Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) are places that have wilderness characteristics; meet a minimum size, naturalness, and outstanding opportunities for recreation which make them eligible for designation as wilderness. The establishment of a WSA served to identify areas for Congress to consider for addition to the National Wilderness Preservation System. Currently there are 491 WSAs in the western US and Alaska.
For more information on WSAs, visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/wilderness