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Range Management for New Mexico (Catron County)

Plan Goal

To stabilize Catron Counties economy through the best possible management of natural resources and their traditional uses.

Situation Statement

Catron County’s economy is based on beef cattle production. At the same time more than 87% of the counties 4,414,720 acres are made up of US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management or State administrated lands. Today’s ranchers face not only traditional range management issues, they also must work within the constraints set by natural resource management agencies. Often times these constraints lead to conflicts with the agencies as well as environmental groups. Land management agencies have not been doing comprehensive rangeland monitoring. This has required ranchers to monitor their own rangeland not only to help them make management decisions but also to use to defend their management actions. This monitoring information will also be beneficial to the rancher in the event they become involved in litigation. Wildlife/livestock conflicts have also arisen as ranchers and wildlife enthusiasts compete for the same resources. In addition many areas within the county contain poison plants. These plants lead to losses annually, ranchers need to know the most up to date management practiced to deal with poisonous plants.

Catron County has an abundance of wildlife resources. Many people in Catron County benefit financially from annual hunting seasons for big game animals, particularly elk. The county’s dependency on livestock production for economic stability has led to many conflicts between wildlife enthusiast and agriculture producers. These entities are competing for many of the same natural resources. Therefore, sound research-based information is needed by ranchers, hunters, public land management agencies and the general public to make informed decisions concerning wildlife. Mexican gray wolves, the loach minnow, spotted owl and willow fly catcher, are just a few of the endangered species potentially found in Catron County. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, along with other Federal and State agencies, implement management plans to deal with these and other species that can in some cases drastically alter the current management on these lands. The addition of environmental groups and other activists can lead to heated conflicts over what should be done with both public and private resources.

Riparian issues have come to the forefront with many environmental groups over the past few years. As a result, much litigation has occurred regarding riparian areas on public lands. Through court action, many riparian areas along rivers and streams have been fenced to exclude livestock. Environmental groups argue that excluding livestock from these areas is needed to protect endangered species habitat. At the same time, some research indicates that endangered species are thriving along with the presence of livestock. This polarization of livestock and environmental concerns has led to much debate and conflict. Many Catron County residents do not understand what a riparian area is or what a healthy riparian system consists of.

Target Audience and Actions

The target audience for these programs will include ranchers, farmers, management agency personnel, hunters and other recreational enthusiast. They will be targeted through meetings, workshops, media outlets, and personal contact.

Short-Term Objectives

Members of the target audience will gain an awareness of the issues surrounding natural resource management.

Medium-Term Objectives

Ten farmers or ranchers will adapt their management or production practices to address natural resource management.

Long-Term Objectives

The natural resources and their traditional uses will continue to contribute to the socioeconomic structure of Catron County.

Evaluation Plan

Evaluations will be provided to all meeting and workshop attendee to evaluate the likelihood that that will alter their current management or production strategy. In person follow up will be conducted to determine the changes that occur in production or management over time.