National Forest System Lands Statement Announcing Decisions on Wilderness Designations.

We have reached a decision on the future of 62 million acres of roadless and undeveloped National Forest System lands.

Through the Department of Agriculture's Roadless Area Review and Evaluation-known as RARE II—we sought public assistance in establishing the best future uses of these lands. We struck a reasonable 'balance between accommodating the Nation's needs for wilderness and for the other goods and services produced from these lands.

I am recommending to Congress wilderness designations for about 15.4 million acres of RARE II lands. I already have sent to Congress wilderness recommendations for lands in the two National Forests in Alaska, including about 5.5 million acres identified in RARE II. I will now recommend wilderness designation for about 9.9 million additional acres on 118 National Forest System units in 35 other States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

These recommendations from RARE II will more than double the present size of the National Forest System segment of the National Wilderness Preservation System and will more than quadruple the number of National Forest wildernesses in the highly populated States east of the Mississippi.

The balance of the 62 million acres falls into two categories. The first is "further planning." We need more information to determine the best uses for about 10.6 million acres in this category. Decisions on these areas will be made as soon as possible. In the second category are about 36 million acres which will be managed for multiple uses other than wilderness. I am asking Secretary Bergland to proceed immediately with the planning and management of these areas under existing law.

For many years, the process of determining the best uses of National Forest has been a slow, piecemeal effort. This process has been the source of frustration and controversy for all interest groups-recreational, environmental, and industrial. RARE II provided a comprehensive, nationwide review and evaluation of these important public lands. It is my hope that the decision being announced today will help resolve the longstanding controversy over their case.

This decision will assure the American people that high-quality areas will be protected for wilderness consideration by the Congress and for enjoyment by future generations. It also will assure a continuing, sustained yield of goods and services from those lands not recommended as wilderness. This will help our national economy, as well as the growth and stability of many local communities, by providing additional oil and gas, minerals, and timber products, which are essential to restraining inflation and increasing productivity.

This decision also meets two major administration goals. First, the recommendations fulfill the pledge in my May 23, 1977, environmental message to enlarge the Nation's treasury of wilderness resources. And second, by releasing some of the land for uses other than wilderness, we respond to our urgent need for energy, wood products, livestock forage, minerals, and a broad array of recreational opportunities. In sum, our recommendations are vital to the effort to reduce inflation, control unemployment, and encourage energy development.

All the nonwilderness lands in the National Forest System will be managed to reflect environmental concerns while sustaining their multiple resource values.

I have asked Secretary Bergland to provide Congress with maps and resource data to accompany my recommendations for wilderness designations. Since some of the areas involved are contiguous to areas previously recommended for wilderness as a result of the earlier review of National Forest Primitive Areas, the Secretary will also include updated information on these areas.

Included in my fact sheet is a State-by-State listing of the acreage in wilderness, in the further planning and nonwilderness categories, and a listing of changes made in the Secretary's January 4 proposal. The changes are based on comments received from Governors, Members of Congress, and Federal agencies during the interagency review process.