Natrona County, Wyoming Chapter 7 Update for the Natrona County Development Plan November 23, 2020 Prepared for: The Natrona County Board of County Commissioners Prepared by: DJ&A P.C. P Chapter 7 Update for the Natrona County Development Plan Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose and Intent of this Plan ............................................................................................................ 1 Legal Framework ................................................................................................................................. 3 Organization ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Planning Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 8 Planning Priorities ................................................................................................................................ 9 Mitigation Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 11 Mitigation Priorities ........................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 1: Custom and Culture ............................................................................................................. 14 Chapter 2: Land Management .............................................................................................................. 18 Land Use ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Land Access ....................................................................................................................................... 22 Wilderness and Other Special Land Use Designations ........................................................................ 24 Fire Management .............................................................................................................................. 27 Forest Management .......................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 3: Physical Resources .............................................................................................................. 33 Air Quality and Climate Change ......................................................................................................... 33 Cultural, Historical, Geological, and Paleontological Resources .......................................................... 37 Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources ............................................................................................. 39 Soils ................................................................................................................................................... 47 Chapter 4: Water Resources ................................................................................................................. 49 Irrigation and Related Infrastructure .................................................................................................. 49 Dams and Reservoirs ......................................................................................................................... 50 Water Rights ...................................................................................................................................... 51 Water Quality .................................................................................................................................... 52 Wild and Scenic Rivers ....................................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 5: Wildlife and Fisheries .......................................................................................................... 55 Fisheries ............................................................................................................................................ 55 Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species................................................................................. 55 Wildlife .............................................................................................................................................. 58 Predator Control ................................................................................................................................ 60 Wild Horses and Burros ..................................................................................................................... 61 Aquatic Invasive Species .................................................................................................................... 62 Chapter 6: Economics & Society............................................................................................................ 64 Recreation and Tourism ..................................................................................................................... 64 Visual Resources ................................................................................................................................ 65 Law Enforcement ............................................................................................................................... 67 Economic Considerations ................................................................................................................... 68 Chapter 7: Agriculture........................................................................................................................... 74 Livestock and Grazing ........................................................................................................................ 74 Noxious Weeds and Invasive Species ................................................................................................. 76 References Cited ................................................................................................................................... 79 Appendix A—Maps ............................................................................................................................. A-1 TOC-1 Chapter 7 Update for the Natrona County Development Plan Appendix B—Public and Agency Survey............................................................................................... B-1 Appendix C—Socioeconomic Profile .................................................................................................... C-1 Figures Figure 1 Fire Occurrences in Natrona County (1980–2016) (USGS 2016) ................................................ 28 Figure 2 Acres of Land Burned in Natrona County (1980–2016) (USGS 2016) ......................................... 28 Figure 3 Natrona County Assessed Valuation in 2019 (Wyoming Department of Revenue 2019) ............ 40 Figure 4 Natrona County Employment Trends (U.S. Department of Commerce 2019) ............................ 71 Tables Table 1 Natrona County Surface Land Ownership (Wyoming Geospatial Hub 2019) ............................... 18 Table 2 Causes of Fires in Natrona County (1980–2016) (USGS 2016) .................................................... 28 Table 3 Energy and Mineral Resource Production and Value in Natrona County .................................... 41 Table 4 Percentage of Split Estate Property within Natrona County ....................................................... 41 Table 5 Acres of Big Game Habitat in Natrona County............................................................................ 59 Table 6 Aquatic Invasive Species Presence in Natrona County................................................................ 62 Table 7 Allotment Acres by Owner across Natrona County .................................................................... 74 Appendix A-Maps Map 1 Surface Ownership within Natrona County ................................................................................... 2 Map 2 Land Cover within Natrona County, 2001–2016 ............................................................................ 3 Map 3 Off-Highway Vehicle Management Areas within Natrona County .................................................. 4 Map 4 Special Land Use Designations within Natrona County .................................................................. 5 Map 5 Special Recreation Designation Areas within Natrona County ....................................................... 6 Map 6 Oil and Gas Resources within Natrona County .............................................................................. 7 Map 7 Irrigation Infrastructure within Natrona County ............................................................................ 8 Map 8 Wyoming Dept. of Environmental Quality Assessed Waters within Natrona County ...................... 9 Map 9 Trout Stream Classification within Natrona County ..................................................................... 10 Map 10 Greater Sage-grouse Habitat within Natrona County................................................................. 11 Map 11 Pronghorn Habitat within Natrona County ................................................................................ 12 Map 12 Elk Habitat within Natrona