For an area to be considered for wilderness designation it must be roadless and possess the characteristics required by Section 2(c) of the Wilderness act of 1964. These characteristics are:
Naturalness - lands that are natural and primarily affected by the forces of nature;
Roadless and having at least 5,000 acres of contiguous public lands; and
Outstanding Opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined types of recreation.
In addition, areas may contain,
Supplemental Values - consisting of ecological, geological or other features of scientific, educational, scenic or historical importance (BLM Wilderness Inventory and Study Procedures Handbook H-6310-1, 2001).
The Northwest NPR-A Planning Area was evaluated for the above characteristics during the Section 105(c) studies. Practically all of NRP-A remains as it was during that study, i.e., in a state of de facto wilderness. Residents of the area do occupy seasonal dwellings or fish camps, which, if not entirely compatible with naturalness and solitude are nonetheless, allowed in designated wilderness areas in Alaska. While the population does travel extensively by motorized vehicle (primarily snow machines) over parts of the Planning Area (certainly areas in the vicinity of communities), there are no roads outside those communities. In spite of the NPR-A having been subjected intermittently to oil and gas exploration since the 1920's, the overall character of the Planning Area (excluding private lands) is that of a natural, undisturbed area, with very few obvious signs of modern human influence or presence. A visitor to the area or an inhabitant of one of the few settlements in or near the NPR-A can easily find opportunities for solitude (USDOI, BLM, 1978d). Some areas within the Planning Area contain excellent ecological, geological, scientific, educational, scenic, and historical values.
During the initial inventory conducted in 2001, the BLM identified wilderness units within the Planning Area. These units were identified using hydrologic borders. This inventory identified the entire Planning Area as possessing wilderness characteristics. Each study unit was assigned a name and letter designation (Map 88 
and Table III-35). Although most of the Northwest NPR-A Planning Area meets the criteria for wilderness, there are distinct differences in the characteristics, attributes, and uses within the Planning Area.
Because of the sheer size of the Planning Area, most of the lands have probably never had human intrusion. A large portion of the northern half of the Planning Area, however - especially those lands near Barrow, Atqasuk, and Wainwright - is used and has been used for many years by the people who live in those communities. Use consists of subsistence hunting with OHV's, motorboats, etc. Trails have been established (some heavily used) from village to village and from villages to camps along river corridors. Many trails have no specific direction and were made in pursuit of subsistence resources. Use of OHV's and other means of access are allowed in wilderness areas (see ANILCA, Section 1110) for traditional and subsistence purposes.
Village to village utility proposals such as power lines, natural gas lines, and other facilities oriented to village and/or city living, are being looked at for future accommodations. Cabins, generally used for subsistence, are numerous along the northern rivers and some lakes. Native allotments either are or will become private lands. These allotments tend to be located throughout the northern half of the Planning Area, especially along the coast and rivers.
Other facilities in place throughout the Planning Area (camps, airstrips, wellheads, etc.) remain from past oil and gas exploration. Most of these facilities are in various stages of reclamation. Some of the old methods of seismic surveys and transportation of personnel and equipment did leave lasting impacts on the soils and vegetation of the area. Scars of this past activity are still noticeable in some parts of the Planning Area today.
Most of the Northwest NPR-A Planning Area is roadless as defined by the wilderness handbook. "The word 'roadless' refers to the absence of roads which have been improved and maintained by mechanical means to insure relatively regular and continuous use. A way maintained solely by the passage of vehicles does not constitute a road." In addition, with over 8.8 million acres of public lands, meeting the size requirements of at least 5,000 acres is obviously not a factor in considering whether the Northwest NPR-A Planning Area meets the roadless and sufficient size criteria.
Outstanding opportunities for a primitive and unconfined recreation experience do exist in the Planning Area. These opportunities are largely attributed to the extreme remoteness of the area. Even in Alaska, there are a limited number of locations where an individual can be more than 100 mi in any direction from the nearest population center. This isolation provides opportunities for a wilderness experience.
The mountain unit (2,051,394 acres) and foothills (737,526 acres) unit on the southern boundary of the Planning Area provide summertime opportunities for backpacking, exploring, photographing nature, viewing wildlife, camping, fishing, and hunting. The mountainous areas also offer varied scenery. When they contain sufficient flow, major rivers such as the Meade, Awuna, Kigalik, and Italuk, are suitable for floating, which also allows for wildlife viewing, hiking, camping, and hunting.
Outstanding primitive recreation opportunities are also available along the Chukchi Sea coastline, particularly between Wainwright Inlet and Icy Cape. With the prevailing wind at their backs, travelers can paddle small boats or kayaks from Wainwright, traversing the Kasegaluk Lagoon to Icy Cape. The barrier islands, running parallel to the shore, offer some protection from the wind and ocean currents. During summer, visitors may be rewarded with unusual views of marine mammals, multitudes of waterfowl, or drifting ice packs close to shore.
Depending on the skills, initiative, experience, and equipment of the participant, parts of the Northwest NPR-A are attractive for winter recreational activities. The most favorable time of the year for these activities is late winter or early spring when temperatures are usually higher and days are longer than mid-winter. Although actual winter recreational use is currently minimal, the gentle terrain and wind-packed snow throughout much of the Planning Area create favorable conditions for dog sledding, snow machining, and cross-country skiing. The wind, however, can s deter or seriously curtail any activity in the Arctic. In mountainous areas, gale force winds can make travel nearly impossible. Wind combined with low temperatures produces chill factors that require travelers to take extreme caution. Orientation can be difficult on the flat expanse of coastal plain. Most winter recreational use and potential is limited to the area around villages, major river drainages, portions of the mountain and foothills area, the Chukchi Sea coastline, and established winter trails.
In addition to the mandatory characteristics of naturalness, size, solitude and/or primitive and unconfined recreation, an area may also contain supplemental values. The Northwest NPR-A Planning Area contains several wilderness supplemental values. Principal among these is the varied wildlife in the area and the associated opportunities for scientific study.
The thousands of lakes in the area are shallow and do not support fish. Game animals, primarily caribou, are abundant in some areas, but very few of these animals are trophy size. In summer, the tussocks and boggy terrain make cross-country hiking impossible over the northern half of the Planning Area. Many rivers in the area do not contain sufficient water for floating for more than a couple of weeks in the summer. North Slope weather conditions, including frequent winds, low fog, and extreme weather, affect the recreational opportunities in the region.
Wildlife is an important characteristic that affects the quality of the wilderness experience in three ways. First, it enhances the experience by its very presence, particularly those species that commonly cause people to visualize wild country. In the Arctic, these species may include grizzly bear, polar bear, wolf, wolverine, caribou, moose, loons, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, and ptarmigan. Wildlife viewing opportunities in the Planning Area are very good because some forms of wildlife are locally abundant and easily viewed at comfortable distances across relatively flat, treeless terrain. "Wilderness-associated" species are those often associated in the public's mind with (although not always biologically dependent on) a wilderness-like environment. Second, because of their intolerance of humans or their need for large areas of untrammeled land, some species can survive best in wilderness settings. Parts of Northwest NPR-A Planning Area provide habitat for caribou, grizzly bear, wolf, wolverine, geese, and swans, all of which require wilderness conditions. Finally, wilderness may provide habitat for rare and endangered species, which visitors would otherwise never have an opportunity to view. These species may not inherently need a wilderness habitat, but because they are close to extinction, wilderness is a sanctuary.
Most of the large animals such as caribou, grizzly bear, and wolf, tend to concentrate in the mountains and foothills to the south and outside of the Planning Area (in the Utukok river uplands, Colville river valley, etc.). Water birds, however, are widely distributed throughout the Planning Area from May through September. The coastal plain within the Planning Area contains the largest populations. Within the coastal plain, there are two areas of heavy concentration. The first is the northernmost part of the coastal plain, generally north of an imaginary line connecting Skull Cliff on the Chukchi Sea and the Colville River delta. This area provides nesting, molting, and staging habitats for geese, dabbler and diving ducks, shorebirds, jaegers, terns, loons, and swans. Its importance as waterfowl habitat was recognized when approximately1.7 million acres of the area around Teshekpuk Lake was established as a Special Area. The second waterfowl concentration is along the Chukchi Sea coastline near Icy Cape (105c Study find specific source).
In the spring, as sea ice breaks up and moves away from shore, marine mammals may be observed migrating northward, following the ice leads. The points of land extending into the water are places where the migrating mammals tend to pass near the shore and where they may be viewed easily from land. The sites include Barrow, Cape Franklin, and Icy Cape. Marine mammals that might be observed here include beluga whale, gray whale, spotted seal, and walrus.
To many people, wilderness evokes images of an area where one can experience solitude or serenity and that requires self-reliance. Recreational users of wilderness also expect outstanding opportunities for unusual adventure, excitement, and challenge.
Nearly all of the NPR-A offers a wilderness environment in which visitors can experience feelings of solitude, adventure, and serenity. The bleakness of the Far North also contributes to the impression of solitude. Even at a short distance from the few settlements, one is challenged with having to "fend for oneself." Because of remoteness, lack of convenient public access, and "unknown" quality of the area, recreation-oriented visits are now extremely limited. Thus, the visitor who does make the effort to get into the area is rewarded with a unique wilderness environment.
The presence of features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value is an important consideration in identifying areas for possible designation as wilderness. The opportunity for nature study or informal outdoor education as well as formal scientific study is an important attribute of wilderness if study can be done in a manner compatible with the essence of wilderness. Wilderness areas offer an ideal place for observing plant and animal relationships that have developed without human manipulation. Wilderness also serves as a control for comparison with areas where resources have been altered by man's activities. The Northwest NPR-A Planning Area has unique value for scientific study for a number of reasons. It represents a broad transect with many features typical of the environmental gradient between the Arctic Coast and the Brooks Range. The coastal marine environment gradually changes from the wet sedge meadows to the upland tussock tundra and then to the alpine tundra, with several less distinct gradations between each of these divisions. The coastal-plain ecosystems of the Northwest NPR-A occupy larger areas and are more distinct than those of the eastern portion of the North Slope. The Planning Area's coastal plain also includes a large area of wet sedge meadows, with their associated ponds, and oriented lakes not as well represented in the eastern portion of the Arctic. Research opportunities in the Northwest NPR-A Planning Area have been and are still excellent.
Inventories from other programs assist in identifying areas within the NPR-A containing ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value. The Joint Federal /State Land Use Planning Commission for Alaska is promoting an ecological reserve system for Alaska and a number of sites have been proposed (Underwood, 1977). Ecological reserves are field sites uniquely conducive to natural science research and education. There were several ecological reserve sites proposed in the late 1970's within the NPR-A. However, one prominent site in the Northwest NPR-A Planning Area is Icy Cape, or Kasegaluk Lagoon area.
National Natural Landmarks are areas that possess exceptional value in illustrating the natural heritage of the Nation. Under sponsorship of the National Park Service, a number of sites in the NPR-A having unique or noteworthy ecological, biological, or geological aspects have been examined and proposed for Natural Landmark status in two studies (Detterman, 1978: Koranda and Evans, 1975). Many of these proposed Natural Landmarks possess attributes similar to those considered in evaluating wilderness values. The proposed landmarks include land areas that represent the ecological, biological, and geological characteristics of large portions of the arctic lowland.
The Mountain Wilderness Unit (2,051,394 acres) and Foothills Wilderness Unit (737,526 acres) (Units F and G) are, generally roadless and natural with few noticeable human impacts and many opportunities for backpacking. In addition, the Foothills Unit offers good opportunities for cross-country skiing. Both units provide excellent scenic variety, better than any other within the Planning Area does. The area is the natural habitat for caribou, wolf, wolverine, and grizzly bear, which prefer large areas with minimal disturbance.
The Kasegaluk Lagoon Wilderness Unit is also roadless and natural, with some impacts from human presence along the lagoon shoreline; it offers outstanding opportunities for primitive recreation endeavors.
The coastal area of the Chukchi Sea between Wainwright Inlet and Icy Cape includes offshore islands, lagoons, small estuaries, and numerous lakes and ponds. The area contains one of the Arctic's best examples of a barrier island/lagoon environment. The proposal for two separate National Landmarks, one emphasizing ecological values and the other emphasizing geological values, points up the significance of the area (Detterman, 1978; Koranda and Evans, 1975).
Kasegaluk Lagoon provides unusual primitive recreation opportunities, including recreational boating and sightseeing. In the spring and fall, marine mammals may be seen migrating fairly close to shore. In the late summer, large numbers of shorebirds and waterfowl, including eiders and black brant, may be seen in the area. The area offers outstanding opportunities for scientific study and education.
In a site evaluation report by Steven B. Young (1979) for the Center for the Northern Studies in Wolcott Vermont, the author states:
The proposal area (Kasegaluk Lagoon) contains the largest lagoon and barrier beach system in the North American Arctic and this complex system displays essentially all of the features and processes associated with this landform, as well as a broad spectrum of the variation inherent in these processes. While no single geological feature can be said to be totally unique to the area, there is probably no place where they are all better displayed.
The area is ecologically significant in that it provides an exceptional situation for migrating and breeding waterfowl and other birds. Additional studies of the marine and estuarine animals and plants may well disclose additional important features. In addition, the heavy utilization of the area by marine mammals is important. In the final analysis, the value of the area probably depends most on the combination of features, some of which are unique and some of which are generally characteristic of the arctic lowland and coastal environments.