CATRON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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Demographics

Information source: Catron County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)

With a 2004 estimated population of 3,440, Catron County is one of the least populated counties in the lower 48 states, partially due to the fact that over 75% of the county is public land administered by the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, other Federal agencies, and the New Mexico State Land Trust.

Reserve ( population 985 in 2000), the county seat, is the only incorporated community in the county.

Glenwood (pop. 557) , Quemado (pop. 781), and Datil (621) are the major communities with additional smaller population centers sparsely dispersed throughout the county, mostly in the western and northern areas.

Other political subdivisions in the county include portions of the Gila, Cibola, and Apache National Forests, and the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Within these National Forests are the Gila and Blue Range Wilderness Areas. There are three Soil and Water Conservation Districts: Quemado, Salado and San Francisco.

Catron County has experienced an influx of new residents in the past decade due to its aesthetics and location (central to Tucson/Phoenix, El Paso and Albuquerque), as well as to low property prices and low property taxes.. Due to economic pressures, large tracts of privately owned land, generally ranches, have been sold off to land developers. These parcels of private land are being developed into summer vacation homes and primary residences at a significant rate, as is demonstrated in the chart, below.

Economic values (business, industry)

Catron County is New Mexico's largest and most sparsely settled county, with half of its land area set aside in three National Forests: Gila, Cibola, and Apache-Sitgreaves. Another quarter of Catron County is in other Federal (mostly BLM) and State ownership. Catron County's economy is therefore very much government owned natural resource dependent, and the traditional economic base has been cattle ranching, lumber, tourism, and recreation.

The government - primarily the U.S. Forest Service - and agriculture are the county's two largest employment sectors, with livestock production accounting for most of the county's agricultural activity. While large-diameter sawmills and logging have been on a downward trend since the mid 1990s, small diameter timber harvesting is on the upswing in the County.

The San Francisco River Valley between Aragon and Glenwood is the primary agricultural region, though a small amount of food crops are grown.

Tourism and recreation are based on the aesthetic and cultural resources of the county. Typical views in the north are pinyon/juniper woodlands interspersed with large open meadows. Surrounding these areas are numerous mountain peaks covered in ponderosa pine and mixed conifers. Open ranges, vast forest, panoramic views, and relative isolation all contribute to the aesthetic value of the area.

Recreation in the County includes hunting and outfitting as well as hiking, bicycle touring, equestrian use, camping and some limited fishing. "Dark Skies" is an astronomy feature which is possible because of the lack of outdoor lighting at night and clear air. Few of the many archeological sites in the County are developed for the public, however they represent a value to science now and in the future.