OCR Text |
Show Most lands are suitable for outdoor recreation. Most public lands and a substantial amount of private land holdings are available for this purpose. Indian trust lands, considered as private, have very good potential for outdoor recreation development within the Region. Several rivers of the Region are considered to have potential for designation as wild, scenic, and recreation rivers. In addition to the nearly 1.5 mil- lion acres of existing designated wilderness areas, there are some 1.7 million acres that have been suggested for potential wilderness areas. It is anticipated there will be substantial blocks of suitable land available for designation as wilderness areas. Through appropriate action by state and Federal legislative bodies, adequate lands could be made available for the recommended sites for preservation of archeolog- ical, cultural, and historic values. Areas suitable for designation as wild, scenic, and recreation rivers are shown on the map "Wild, Scenic, and Recreation River Potential" which follows page 62. Most of the Region provides habitat and is of value to both game and nongame species of fish and wildlife, although much of the habitat is not of high quality. It is estimated that 76.4 million acres of the Region contribute materially as important habitat for wildlife, and mos~t are available for fishing and hunting. Generally, game and nongame species are compatible and commonly inhabit similar areas. Large amounts of land are not required for mineral production and such lands will be available when demand for the resource makes new developments economically feasible. The lands presently in military and related uses in the Region are largely on barren desert or semiarid mountainous terrain. This land wa.s selected for military uses because it avoided conflict with other land development and provided the space and security for military operations. Additional lands of this type exist and could be made available if required. MINERALS Minerals customarily produced in the Lower Colorado Region in important quantities are assumed to exist in known and unknown mineral deposits in sufficient quantities to satisfy all reasonable demands. Those minerals produced for consumption almost exclusively within the Region-sand, gravel, stone, lime, and other construction materials- seemingly are present in inexhaustible quantities. Quantities of exist- ing deposits of lead, zinc, and uranium cannot be fully defined; there is, however, a vast area in which geologic conditions appear favorable for future discoveries when economic incentives warrant the exploration effort. Copper, backbone of the regional minerals industry, has an exceptionally strong resource base. Access for exploration and develop- ment of both public and private mineral-bearing land has been assumed to 63 |