Life in a Natural Resource Dependent Community

1
Life in a Natural Resource Dependent Community

• My background and current responsibilities.

2
Background

• Regional Welfare Specialist, Church of Jesus
  Christ of Latter-day Saints 7 stakes, 3 states
• Executive Director, Montpelier Gem Team
  (communitys economic development organization)
• Chairman of the Board of Partners for Prosperity

3
Description of the Community

• Greater Bear Lake Valley High 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

4
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

5
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• Exporting children only the successful can
  return.

6
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• Loss of legacy children unwilling to accept the
  life and lifestyle.

7
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• Working to support the ranch.

8
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• Layoffs in the mining industry enduring the
  down times.

9
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• The commute second residences.

10
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• The phenomenon of under-employment the truck
  and the gun rack.

11
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• How does the family get health insurance and
  other benefits?

12
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• Nobodys home divorce, daycare, the empty
  dinner table.

13
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• We must advertise on the web we attract the
  jobless, welfare recipients, the uninsured.

14
Symptoms of Western Poverty

• Several generations of family living in one home
• Late marriages sometimes no marriage

15
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural
People

• Asset mapping and the asset mapping town meeting.

16
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural
People

• The Halliburton opportunity talk about a
  commute.

17
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural
People

• Bear Lake Valley and its greatest natural asset
  water.

18
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural
People

• A large source of underground water water that
  Adam Eve would have drunk.

19
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural
People

• The value of the western dialect and of church
  missionary service.

20
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural
People

• Manufacturing in the Bear Lake Valley we weld
  and we sew.

21
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural
People

• Our greatest natural asset the Bear Lake and
  what are we doing about it?

22
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural
People

• Downtown restoration
• Industrial park
• Tourism, tourism and tourism

23
Creating New Economic Opportunities for Rural
People

• Two new feasibility studies bottled water and
  tourism.

24
Some of the Good Things

• Legacy of our past Allinger Park, the Seniors
  Center, the Library.

25
Some of the Good Things

• Downtown restoration and how were using our
  history.

26
Some of the Good Things

• Bears everywhere!

27
Some of the Good Things

• National Oregon/California Trail Center.

28
Some of the Good Things

• Bear Lake Memorial Hospital

29
Some of the Good Things

• Free Senior Health Carnival and Elementary
  Students Health Fairs

30
Some of the Things You Should Know About Us

• Were proud. Often unwilling to admit that were
  living in poverty.

31
Some of the Things You Should Know About Us

• Were independent but very willing to help each
  other.

32
Some of the Things You Should Know About Us

• Were ambivalent about growth and economic
  development.

33
Some of the Things You Should Know About Us

• We dont like to feel that were the subject of
  analysis.