FEBRUARY 15,15, 2021 Niobrara Conservation District 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 ................................................................................................................... III LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... V ACRONYMS .......................................................................................................................... VI CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 PURPOSE................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................... 1 1.3 PROTECTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS .................................................................................... 7 1.4 NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ORGANIZATION ................................................................ 9 1.5 NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS .................................................... 9 1.6 COUNTY EXPECTATIONS FOR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ............................................. 10 1.7 CREDIBLE DATA ........................................................................................................................ 11 CHAPTER 2: NIOBRARA COUNTY OVERVIEW, CUSTOM, AND CULTURE ................................. 13 2.1 NIOBRARA COUNTY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... 13 2.2 NIOBRARA COUNTY CUSTOMS, CULTURE, AND HISTORY ................................................................... 15 2.3 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES: (CUSTOM AND CULTURE) ..................................................... 17 2.4 PRIORITY STATEMENTS (CUSTOM AND CULTURE): ........................................................................... 17 CHAPTER 3: LAND USE ......................................................................................................... 19 3.1 LAND USE ............................................................................................................................... 19 3.2 TRANSPORTATION AND LAND ACCESS ........................................................................................... 25 3.3 SPECIAL DESIGNATION AND MANAGEMENT AREAS .......................................................................... 31 3.4 WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................................... 35 3.5 RANGELAND AND GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT ................................................................................ 41 3.6 LAND TENURE, EXCHANGES, DISPOSITION, ACQUISITION .................................................................. 44 CHAPTER 4: GEOLOGY, MINING, AND AIR ............................................................................ 49 4.1 GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................................ 49 4.2 SOILS...................................................................................................................................... 51 4.3 MINING AND MINERAL RESOURCES .............................................................................................. 54 4.4 ENERGY RESOURCES .................................................................................................................. 61 4.5 AIR QUALITY ............................................................................................................................ 74 4.6 CLIMATE CHANGE ..................................................................................................................... 76 CHAPTER 5: WATER RESOURCES .......................................................................................... 79 5.1 OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................. 79 5.2 WATER RIGHTS ........................................................................................................................ 81 5.3 IRRIGATION AND RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................. 83 5.4 DAMS AND RESERVOIRS ............................................................................................................. 85 i | P a g e Natural Resource Management Plan 5.5 WATER QUALITY ...................................................................................................................... 87 5.6 FLOOD PLAINS.......................................................................................................................... 92 5.7 RIVERS AND STREAMS ................................................................................................................ 94 5.8 WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN AREAS ................................................................................................ 96 CHAPTER 6: WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES ................................................................................ 100 6.2 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES .................................................................................... 104 6.3 GENERAL WILDLIFE ................................................................................................................. 110 6.4 FISHERIES .............................................................................................................................. 122 6.5 WILD HORSE AND ESTRAY LIVESTOCK ......................................................................................... 125 CHAPTER 7: ECONOMICS & SOCIETY .................................................................................. 127 7.1 TOURISM AND RECREATION ON PUBLIC LANDS ............................................................................. 127 7.2 CULTURAL, HISTORICAL, GEOLOGICAL, & PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ......................................... 129 7.3 LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE ......................................................................... 134 7.4 ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................................... 138 CHAPTER 8: AGRICULTURE ................................................................................................. 142 8.1 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 142 8.2 LIVESTOCK GRAZING ................................................................................................................ 145 8.3 PREDATOR CONTROL AND LIVESTOCK PREDATION ......................................................................... 154 8.4 NOXIOUS WEEDS AND INVASIVE SPECIES ..................................................................................... 156 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 162 APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS .................................................................................... 171 APPENDIX B: TABLES ......................................................................................................... 186 APPENDIX C: REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS .................................................................... 202 APPENDIX D: ECONOMIC INFORMATION FOR NIOBRARA COUNTY ..................................... 203 SUMMARY OF EMPLOYMENT .......................................................................................................... 203 EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY (2000 – 2018) ..................................................................................... 204 EARNINGS BY INDUSTRY (2000 – 2018) .......................................................................................... 206 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES BY INDUSTRY (2019) ............................................................................... 208 EMPLOYMENT CHANGES DURING RECESSIONS (1976 – FEBRUARY 2020) .............................................. 209 UNEMPLOYMENT (1990-2019) ..................................................................................................... 209 APPENDIX E: PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED ....................................................................... 211 ii | P a g e Natural Resource Management Plan LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Niobrara County Natural Resource Management Plan Area. ....................................... 14 Figure 2. Niobrara County Surface Ownership Map. .................................................................... 24 Figure 3. Fire history of Niobrara County. ..................................................................................... 40 Figure 4. Niobrara County geologic formations............................................................................ 50 Figure 5. Soil classification mapped for Niobrara County. ............................................................ 53 Figure 6: State of Wyoming Oil Production Trends (1978-2020). (WOGCC, n.d.-a) ..................... 62 Figure 7: State of Wyoming Gas Production Trends (1978-2020).