About 3 percent is used for coal mining, urban development or other purposes. Timber production is mostly in the southern half of the area.
Poultry production is the major farm enterprise.
Corn, cotton, and vegetables are the major cash crops. Controlling erosion on soils that are cropped is the primary concern of management. Pastures are grazed mainly by beef cattle and are important disposal areas for poultry wastes. The area is deeply dissected and consists mainly of a series of rather narrow valleys, steep escarpments, and broad plateaus that are underlain by sandstone and shale. Valley floors are commonly about 100 m below adjacent plateau summits.