Comprehensive Evaluation Report

eplace facilities at the end of their service life and as needed to meet accessibility standards should
continue to occur. Visitor use does not exceed the design capacity at these sites, meaning they generally
do not exceed 70% of their capacity, except during hunting seasons. While the sites are popular and
highly-valued in sustaining local communities, they do not have serious over-crowding or overflow
problems. Under current management, the projected trend is that all the developed recreation sites on the
Grasslands will continue to make a contribution to the quality of life for local residents and visitors, help
stimulate the local rural economy, and continue to adequately satisfy, through regular maintenance,
updates, and some expansion, the public demand for different types of developed sites.
The Forest Service is increasingly working to develop and improve interpretive services by laying out
objectives aimed at increasing coordination with other programs and agencies, increasing professional
training, and developing a means of working with others to provide interpretive programs. To meet these
and other objectives, the Grasslands are developing interpretive sites and wildlife and bird watching areas
which help improve public awareness and appreciation of natural and cultural resources. Public access to
important natural and cultural resource sites provides an important opportunity to promote tourism and
local economic growth. Overall, demand for interpretive services is expected to increase and therefore an
expansion of current partnerships and a locating of new partnerships to aid in their development is
necessary.
Areas of Interest 19
The Grasslands provide many unique and remarkable scenic, historic, and ecological features that attract
visitors and stimulate the local economy. Grasslands scenery is characterized by pastoral agricultural
landscapes including vast open grasslands and rolling hills. Views from Grassland units often include
homes, barns, tractors, trucks, windmills, cattle, stock tanks, and other private ranchland features, in
addition to some oil and gas wells. Grasslands residents are accustomed to viewing these features and
consider them a highly-valued part of the traditional landscape. Many visitors also have a deep
appreciation of the rural character of the plains grasslands landscapes. The presence of farms and ranches
contribute to the “sense of place” or “cultural identity” for residents and visitors alike.
Actions taken by the Grassland’s managers help contribute to scenic quality or mitigate negative effects
of other uses that may detract from it. For instance, some closed oil and gas sites on the Black Kettle
National Grassland were rehabilitated to minimize evidence of the past operation. In the past 20 years,
Grasslands managers have created some trails to improve the public’s opportunity to view scenic
landscapes and wildlife. Some areas on the Grasslands provide views that are uncommon in the
surrounding area or are unique to this part of the plains grasslands. Examples of these areas include the
lakes and riparian areas on the Black Kettle National Grassland, the “High Lonesome” area of the Rita
Blanca National Grassland, and Mills Canyon on the Kiowa National Grassland.
The Kiowa and Rita Blanca Grasslands have several features that attract visitors because of their unique
historic and scenic resources. These areas have the potential to encourage tourism and enhance rural
development opportunities in an economically declining region. They are:
o Santa Fe National Historic Trail
o Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway
o La Frontera del Llano Scenic Byway (State)
o Canadian River eligible Scenic River
o Canadian River Inventoried Roadless Area
19 ibid. p. 27-28, 30-31
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