Sawtooth Wilderness

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Coordinates: 43°59′59″N 115°03′57″W / 43.999626°N 115.0659167°W / 43.999626; -115.0659167
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the wilderness area in California, see Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness. For the wilderness area in Washington, see Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness.
Sawtooth Wilderness
U.S. Forest Service
Official website

The Sawtooth Wilderness is a

U.S. Forest Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it was designated the Sawtooth Primitive Area in 1937 to preserve the scenic beauty of the Sawtooth Mountains.[5] On August 22, 1972 Public Law 92-400 designated the Primitive Area as the Sawtooth Wilderness and part of the newly created Sawtooth National Recreation Area. As part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, the Sawtooth Wilderness is an area where human development and use are restricted and people are to remain only visitors.[6] According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Sawtooth Wilderness has some of the clearest air in the lower 48 states.[7][8]

History

See also: Sawtooth National Forest § Forest history

U.S. Forest Service established the Sawtooth Primitive Area in the Sawtooth Mountains. Subsequently, Sawtooth National Forest began to extensively develop recreation opportunities, including new campgrounds, trails, and roads.[9]

In 1960, Frank Church, a U.S. Senator from Idaho, first introduced legislation for a feasibility study to study the area for national park status.[5][9] While Church allowed the 1960 feasibility study legislation to die, he introduced a bill in 1963 to create Sawtooth Wilderness National Park, which would primarily encompass the existing Sawtooth Primitive Area. While the 1963 bill also died, Church admitted that it wasn't designed to pass but rather to encourage thorough feasibility studies by both the Forest Service and National Park Service.[9] Support for greater protection of the Sawtooths and surrounding areas grew after the discovery of a molybdenum deposit at the base of Castle Peak in the White Cloud Mountains in 1968.

In March 1971 Idaho's congressional delegation was finally united and introduced legislation to create the SNRA. On August 22, 1972 Public Law 92-400 establishing the SNRA, covering 756,019 acres (305,950 ha), and banning mining in it passed both the House of Representatives and Senate and was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. As part of this legislation, the Sawtooth Primitive Area became the Sawtooth Wilderness covering 217,088 acres (87,852 ha) and part of the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act of 1964. The SNRA was dedicated in a ceremony held on the shores of Redfish Lake on September 1, 1972.[5]

Management

South Fork of the Payette River Valley and Rendezvous Lake

The Sawtooth Wilderness is managed by Sawtooth National Recreation Area, which is a division of

Challis National Forest, and 54,997 acres (222.56 km2) in Sawtooth National Forest.[2]

The Wilderness Act of 1964 enhanced the protection status of remote or undeveloped land already contained within federally administered protected areas. Passage of the act ensured that no human improvements would take place aside from those already existing. The protected status in wilderness-designated zones prohibits road and building construction,

oil and mineral exploration or extraction, and logging, and also prohibits the use of motorized equipment, including bicycles. The only manner in which people can enter wilderness areas is either on foot or horseback. Hunting and fishing are permitted in the wilderness, just as they are throughout the SNRA, provided those engaging in such activities have the proper licenses and permits.[6][10] Fires and stock are prohibited in certain high-use areas of the wilderness.[4]

Recreation

Sawtooth Mountains from the Alpine Way Trail

Wilderness areas do not allow

downhill skiing are activities that are also permitted in the wilderness. The closest town to the wilderness is Stanley at the northern end of the Sawtooth Valley, but the communities of Atlanta and Sawtooth City
also provide access to the wilderness.

Geography and geology

Mountains

The Sawtooth Wilderness encompasses the Sawtooth Mountains, which are part of the Rocky Mountains.[13] The Sawtooth Mountains have at least 50 peaks over 10,000 ft (3,000 m) high, including Thompson Peak, the highest point in the range and the wilderness at 10,751 ft (3,277 m).[13][14][15] The second highest point in Mount Cramer. The northern Sawtooth Mountains formed from the Eocene Sawtooth batholith, while south of Alturas Lake the Sawtooth Mountains formed from the Cretaceous granodiorite of the Idaho Batholith.[16][17]

Waterways

Sawtooth Lake and Mount Regan in June 2008
See also: List of lakes of the Sawtooth Mountains (Idaho)

The entire wilderness is in the watershed of the

glaciation. The largest lake in the wilderness is Sawtooth Lake, and other large lakes include Alice, Toxaway, Ardeth, Edna, Hell Roaring, Goat, and Baron lakes. Lakes in the wilderness can remain frozen until mid-summer, and many of the smaller lakes are unnamed.[13]

Seismology

The

Richter magnitude scale, with one of the most recent large earthquakes occurring 4,000 years ago and a second 7,000 years ago.[18][19]

Glaciology

The Sawtooth Wilderness has a history of

cirques, and arêtes
.

Climate

Graham Guard Station is by the

diurnal variation throughout the year, with the temperatures at night remaining cold throughout the year, with no months where the average low exceeds 40°F (4.4°C). Daytime temperatures in winter are relatively mild, with the average high temperature ranging between 39°F (3.9°C) and 45°F (7.2°C), but the temperature drops drastically at night, reaching far below freezing. The level of diurnal temperature variation is similar to that of Bodie, California
.

Climate data for Graham Guard Station, Idaho, 1991–2020 normals, 1988-2020 extremes: 5690ft (1734m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 65
(18) 		67
(19) 		74
(23) 		85
(29) 		87
(31) 		96
(36) 		100
(38) 		98
(37) 		95
(35) 		85
(29) 		70
(21) 		63
(17) 		100
(38)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 58.1
(14.5) 		61.4
(16.3) 		67.5
(19.7) 		72.8
(22.7) 		77.3
(25.2) 		84.8
(29.3) 		92.3
(33.5) 		91.1
(32.8) 		86.0
(30.0) 		74.8
(23.8) 		62.4
(16.9) 		55.0
(12.8) 		93.4
(34.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 42.0
(5.6) 		45.2
(7.3) 		50.9
(10.5) 		55.2
(12.9) 		61.8
(16.6) 		69.3
(20.7) 		81.0
(27.2) 		80.6
(27.0) 		71.5
(21.9) 		57.5
(14.2) 		45.5
(7.5) 		39.7
(4.3) 		58.4
(14.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 25.2
(−3.8) 		27.6
(−2.4) 		33.6
(0.9) 		39.1
(3.9) 		46.3
(7.9) 		52.3
(11.3) 		60.0
(15.6) 		59.1
(15.1) 		51.8
(11.0) 		41.3
(5.2) 		31.0
(−0.6) 		24.0
(−4.4) 		40.9
(5.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 8.3
(−13.2) 		9.9
(−12.3) 		16.3
(−8.7) 		22.9
(−5.1) 		30.7
(−0.7) 		35.1
(1.7) 		39.0
(3.9) 		37.5
(3.1) 		31.8
(−0.1) 		25.1
(−3.8) 		16.5
(−8.6) 		8.3
(−13.2) 		23.5
(−4.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −15.9
(−26.6) 		−11.3
(−24.1) 		−3.9
(−19.9) 		8.1
(−13.3) 		20.0
(−6.7) 		26.0
(−3.3) 		30.5
(−0.8) 		28.3
(−2.1) 		20.7
(−6.3) 		10.5
(−11.9) 		−5.5
(−20.8) 		−13.8
(−25.4) 		−19.7
(−28.7)
Record low °F (°C) −29
(−34) 		−29
(−34) 		−18
(−28) 		−6
(−21) 		12
(−11) 		20
(−7) 		24
(−4) 		14
(−10) 		8
(−13) 		−9
(−23) 		−21
(−29) 		−39
(−39) 		−39
(−39)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.47
(114) 		3.31
(84) 		3.22
(82) 		2.69
(68) 		2.25
(57) 		1.71
(43) 		0.54
(14) 		0.52
(13) 		1.04
(26) 		2.38
(60) 		3.89
(99) 		4.95
(126) 		30.97
(786)
Source 1: XMACIS2[24]
Source 2: NOAA (precipitation)[25]

Natural Resources

See also: Ecology of the Rocky Mountains

Flora

spruce-fir forests
below Parks Peak
See also: Sawtooth National Forest § Flora

limber pine.[26][27] There are no known threatened or endangered plant species in the wilderness.[12]

Fauna

Main articles: List of animals of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and List of birds of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Most of the area's native mammal species are present in the wilderness, with the exception of

wolverines and the endangered Canada lynx, but no recent sightings of these species have been reported.[4]

Other large mammals found in the wilderness include

management indicator species for Sawtooth National Forest, and they can be found in some of the streams in the wilderness. Population monitoring efforts are undertaken every year to provide an assessment of forest health.[32][33] They were selected because they are dependent upon specific habitat conditions and sensitive to habitat changes.[34][35][36]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Sawtooth Wilderness". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ a b c "Land Areas of the National Forest System". U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  3. ^ "National Visitor Use Monitoring Results for Sawtooth National Forest". U.S. Forest Service. September 2006. Archived from the original on October 29, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c "Sawtooth National Forest". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Osborn, John (1979). "Creating the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Protecting Wilderness". Archived from the original on July 18, 2005. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Zahniser, Howard (September 3, 1964). "The Wilderness Act" (PDF). Washington, DC: U.S. Congress. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2003. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  7. ^ "Control of Emissions from Marine SI and Small SI Engines, Vessels, and Equipment" (PDF). United States Environmental Protection Agency. September 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  8. ^ "Sawtooth Wilderness". Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on December 26, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  9. ^
    JSTOR 40492581
    .
  10. ^ "The Wilderness Act of 1964". Wilderness.net. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  11. ^ "Idaho Department of Fish and Game". Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  12. ^ a b "Wilderness" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  13. ^ a b c Sawtooth National Forest (Map) (1998 ed.). Sawtooth National Forest, U.S. Forest Service.
  14. ISBN 978-0-89886-608-7
    .
  15. ^ "The Complete Sawtooths List". SummitPost.org. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  16. ISSN 1943-2674
    .
  17. ^ "Idaho Batholith" (PDF). Idaho State University. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  18. ^ "Scientists find new seismic fault in Rocky Mountains". BBC News. May 20, 2012. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  19. ^ Wall, Tim (November 19, 2010). "Large Seismic Fault Found in the Rockies". Discovery News. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  20. ^ Cannon, Charles (August 24, 2011). "Glaciers of Idaho". Portland State University. Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  21. ISSN 1943-2682
    .
  22. ^ Mijal, Brandon (2008). "Holocene and latest Pleistocene glaciation in the Sawtooth Mountains, central Idaho". Bellingham, WA: Western Washington University.
  23. ^ "Graham Guard Station". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  24. ^ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  25. ^ "Graham Guard Station, Idaho 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  26. ^ "Sawtooth National Forest Visitor Guide" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  27. ISBN 978-1-4027-3875-3
    .
  28. ISSN 0006-3207. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on October 17, 2013.
  29. ^ Smith, Rob Roy (2003). "Unbearable? Bitterroot Grizzly Bear Reintroduction & the George W. Bush Administration". Golden Gate University Law Review. 33 (3). Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Electronic Press. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  30. ^ "Grizzly Bears Will Not Be Reintroduced into U.S. West". Environment News Service. June 21, 2001. Archived from the original on May 14, 2006. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  31. ^ "Nature final plan afoot to reintroduce grizzly bears". CNN. 15 March 2000. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  32. ^ Isaak, Dan; Rieman, Bruce; Horan, Dona (April 2009). "A watershed-scale monitoring protocoal for bull trout" (PDF). Fort Collins, CO: Rocky Mountain Research Station, U.S. Forest Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  33. ^ "Focus: Bull Trout Monitoring" (PDF). Rocky Mountain Research Station. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  34. ^ "Salvelinus confluentus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  35. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Salvelinus confluentus" in FishBase. May 2012 version.
  36. ^ "Bull Trout Facts (Salvelinus confluentus)" (PDF). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. May 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2012.

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