BLM set out their original guidelines for managing wilderness areas.
BLM Wilderness Management Handbook [H-8560-1] (1988 supplement) (PDF)
Guides BLM wilderness management for boundaries, fish and wildlife management, motorized and mechanical use and eradication of marijuana.
Navigate this page
Bureau of Land Management | Forest Service
Fish & Wildlife Service | Park Service | Interagency | Top of page
Forest Service documents
USFS Chief’s 10-year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge (PDF)
The Chief of the Forest Service identifies the elements to be addressed in managing Forest Service wilderness areas.
Forest Service Wilderness Mg. Manual (PDF)
The Manual guides how the Forest Service manages their wilderness areas.
Fish & Wildlife Service documents
US Fish and Wildlife Wilderness Manual (PDF)
This Manual guides how the US Fish and Wildlife Service manages their wilderness areas. Pick from the following chapters:
Chapter 1 General Overview of Wilderness Stewardship Policy (PDF)
Chapter 2 Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship (PDF)
Chapter 3 Wilderness Stewardship Planning (PDF)
Chapter 4 Wilderness Review and Evaluation (PDF)
Park Service documents
National Park Service Wilderness Manual (DOC)
This Manual guides how the National Park Service manages their wilderness areas.
Inter-agency documents
Federal Agency Minimum Tool Analysis (PDF)
Four federal agencies manage wilderness (BLM, Forest Service, National Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service). This document is the guide all of them use to help determine if an action is permissible in wilderness and at what level.
Fish and Wildlife Memorandum of Understanding Between State Game Agencies, FS and BLM (June 2006)(PDF)
This MOU gives a national perspective on general guidance between state game agencies and the BLM and Forest Service regarding wilderness management.
Wildlife Memorandum of Understanding between the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management (PDF - revised 2012 version). Congress directed this agreement to be created in the 2002 Clark County bill to help the BLM and the Nevada Division of Wildlife clarify their wildlife management roles in wilderness. The original 2003 version can be found here.
Navigate this page
Bureau of Land Management | Forest Service
Fish & Wildlife Service | Park Service | Interagency | Top of page
