Life in a Natural Resource Dependent Community My background and current responsibilities.
Background Regional Welfare Specialist, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 7 stakes, 3 states Executive Director, Montpelier Gem Team ( community’s economic development organization) Chairman of the Board of Partners for Prosperity
Description of the Community Greater Bear Lake Valley – H igh mountain valley Principle crop – grass & alfalfa History of phosphate mining Agriculture & mining dependent Third lowest wage rate in state of Idaho Majority of children on the school free lunch program
Description of the Community Aging Population – Few young families Declining enrollment in schools Largest population group – 65 and older Decline of Business Community – Vacant storefronts Failing businesses
Symptoms of Western Poverty Exporting children – only the successful can return.
Symptoms of Western Poverty Loss of legacy – children unwilling to accept the life and lifestyle.
Symptoms of Western Poverty Working to support the ranch.
Symptoms of Western Poverty Layoffs in the mining industry – enduring the down times.
Symptoms of Western Poverty The commute – second residences.
Symptoms of Western Poverty The phenomenon of under-employment – the truck and the gun rack.
Symptoms of Western Poverty How does the family get health insurance and other benefits?
Symptoms of Western Poverty Nobody’s home – divorce, daycare, the empty dinner table.
Symptoms of Western Poverty We must advertise on the web – we attract the jobless, welfare recipients, the uninsured.
Symptoms of Western Poverty Several generations of family living in one home Late marriages – sometimes no marriage
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural People Asset mapping and the asset mapping town meeting.
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural People The Halliburton opportunity – talk about a commute.
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural People Bear Lake Valley and its greatest natural asset – water.
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural People A large source of underground water – ‘water that Adam & Eve would have drunk.’
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural People The value of the western dialect and of church missionary service.
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural People Manufacturing in the Bear Lake Valley – we weld and we sew.
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural People Our greatest natural asset – the Bear Lake and what are we doing about it?
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural People Downtown restoration Industrial park Tourism, tourism and tourism
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural People Two new feasibility studies – bottled water and tourism.
Some of the Good Things Legacy of our past – Allinger Park, the Seniors Center, the Library.
Some of the Good Things Downtown restoration and how we’re using our history.
Some of the Good Things Bears everywhere!
Some of the Good Things National Oregon/California Trail Center.
Some of the Good Things Bear Lake Memorial Hospital
Some of the Good Things Free Senior Health Carnival and Elementary Students Health Fairs
Some of the Things You Should Know About Us We’re proud. Often unwilling to admit that we’re living in poverty.
Some of the Things You Should Know About Us We’re independent but very willing to help each other.
Some of the Things You Should Know About Us We’re ambivalent about growth and economic development.
Some of the Things You Should Know About Us We don’t like to feel that we’re the subject of analysis.