This part governs the management of BLM wilderness areas outside of Alaska. It tells you what wilderness areas are, how BLM manages them, and how you can use them. These regulations also tell you what activities BLM does not allow in wilderness areas, the penalties for performing prohibited acts, and the special provisions for some uses and access that the Wilderness Act explicitly allows.
A BLM wilderness area is an area of public lands that Congress has designated for BLM to manage as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Wilderness Act provides a detailed definition of wilderness that applies to BLM wilderness areas. See 16 U.S.C. 1131(c) and 43 U.S.C. 1702(i).
Terms used in this part have the following meanings:
Access means the physical ability of property owners and their successors in interest to have ingress to and egress from State or private inholdings, valid mining claims, or other valid occupancies. It does not include rights-of-way or permits under section 501 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1761) (FLPMA) or parts 2800 and 2880 of this chapter.
Inholding means State-owned or privately owned land that is completely surrounded by Congressionally designated wilderness.
Mechanical transport means any vehicle, device, or contrivance for moving people or material in or over land, water, snow, or air that has moving parts. This includes, but is not limited to, sailboats, sailboards, hang gliders, parachutes, bicycles, game carriers, carts, and wagons. The term does not include wheelchairs, nor does it include horses or other pack stock, skis, snowshoes, non-motorized river craft including, but not limited to, drift boats, rafts, and canoes, or sleds, travois, or similar devices without moving parts.
Mining operations is defined in subpart 3715 of this chapter.
Motor vehicle means any vehicle that is self-propelled.
Motorized equipment means any machine that uses or is activated by a motor, engine, or other power source. This includes, but is not limited to, chainsaws, power drills, aircraft, generators, motorboats, motor vehicles, snowmobiles, tracked snow vehicles, snow blowers or other snow removal equipment, and all other snow machines. The term does not include shavers, wrist watches, clocks, flashlights, cameras, camping stoves, cellular telephones, radio transceivers, radio transponders, radio signal transmitters, ground position satellite receivers, or other similar small hand held or portable equipment.
Primitive and unconfined recreation means non-motorized types of outdoor recreation activities that do not require developed facilities or mechanical transport.
Public lands means any lands and interests in lands owned by the United States and administered by the Secretary of the Interior through BLM without regard to how the United States acquired ownership.
Valid occupancy means an occupancy under a current permit, lease, or other written authorization from BLM to occupy public lands. For a definition of occupancy related to development of locatable minerals, see subpart 3715 of this chapter.
Wheelchair means a device that is designed solely for use by a mobility-impaired person for locomotion, and that is suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian area.