Across State Lines as a regional whole
Turning On the Off-Season: A Yellowstone-Teton Economic Report
By Lucia Stewart, 3-13-08
The 25 counties that comprise of the Yellowstone-Teton region of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana may be separated by state lines, but all share common amenities: high-quality natural areas, extensive amount of public lands, large wildlife populations and plentiful outdoor recreation.
But this also subjects the region’s economy to seasonal fluctuation — a shared challenge between both the rural and urban centers. How does this region, which shares similar environment and economic drives, understand and coordinate with each other in order to turn on the off-season?
The Yellowstone Business Partnership recently completed the first phase of a research project to characterize and analyze off-season assets and economic opportunities in the region. Therefore, local businesses and governments can grasp the regional growth trends and build an understanding across jurisdictional boundaries and vast geography. The recently completed report can be found here.
Following the report, a second phase is underway. Six sub-regional volunteer groups within the region will assess important focal points within this report where individuals, groups, businesses and governments can concentrate resources and energy to become more interconnected in our “off-season.” Each team will be allocated $10,000 for additional data analysis and/or strategic planning on an issue relevant to all represented counties.
This report offers a fascinating snapshot of how this region operates and its economic wellbeing by assessing the region’s natural, recreational, educational, cultural, health care, and transportation assets and opportunities.
The report displays agricultural land holdings over time decreasing, while our employment sectors of construction, health care services and accommodation & food services increasing. It shows our population aging with the loss of 25-to-40-year-olds. It projects recreation participation in the eight-state Rocky Mountain region increasing by the hundreds of millions, particularly in the activities such as walking, wildlife and bird viewing, and sightseeing. For a complete study, click here.
The Yellowstone Business Partnership is a nonprofit organization representing over 250 businesses in the Yellowstone-Teton Region with a mission to unite these businesses dedicated to preserving a healthy environment and shaping a prosperous and sustainable future for the region’s communities.
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Ray said: "I don't know about "taking on the railroad" , and I think Bill mis-worded the following "For years, people in central Montana have been encouraging,…
Anna Daley said: "Solid story, Jason. It's so important to have journalists, like you, who can research such an important issue and deliver an unbiased report."
fenske said: "RUgreen writes, "I told you so two months ago--Moonlight will be shuttered just like Tamarack Resort in Idaho.There is absolutely no market for their product…
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