|
<br />20
<br />
<br />NATURAL, AESTHETIC AND
<br />CULTURAL RESOURCES
<br />
<br />Many of the most unique or outstanding large natural
<br />areas in the Basin have been designated already or at least
<br />managed by the Federal Government. These areas include:
<br />scenic badlands, high mountain ranges, mountain streams and
<br />canyons, alpine lakes. extensive coniferous forests, lakes and
<br />marshes in the glacial drift and sandhill prairies, and several
<br />unique landmarks and geological formations. In addition, sev-
<br />eral outstanding wilderness areas within the national forest sys-
<br />tem have been designated for several years, and recently sev-
<br />eral grassland wilderness areas have been designated within
<br />national refuge or monument lands. Several national parks, in-
<br />cluding Glacier, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain, provide ex-
<br />tensive outdoor recreation opportunity. With the passage 01 the
<br />National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, increased attention has
<br />been given to qualifying rivers within the Basin. An extensive
<br />reach of the upper Missouri River has been added recently to
<br />the national system, the first in the Basin. Through past efforts,
<br />a national recreation area also has been desi9nated along the
<br />scenic Bighorn Canyon area near the Wyoming-Montana bor-
<br />der.
<br />
<br />
<br />"
<br />Loup River near Burwell, Nebraska
<br />
<br />Federal efforts have been supplemented by State and
<br />private efforts to acquire natural areas having high natural, re.
<br />creational, cultural or historic values. In some cases the private
<br />effort has been significant in filling in voids in Federal and State
<br />programs. Recently, the latter effort has resulted in the acquisi-
<br />tion of a tall-grass prairie, a mixed-grass prairie and a few
<br />tracts of Missouri River bottomland forest. Paleontological, cul-
<br />tural and historic resources have also received Federal protec-
<br />tion and interpretation, and several outstanding sites have
<br />been acquired as national monuments, national landmarks,
<br />natural historic sites or national battlefields. Unfortunately,
<br />however, some important sites have been inundated by reser-
<br />voirs or have been irretrievably mutilated by vandals and col-
<br />lectors.
<br />
<br />Paleontologic sites include those which have yielded or
<br />contain fossil remains of many geologic periods, including
<br />those of early and recent mammals (horses, bison, cats,
<br />mammoths, rodents). Others include human artifacts and struc-
<br />tures that relate to the prehistoric and historic Indian cultural
<br />periods, while others pertain to the white exploration, frontier,
<br />and settlement eras. Important historical periods represented
<br />include: early exploration missions, lur trading, cattle ranching,
<br />mining, white-Indian wars, the Civil War, river transportation,
<br />and homesteading. The latter periods are colorful reminders of
<br />problems and stresses faced by the early white inhabitants of
<br />the Basin.
<br />
<br />Socio-Economic Characteristics
<br />
<br />POPULATION
<br />
<br />In 1975, the population of the Basin was estimated at 9
<br />million, or about 4.3 percent of the national total. Although the
<br />Basin's population has slowly increased since 1940, its propor-
<br />tion of the U.S. population has exhibited a 35-year decline, re-
<br />flecting a decline in small-scale farming, agriculturai employ-
<br />ment, and rural farm population.
<br />
<br />Thirteen Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas
<br />(SMSA's) are currently designated in the region, and their loca-
<br />tions are shown on Figure 5. They contained nearly half of the
<br />Basin's 1975 total population and 75 percent of its urban in-
<br />habitants. Since the 1930's, all metropolitan areas in the Basin
<br />have experienced large population increases.
<br />
<br />Two other population distribution trends can be ex-
<br />pected to influence luture settlement in the Basin. First, popula-
<br />tion is anticipated to increase in those urbanized places that
<br />experience growth in energy development. A second distribu-
<br />tional trend of national and regional importance is the in-
<br />creased preference of persons not engaged in agriculture to
<br />settle outside of metropolitan areas. Because these trends are
<br />not well documented, continued assessment will be required to
<br />discern their importance in the Missouri Basin.
<br />
<br />An important ethnic group in the Basin is the native
<br />American Indian. In 1975, the estimated Indian population re-
<br />siding on the Basin's 23 reservations totaled 65,400. By 2000,
<br />reservation Indian population is projected to grow to nearly
<br />84,000, an increase of over 25 percent. During this 25-year
<br />period, Indian employment is projected to increase from 17
<br />percent of the Indian population to 19 percent. The 1970 U.S.
<br />Census showed the median income lor Indian families to be
<br />about half that for other families. and lar below the Federally
<br />defined poverty level. Indian unemployment was about seven
<br />times that for the United States overall, and ranged for some
<br />reservations to as high as 70 percent of the employable work
<br />force. Indian problems generally can be characterized as a lack
<br />of access to the same level of social and economic opportunity
<br />afforded other Americans.
<br />
<br />
|