Comprehensive Evaluation Report

three percent of the land with the administrative boundary is private and the remaining 3% represents
State-owned land (see Land Jurisdiction Map, Appendix A). These Grassland units are where plan
components will apply; however, to assess how the Grasslands contribute to social, economic and
ecological sustainability, larger areas are analyzed.
The larger area of analysis for the ecological section varies depending on the scale of information being
analyzed. Current conditions and trends for the Grasslands were analyzed using Grassland units within
the administrative boundaries. The historical data and comparison of the Grasslands to the surrounding
landscape were analyzed using Subsection boundaries from the National Hierarchical Framework of
Ecological Units. All four Grasslands are part of the larger Great Plains grassland ecosystem.
The analysis area for social and economic conditions and trends is primarily the counties that overlap with
the Grassland units (Grassland counties) with a few exceptions. In some cases, the evaluation compares
social and economic conditions and trends for Grasslands counties to state and regional trends. The
Grassland units cover very small proportions of the land within each county (Table 1). Mora, Gray,
Hemphill, and Colfax Counties contain minor proportions of Grasslands acreage. However, the large
Forest Service recreation areas in Hemphill and Gray Counties make important contributions to the social
and economic well-being of local communities. The Wagon Mound community in Mora County also has
important ties to the Mills Canyon area of the Kiowa National Grassland. Colfax County is excluded from
further evaluation because it only contains 320 acres of general rangeland on the Kiowa National
Grassland, which does not contribute significantly to the county economy or lifestyle. In addition, the
demographics and economic conditions of Colfax County are substantially different from those of other
Grassland counties because of its proximity to Taos and the recreation and tourism activities associated
with that area.
Table 1: Percent of County under Grasslands Management
Forest Service
Ranger District
County, State
Kiowa & Rita Blanca Dallam, TX 8
Kiowa & Rita Blanca Harding, NM 5
Black Kettle Roger Mills, OK 4
Kiowa & Rita Blanca Union, NM 2
Kiowa & Rita Blanca Cimarron, OK 1
Percent of County which is
in a Grassland Unit
Kiowa & Rita Blanca Mora, NM