The status of Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) has been a hot topic in Montana for quite some time. The 1964 Wilderness Act established around 3.5 million acres of mostly National Forest lands as wilderness in Montana. In 1977, further Federal legislation established an additional 663,000 acres as potential wilderness areas marked as WSAs. The intent was to provide for further study of the WSAs for inclusion in designated wilderness areas OR for recommendations for ongoing management as non-wilderness areas or some alternative management plans. The mandated studies were concluded in 1982 with some WSAs recommended to be tacked on to adjacent wilderness areas, established as separate stand-alone wilderness areas, or returned to general NF non-wilderness management plans. As I understand it, further action by Congress and signature of the President were required to remove the areas from WSA designation or to return the lands to NF management. Some WSAs did revert to non-wilderness status, some received more limited access status (such as allowing winter and summertime motorized access), and some remain in limbo today, 40 years after the conclusion of the WSA studies.
Montana legislators introduce legislation in Congress in 2018 intended to force a "fish or cut bait" resolution for the remaining WSAs which then remained locked up and in limbo. Wilderness advocates complained that the 2018 legislation was introduced without public input. Other potential users of public lands (motorized recreation groups, mining, logging, and oil and gas interests) complained that the studies central to the WSA designations had been completed decades ago. To the best of my personal knowledge, the legislation never got out of Congress and now, with a ban on most mineral leasing on Federal lands more and more firmly in place, one might suspect the status quo will remain in effect for the forseeable future.
For my part, while I'm very familiar with the territory around some of the WSAs I am wholly unfamiliar with other areas, so I stake no territory in either camp. But the situation does bring to mind some reasons for the clearly expressed frustrations with and distrust of the Federal government and its management of vast swaths of public land. I think most folks would expect resolution on situations first brought to the surface by the Wilderness Act 58 years ago and by the WSA legislation 45 years ago. I sure do. I'd enjoy hearing more from Smoke, the only "boots on the ground" rank & file (retired) Fed I am personally familiar with, concerning an agency's view of the present status, timelines between legislation, recommendations, and actions being taken.
Foy