Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area
Encyclopedia
Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area is a non-motorized recreation area located on the west side of the Missouri River
and Holter Lake
located about 30 miles (48 km) north of Helena, Montana
. Designated as a wilderness study area
in 1981, the Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area contains approximately 6666 acres (2,697.6 ha) of nearly roadless land, about half of which is forested. A portion of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
is contained inside the study area.
of 1976. The Act directed the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) of the United States Department of the Interior
to inventory and study all federally owned roadless areas for possible designation as a Wilderness Area. To qualify as a wilderness study area, the land must be a roadless area of at least 5000 acres (2,023.4 ha) (or be of "manageable size"), generally unaffected by human development, provide opportunities for primitive or unconfined recreation, and have special ecological, geological, educational, historical, scientific and/or scenic value. Until the United States Congress
makes a final determination on the status of a wilderness study area, the BLM must manage the area as a wilderness.
on the west and Holter Lake on the east, the south boundary runs from the Hilger Valley to the Ming Bar , and the north boundary runs from the northern edge of the Oxbow Bend of Holter Lake to Interstate 15. The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness
is nearby, beginning on the opposite side of Holter Lake. There is an airplane landing strip on the Ming Bar east of the study area.
The wilderness study area (WSA) contains important wildlife habitat. It is named after the "Sleeping Giant" formation (part of which is formally designated Beartooth Mountain, elevation 6792 feet (2,070.2 m)), a historic and noted natural landmark contained within the proposed wilderness area.
The "Sleeping Giant" outline is a widely used marketing tool by area businesses. The mountains in the WSA range from 3600 feet (1,097.3 m) to approximately 6800 feet (2,072.6 m) in elevation. About half the WSA is forested, and roughly 20 creeks and streams drain the area. The Sleeping Giant study area is a critical mountain goat
habitat in the state of Montana, and also contains significant populations of bald eagles, bighorn sheep
, black bear
, brook trout
, cutthroat trout
, elk
, golden eagles, mule deer
, osprey
, and peregrine falcons.
Human development within the study area is minimal. The BLM maintains several seasonally accessible dirt roads (Bear Gulch Road, Bear Ridge Road, Powerline Road, Powerline Spar, and Woodsiding Road) in the WSA, and a single year-round accessible road (Medicine Gulch Road) in the western portion of the study area. Interstate 15 and Lyons Creek Road (a county access road) border the western part of the wilderness study area. The Sleeping Giant area also includes 7 miles (11.3 km) of horse riding and hiking trails, and 40 primitive camping sites at Holter Lake. Several abandoned structures built by early white settlers near the lake still exist but are not maintained for use.
The 3801 acres (1,538.2 ha) Sheep Creek Wilderness Study Area is located immediately west of and adjacent to the Sleeping Giant WSA. Both WSAs are surrounded by a BLM-designated 11609 acres (4,698 ha) "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" (ACEC), and another 6691 acres (2,707.8 ha) of BLM land where wheeled vehicle use is managed to protect the environment. This area's travel management plan was updated in 2003.
. Members of Native American tribes as far away as present-day Minnesota
knew of the landmark, and told the leaders of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
about it. The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped below the Sleeping Giant and explored the area around it during their initial passage through the region in 1805.
The Sleeping Giant region was designated a wilderness study area in 1981. In late 1982, United States Secretary of the Interior
James G. Watt
removed the Sleeping Giant area from protection as a WSA, concluding that the area would never meet the definition of a wilderness area because it was too small and some mineral rights
in the area were owned by private citizens or companies. The Sleeping Giant region was granted WSA status again in 1985, and the WSA enlarged in 1988. In 1991, the BLM recommended to Congress that the Sleeping Giant area be formally designated as wilderness.
In 1991, BLM estimated that about 40 percent of the Sleeping Giant WSA contained privately owned oil and natural gas mineral rights. In 1997, Lewis and Clark National Forest
Supervisor Gloria Flora exercised statutory authority to ban new oil and gas development leases in the forest east of the Sleeping Giant WSA for 15 years. Petroleum industry
interests sued to overturn the decision, but U.S. district
and appellate
courts refused to to do. Oil and gas drilling companies asked for permission to drill exploratory wells and conduct seismic petroleum exploration in the Sleeping Giant WSA in the late 1990s, but BLM denied the request. BLM did grant a drilling request for non-WSA land north of the Sleeping Giant WSA.
In 2007, BLM proposed continuing to manage the Sleeping Giant region as a wilderness area, even though Congress had not yet acted on its 1991 recommendation to formally designate it as such. The same year, the Montana Wilderness Association
(MWA) began meeting with local residents in a long-term effort to build public support for formally designating the Sleeping Giant WSA a wilderness. At present, the MWA is concerned that oil and gas drilling proposals in the nearby Area of Critical Concern could have a negative impact on the wilderness character of the area.
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
and Holter Lake
Holter Dam
Holter Dam is a hydroelectric straight gravity dam on the Missouri River about northeast of Helena, Montana, in the United States. The dam, which was built between 1908 and 1918, is long and high. The reservoir formed by the dam, Holter Lake is long and has a storage capacity of of water when...
located about 30 miles (48 km) north of Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
. Designated as a wilderness study area
Wilderness study area
A wilderness study area contains undeveloped United States federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, and managed to preserve its natural conditions...
in 1981, the Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area contains approximately 6666 acres (2,697.6 ha) of nearly roadless land, about half of which is forested. A portion of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is a route across the United States commemorating the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806. It is part of the National Trails System of the United States...
is contained inside the study area.
Definition of a wilderness study area
Wilderness study areas (WSAs) are authorized by the Federal Land Policy and Management ActFederal Land Policy and Management Act
Federal Land Policy Management Act, or FLPMA , is a United States federal law that governs the way in which the public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management are managed. The law was enacted in 1976 by the 94th Congress. Congress recognized the value of the public lands, declaring...
of 1976. The Act directed the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
(BLM) of the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
to inventory and study all federally owned roadless areas for possible designation as a Wilderness Area. To qualify as a wilderness study area, the land must be a roadless area of at least 5000 acres (2,023.4 ha) (or be of "manageable size"), generally unaffected by human development, provide opportunities for primitive or unconfined recreation, and have special ecological, geological, educational, historical, scientific and/or scenic value. Until the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
makes a final determination on the status of a wilderness study area, the BLM must manage the area as a wilderness.
Description of the Sleeping Giant area
The Sleeping Giant region is a roughly rectangular area bounded by Interstate 15Interstate 15
Interstate 15 is the fourth-longest north–south Interstate Highway in the United States, traveling through the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana from San Diego to the Canadian border...
on the west and Holter Lake on the east, the south boundary runs from the Hilger Valley to the Ming Bar , and the north boundary runs from the northern edge of the Oxbow Bend of Holter Lake to Interstate 15. The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness
Gates of the Mountains Wilderness
The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1964, the wilderness is managed by Helena National Forest...
is nearby, beginning on the opposite side of Holter Lake. There is an airplane landing strip on the Ming Bar east of the study area.
The wilderness study area (WSA) contains important wildlife habitat. It is named after the "Sleeping Giant" formation (part of which is formally designated Beartooth Mountain, elevation 6792 feet (2,070.2 m)), a historic and noted natural landmark contained within the proposed wilderness area.
The "Sleeping Giant" outline is a widely used marketing tool by area businesses. The mountains in the WSA range from 3600 feet (1,097.3 m) to approximately 6800 feet (2,072.6 m) in elevation. About half the WSA is forested, and roughly 20 creeks and streams drain the area. The Sleeping Giant study area is a critical mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
habitat in the state of Montana, and also contains significant populations of bald eagles, bighorn sheep
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, brook trout
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
, cutthroat trout
Cutthroat trout
The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, golden eagles, mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, and peregrine falcons.
Human development within the study area is minimal. The BLM maintains several seasonally accessible dirt roads (Bear Gulch Road, Bear Ridge Road, Powerline Road, Powerline Spar, and Woodsiding Road) in the WSA, and a single year-round accessible road (Medicine Gulch Road) in the western portion of the study area. Interstate 15 and Lyons Creek Road (a county access road) border the western part of the wilderness study area. The Sleeping Giant area also includes 7 miles (11.3 km) of horse riding and hiking trails, and 40 primitive camping sites at Holter Lake. Several abandoned structures built by early white settlers near the lake still exist but are not maintained for use.
The 3801 acres (1,538.2 ha) Sheep Creek Wilderness Study Area is located immediately west of and adjacent to the Sleeping Giant WSA. Both WSAs are surrounded by a BLM-designated 11609 acres (4,698 ha) "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" (ACEC), and another 6691 acres (2,707.8 ha) of BLM land where wheeled vehicle use is managed to protect the environment. This area's travel management plan was updated in 2003.
History of the Sleeping Giant area
The Sleeping Giant landform was well-known to Native Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Members of Native American tribes as far away as present-day Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
knew of the landmark, and told the leaders of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
about it. The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped below the Sleeping Giant and explored the area around it during their initial passage through the region in 1805.
The Sleeping Giant region was designated a wilderness study area in 1981. In late 1982, United States Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
James G. Watt
James G. Watt
James Gaius Watt served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior for President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1983.-Early life and career:...
removed the Sleeping Giant area from protection as a WSA, concluding that the area would never meet the definition of a wilderness area because it was too small and some mineral rights
Mineral rights
- Mineral estate :Ownership of mineral rights is an estate in real property. Technically it is known as a mineral estate and often referred to as mineral rights...
in the area were owned by private citizens or companies. The Sleeping Giant region was granted WSA status again in 1985, and the WSA enlarged in 1988. In 1991, the BLM recommended to Congress that the Sleeping Giant area be formally designated as wilderness.
In 1991, BLM estimated that about 40 percent of the Sleeping Giant WSA contained privately owned oil and natural gas mineral rights. In 1997, Lewis and Clark National Forest
Lewis and Clark National Forest
Lewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central Montana, United States. Spanning , the forest is managed as two separate zones. The eastern sections, under the Jefferson Division, is a mixture of grass and shrublands dotted with "island" pockets of forested areas. Here, cattle leases to...
Supervisor Gloria Flora exercised statutory authority to ban new oil and gas development leases in the forest east of the Sleeping Giant WSA for 15 years. Petroleum industry
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
interests sued to overturn the decision, but U.S. district
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
and appellate
United States courts of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
courts refused to to do. Oil and gas drilling companies asked for permission to drill exploratory wells and conduct seismic petroleum exploration in the Sleeping Giant WSA in the late 1990s, but BLM denied the request. BLM did grant a drilling request for non-WSA land north of the Sleeping Giant WSA.
In 2007, BLM proposed continuing to manage the Sleeping Giant region as a wilderness area, even though Congress had not yet acted on its 1991 recommendation to formally designate it as such. The same year, the Montana Wilderness Association
Montana Wilderness Association
The Montana Wilderness Association was founded in 1958 by Montana volunteers and is governed by a state council of citizen volunteers from across the state, elected by the membership. As a community-based organization, it works at the local level through seven chapters and field offices in ...
(MWA) began meeting with local residents in a long-term effort to build public support for formally designating the Sleeping Giant WSA a wilderness. At present, the MWA is concerned that oil and gas drilling proposals in the nearby Area of Critical Concern could have a negative impact on the wilderness character of the area.