Wilderness core meets multiple-use forest at the edges

The ecosystem sits within a complex mosaic of protected lands managed at different conservation levels: Mount Olympus Wilderness and Twin Peaks Wilderness (15,434 and 11,499 acres respectively, GAP 1 status) are managed for biodiversity, while the surrounding Wasatch National Forest (712,255 acres, GAP 3) is managed for multiple use and remains open to logging, grazing and mining.¹ The gap between biodiversity mandates in core reserves and extractive uses in surrounding lands reflects competing management priorities.¹