Little Jacks Creek Wilderness

Geography

The Little Jacks Creek Wilderness has rugged canyons, streams, and plateaus. It has red rhyollite and a large brown basalt dome covered with grass and sagebrush. There are several spots where river canyons are 1000 ft deep.

Legislative history

The Little Jacks Creek Wilderness was created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009. Also created in the Omnibus Land Act were five additional southwestern Idaho wilderness areas in Owyhee County, collectively known as the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness Areas:

• Bruneau–Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness - 89996 acres
• Big Jacks Creek Wilderness - 52826 acres
• North Fork Owyhee Wilderness - 43413 acres
• Owyhee River Wilderness - 267328 acres
• Pole Creek Wilderness - 12533 acres

The Act of 2009 added 517025 acres of wilderness within the state of Idaho.

Wilderness areas do not allow motorized or mechanical equipment including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.

Natural history

The Little Jacks Creek Wilderness lies within the Owyhee Desert, part of the northern Basin and Range ecoregion, although hydrologically the wilderness area is within the Snake River – Columbia River drainage. The area is home to mountain quail, mule deer, Columbia River redband trout, and sage grouse.

References

References

1. "Ecoregions of Idaho".
2. "Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness". Idaho Public TV.
3. "Little Jacks Creek Wilderness - General". Wilderness.net.
4. "Little Jacks Creek Wilderness - Area Management".
5. "Forestwide Standards and Guidelines". United States Forest Service.
6. "Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness Areas". Bureau of Land Management.
7. "Little Jacks Creek Wilderness, Idaho". Public Lands.
8. "Little Jacks Creek Trail". Bureau of Land Management.
9. "Little Jacks Creek". Bureau of Land Management.
10. "Wild & Scenic Rivers". Bureau of Land Management.