Use of Motorized Equipment. As outlined in Section E., General Policy, the States’ fish and wildlife management activities within wilderness can be accomplished with motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport, only if these devices are necessary to meet the minimum requirements for the administration of the area as wilderness or are specifically permitted by other provisions of the Act. Any such use should be rare and temporary; no roads can be built; and proposals for use of motorized equipment will be considered and may be authorized by the Federal land management agency, in cooperation with the State, through application of the MRDP as outlined in Section E., General Policy. Any use of motorized equipment or mechanical transport requires advance approval by the Federal administering agency.
Use of Motorized Equipment. The language in the Wilderness Act is viewed as direction that all management activities within BLM Wilderness in Nevada be done without motor vehicles, landing of aircraft, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport, unless truly necessary to administer the area as Wilderness. With regard to landing of aircraft, it is also against BLM regulation to drop or pick up materials, supplies, or persons from aircraft. Where the use of aircraft and motorboats have already become established prior to wilderness designation, they may be permitted to continue subject to such restrictions as the BLM deems desirable. The language in the Wilderness Act means that any such use should be rare and temporary, that no roads can be built, and that wilderness managers must determine such use is the minimum necessary to accomplish the task. Any on-the-ground use of motorized equipment or mechanical transport requires advance approval by the BLM. In Xxxxx County, the BLM, in consultation with the NDOW, must determine if the use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport in the development and /or implementation of a project would promote healthy, viable, and more naturally distributed wildlife populations that would enhance wilderness values and accomplish those purposes with the minimum impact to wilderness values necessary to reasonably accomplish the task.
