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• ~ M. Social Setting - Jackson County Itas a population of approximately 2;400 and is growing approximately 3% a year. This is a ranching community composed of second and third generation homesteader;:. Racial and ethnic minorities represent less than 5% of the total population. Social and cultural activities are oriented toward the ranchin, and small-town lifestyle. ReliLious, school and fraternal. organizations also generate many of the social i.n teracCio us. There is a tremendous amount of pride and cohesiveness amon}; the residents who have etched a living. Family-oriented residents have a very strong community spirit, especially ~ai..n outside forces threaten the conservative stance of tl~c com- munity. As eaith other western communities, too many regulation.^., laws, policies and plans receive negative reactions unless local control groups are consulted and their input is incorporated. Attitudes toward change and growth arc favorable if implemented at a slow, controlled pace. Economic development is welcomed if most of the benefits accrue to the local population. Suruuer and winter tourism has a slight impact on the social system of Jackson County. Tourists, including hunters from out of the county and state; fishermen, and snowmobilers are welcomed it '.~ they leave their money and not their litter. Opportunities for large volume social. contacts normally are not found iri the county itself. Additional'social and cultural activities occur in the larger cities such as Fort Collins, T Denver and Laramie: Specific examples would include Frontier ! Days in Cheyenne and the National SJestern Stock Show in Denver. N. Economic Setting - The three largest industries in Jackson County are ranching, caood production/manufacturing and mining. Ranching accounts for the largest business investments and is very land-intensive. Timber production 'occurs primarily on U. S. Forest Service and I;L1`i land and is also very land-intensive. i4ining occurs on both private and federal land but differs in that it is labor and capital.- intensive. Product sales for. 1970 were as follows: (a) All- agricultural sales: $5,000,000.00, (b) Timber sales: $215,000.00, and (c) Mineral sales: $2,090,000.00. riincra]. sales have increased tremendously since 1970 due to the commence- ment of the Kerr and Sigma Jfiu~s which together produced apprn:;i- mhtely 700,000 tons of coal in 1978.