Thanks for the posts -- I can respond on some of the questions, since I've been immersed in this stuff for awhile!
@Charley -- yes, the Boulder Lakes wilderness additions were designed to keep some key mountain bike trails intact. That was largely the work of Matt Weintraub -- who recently relocated to Nevada for a new job opportunity, a big loss for the Oregon mountain biking community. There are some proposed other wilderness adds tailored to respect mountain biking areas, notably on the north end of McIntyre Ridge.
@ Webfoot -- the USFS had never closed 4610, though it had become impassable to most vehicles. Following the Riverside Fire they took the opportunity repair the slide area near the east end of the road, and I expect it to remain open in primitive condition (e.g., it won't be surfaced with gravel or have any other changes beyond basic grading, from what I can tell). The issue here has been dirt bikes and ATVs entering the trails of the Salmon-Huck that connect to the road -- especially Salmon Butte, so that's why some have argued to close the road. It also has wilderness on both sides, right up to the road, so dirt bikes and ATVs have a noise impact that can't be avoided. For now, it's going to remain open, though.
@johnspeth -- Congress has gone there before (in terms of establishing wilderness that includes old roads), and the assumption is that the roads will be closed and possibly decommissioned. The Roaring River additions in 2009 included areas like this, as well as the Elk Cove additions to the Mount Hood Wilderness (that's what they were called, but more accurately, this area was the Clear Fork valley on the north side of the mountain, including Owl Point). The USFS decommissioned the many roads in this area -- some before the wilderness additions, some in response to it, I believe.
Thanks for the interest, and get those comments in! I'm working on a blog post that hits some of the highlights. One that jumped out to me is the exclusion of the Badger Creek Wilderness from the NRA. While it would remain well-protected, the NRA status could bring recreation funds to this badly neglected wilderness -- and it's one that is hard for groups like TKO to tend trails in because of its remoteness for day trips. So, there's my two cents on that detail in the map.
I'm also really pleased to see both BLM and USFS lands along the Lolo Pass Corridor included in the NRA. There are so many great trail possibilities in that area in close proximity to Portland and US 26, so my hope is that the NRA designation might help get some new trails going... some very pretty areas there, despite the intrusion of the BPA lines.
-Tom
