Understanding and assessing the human resource component of the Rio Puerco watershed is essential to the development of a land use plan for the area that will provide for sustainable functioning of both human and natural ecological systems. Sustaining viable communities relies upon an interplay of natural environmental factors and the availability of human resources, such as health services, education, transportation and distance to trade centers, health of the local economy, public welfare resources, and beliefs and values held by those in communities. A human dimensions assessment of the Rio Puerco will: 1) inform land management and policy decision makers about human resource factors 2) will serve as a baseline of information about current conditions to be used later in evaluating the impacts of proposed management strategies, and 3) develop a functional means of gaining input and cooperation from the private and community stakeholders who are most impacted by changes in the river and watershed, and 4) provide a first approximation for integrating human values and motivations in global change models.
Knowledge of the kinds and sizes of various economic institutions in the watershed can be used to help determine the sizes and kinds of impacts various land management strategies would be likely to have on local communities. Availability of public resources and sources of funding, and how they are valued in the community adds to the likelihood of stability as well as pointing to the size of impacts various land use plans might have on community stability. Current patterns of use, current cultural attitudes and beliefs, and values about community, land, and agencies are factors which play a large role in both the planning of land use and the best processes for obtaining public comment and cooperation.
Historical information about traditional patterns and attitudes towards prior planning, the kind and quality of cooperation between agencies, and cultural values provide a background from which trends and developments can be measured. Individual and collective perceptions about historical and current trends in range and water management will be used in building conceptual models of the drainage as well as inviting fuller participation of the communities most interested in planning efforts.
Census data for population size, amount of population change over past decades, age distribution, income sources and amounts, and occupations can be used to develop a picture of the local economic and age structures of communities as well as the numbers of people engaged in agriculture or occupations which are directly affected by the health and maintenance of the Rio Puerco ecosystems.
Data to be obtained will inform the modeling process regarding; 1) economic viability of communities; subsidies, import and export of goods and services, trends and direction of changes to the economy, 2) community identity, history and culture, values and visions/options for the future, demographic trends, and perceptions of equity, community well being and political strength, 3) organizational dynamics, presence or absence of conflict, preferred means of participating, and 4) political structure and functioning.
Land managers and other decision makers often encounter local opposition to their plans, leading to lengthy hearings and changes in original planning efforts which are costly both of time and money. Development of a model which includes stakeholder attitudes, pressures and long term trends can save management energy and resources as well as leading to better planning. Information regarding jurisdictions and political, ethnic, and racial boundaries within the area will be obtained from land and water managers, the impacted public, and other political organizations, such as tribal leadership and city/county government in each local area of the Rio Puerco watershed.
Data obtained in this study will be integrated into a conceptual model which will formalize knowledge about the human systems in the Rio Puerco. Concerned populations will be organized into groups which can thoughtfully participate in a planning process with the agencies responsible for resource management. Using this information, resource managers will have a conceptualized method for developing plans and both long and short term goals.
A survey, (see attachment), will be used in each community in order to obtain the best and most complete information possible about the watershed. Historical information held in local populations can provide a clearer picture of the non human ecology of the drainage. Census data, marketing information and other economic data will provide for a level of current conditions which can be independently measured and verified. Land and water managers, the impacted public, and other political organizations, such as tribal leadership and city/county government in each local area of the Rio Puerco watershed will be asked to participate in building an environmental data base which will be incorporated into the conceptual model referred to in the TERRA proposal. Measures for program evaluation will be the result of a planning process undertaken jointly by land and resource managers and the various political and social stakeholders who have elected to participate in this planning process. A feature of the modeling effort will be to identify goals and objectives which can be operationalized into measures of program strengthen weakness in future years.
An interactive procedure for involving the several publics as well as the many land and resource managers involved in the Rio Puerco watershed will add to the potential for a smooth and cooperative management plan and will help define roles and agencies to be activated in resource management. Education and training in range and water management enhances cooperation and interest in jointly held goals and objectives. It also provides a unity which is less costly to manage in the long run. In order to obtain the best and most complete information possible about the watershed, a survey, will be used in each community. The procedures outlined below have integrated some principles of modern range ecology and management embedded within them.
All interested state and federal management personnel, community representatives, and other stakeholders will be invited to become a part of the information gathering process. Those people contacted will be invited to: 1), help develop a specific procedure for gaining information from their community or interest group 2), provide contact with existing community organizations deal with watershed and range issues or identify persons from their community who might be willing to form a watershed committee, 3), to provide interpretation as needed, and 4) to help develop local goals and objectives in their part of the watershed.
Meetings will be requested between the watershed organizations and their political representatives to determine the best method of obtaining public comment on the various factors listed below as part of the conceptual model building process and the method of giving the survey will be decided. Depending upon local traditions and preferences, this survey may be given in a face to face interview with a subset of the general impacted population, or it many be given to the population as a whole using TERRA technology referred to in the TERRA Proposal. After the survey is administered and results have been summarized, a new series of meetings with the watershed committees and local leadership will be used for sharing the results of the survey and in order to participate in the conceptual modeling process.
State and federal land and watershed managers will be asked to participate in these local meetings as well as working separately on their own goal statements and surveys. After these meetings, each community will be asked to send representatives to a series of modeling workshops for completing the modeling process and development of an all inclusive watershed plan. It is hoped that by including as many people as possible in the data collection and goal setting process, there will be a better management plan developed and that there will be a wide and high level of cooperation and participation in the plan. A process such as this one also may be used at a later date to ask for cooperation from Rio Grande water users and others who have a secondary interest in the health of the Rio Puerco ecosystem.Work Plan
Familiarize self with existing community structures and boundaries, identify sources of information and people who are interested in the issues of land and watershed management in the Rio Puerco.
Collect data from external sources such as political maps, census data, economic data bases, and other informants (literature, personal contact, etc.).
Time: Two Months: One in New Mexico, one in literature and data base research.
Contact identified leadership, begin to explore the feasibility of conducting a survey in the area, facilitate and collaborate with community around obtaining community information, begin development of problem statement. Assesment of community interest and involvement in water and land issues.
Time: Concurrent with step one in New Mexico, plus one week per month for three to four months.
Using local committee and leadership (including federal, indian, and state land managers), begin planning for survey, determining which questions will be used, best wording and trial runs.
Help committee to publicize its activities and the survey.
Time: Concurrent with end of step two, leading into winter months; two weeks per month until survey questionairre is completed.
Adminisiter the survey to each local community, analyze results using statistical methods suitable for a descriptive study.
Time: One week for each community (each stakeholder group is a community) One month for statistical analysis.
Share results with each committee, set new meetings for actual problem definitions and modeling activities, (these will probably cover more than one meeting) and begin consensus building. The process for these meetings will be decided upon by the committee.
Time: One week per community.
Convene a watershed wide modeling group composed of representatives from each locality to begin problem definition, modeling, and planning for the watershed.
Land managers develop final plan, which is shared with large group.
Time: To be determined, preferably before the Field Conferance. The exact length of time and how that time will be used will be determined with the help of the group.
Land managers develop final plan, which is shared with large group.
Evaluate process and information developed through this method. Set process for continued involvement of committees in the watershed planning process.
Withdraw from activities.
