JUNE 7, 2021 Niobrara County Draft Natural Resource Management Plan Natural Resource Management Plan Y2 Consultants, LLC & Falen Law Offices (Intentionally Left Blank) Natural Resource Management Plan Y2 Consultants, LLC & Falen Law Offices CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... VI ACRONYMS ......................................................................................................................... VII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 PURPOSE................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................... 1 1.3 PROTECTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS .................................................................................... 9 1.4 NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ORGANIZATION .............................................................. 10 1.5 NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS .................................................. 11 1.6 COUNTY EXPECTATIONS FOR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ............................................. 12 1.7 CREDIBLE DATA ........................................................................................................................ 13 CHAPTER 2: NIOBRARA COUNTY OVERVIEW, CUSTOM, AND CULTURE ................................. 15 2.1 NIOBRARA COUNTY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... 15 2.2 NIOBRARA COUNTY CUSTOMS, CULTURE, AND HISTORY ................................................................... 17 2.3 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES (CUSTOM AND CULTURE): ..................................................... 19 2.4 PRIORITY STATEMENTS (CUSTOM AND CULTURE): ........................................................................... 19 CHAPTER 3: LAND USE ......................................................................................................... 21 3.1 LAND USE ............................................................................................................................... 21 3.2 TRANSPORTATION AND LAND ACCESS ........................................................................................... 28 3.3 SPECIAL DESIGNATION AND MANAGEMENT AREAS .......................................................................... 35 3.4 WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................................... 39 3.5 RANGELAND AND GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT ................................................................................ 44 3.6 LAND TENURE, EXCHANGES, DISPOSITION, ACQUISITION .................................................................. 47 CHAPTER 4: GEOLOGY, MINING, AND AIR ............................................................................ 52 i | P a g e Natural Resource Management Plan 4.1 GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................................ 52 4.2 SOILS...................................................................................................................................... 54 4.3 SPLIT ESTATE OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 57 4.4 MINING AND MINERAL RESOURCES .............................................................................................. 58 4.5 ENERGY RESOURCES .................................................................................................................. 64 4.6 AIR QUALITY ............................................................................................................................ 77 4.7 CLIMATE CHANGE ..................................................................................................................... 79 CHAPTER 5: WATER RESOURCES .......................................................................................... 82 5.1 OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................. 82 5.2 WATER RIGHTS ........................................................................................................................ 84 5.3 IRRIGATION AND RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................. 86 5.4 DAMS AND RESERVOIRS ............................................................................................................. 89 5.5 WATER QUALITY ...................................................................................................................... 91 5.6 FLOOD PLAINS.......................................................................................................................... 97 5.7 RIVERS AND STREAMS ................................................................................................................ 99 5.8 WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN AREAS .............................................................................................. 101 CHAPTER 6: WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES RESOURCES ............................................................. 105 6.1 WILDLIFE MANAGING AGENCIES................................................................................................ 105 6.2 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES .................................................................................... 109 6.3 GENERAL WILDLIFE ................................................................................................................. 115 6.4 FISHERIES RESOURCES.............................................................................................................. 127 6.5 WILD HORSE AND ESTRAY LIVESTOCK ......................................................................................... 130 CHAPTER 7: ECONOMICS & SOCIETY .................................................................................. 132 7.1 TOURISM AND RECREATION ON PUBLIC LANDS ............................................................................. 132 7.2 CULTURAL, HISTORICAL, GEOLOGICAL, & PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ......................................... 134 ii | P a g e Natural Resource Management Plan 7.3 LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE ......................................................................... 140 7.4 ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................................... 144 CHAPTER 8: AGRICULTURE ................................................................................................. 148 8.1 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 148 8.2 LIVESTOCK GRAZING ................................................................................................................ 151 8.3 PREDATOR CONTROL AND LIVESTOCK PREDATION ......................................................................... 160 8.4 NOXIOUS AND INVASIVE WEEDS AND PESTS ................................................................................ 162 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 168 APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS .................................................................................... 177 APPENDIX B: TABLES ......................................................................................................... 192 APPENDIX C: REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS .................................................................... 208 APPENDIX D: ECONOMIC INFORMATION FOR NIOBRARA COUNTY ..................................... 209 SUMMARY OF EMPLOYMENT .......................................................................................................... 209 EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY (2000 – 2018) ..................................................................................... 210 EARNINGS BY INDUSTRY (2000 – 2018) .......................................................................................... 212 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES BY INDUSTRY (2019) ............................................................................... 214 EMPLOYMENT CHANGES DURING RECESSIONS (1976 – FEBRUARY 2020) .............................................. 215 UNEMPLOYMENT (1990-2019) ..................................................................................................... 215 APPENDIX E: PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED ....................................................................... 217 iii | P a g e Natural Resource Management Plan LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Niobrara County Natural Resource Management Plan Area. ....................................... 16 Figure 2. Niobrara County Surface Ownership Map. .................................................................... 27 Figure 3. Fire history of Niobrara County. ..................................................................................... 43 Figure 4. Niobrara County geologic formations............................................................................ 53 Figure