Ranchland: Impacts on rural communities

Abstract

This chapter addresses the question of whether greater negative impacts occur in rural communities of ranchers as a consequence of energy development than would occur in urban communities with industrial employment. In order to answer this question, the structure of such communities must be examined. This differential impact is important for several reasons. Much of the current and future development of energy resources will occur in these highly vulnerable communities. Since they are especially likely to be especially disrupted, it is crucial that investigators and policymakers understand the unique impacts they encounter. Unless investigators measure the rural community as a unit of analysis, they will fail to describe the relevant fundamental impacts. Policymakers guided by such misinformation will be unable to protect such communities in the spirit of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Ranch communities are wholes at both intrapersonal and interpersonal levels. Oldtimers are likely to become polarized around the multifaceted issue of development.