With Legend Land, a division of Ben Brooks and Associates of Phoenix, planning to subdivide and sell the land for development, this pattern also posed a possible threat to wildlife habitat in the area. Under the exchange agreement proposed in 1997, BLM will be able to consolidate habitat for two endangered species, the Hualapai Mexican vole and the Mexican spotted owl. Despite these environmental benefits, government officials, local ranchers, and recreational organizations have been concerned about other possible impacts. At the request of these groups, researchers from The University of Arizona were asked to analyze the proposal. Frisvold, along with AREC research specialist Trent Teegerstrom and Jim Chamie of the Office of Arid Lands Studies, conducted an independent study of the socioeconomic impacts of the exchange.
Cattle ranching is the main economic activity in the exchange area.
Regardless of the exchange, Legend Land planned to eventually cancel these leases and subdivide their holdings. It will also affect cattle stocking rates, access to water, and access to range improvements. To assess these impacts, the research team surveyed individual ranches in the exchange area. The researchers analyzed both the immediate and long-term effects of the exchange for each of the three groups. Under the proposal, one group of ranches will have acreage moving from public to private ownership.