Seminars look at how growth is transforming economy

Seminars scheduled this week and in November are part of a statewide process seeking to understand changes in the local, state and regional economies and find ways to benefit from them.

By Alan Choate
The Daily Inter Lake

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Titled "Flathead on the Move," the series is part of "Montana on the Move," http://www.crmw.org/MontanaOnTheMove/ organized by local leaders across the state and the Center for the Rocky Mountain West http://crmw.org/ at the University of Montana.

Flathead County’s growth has been well documented, with new residents boosting population by 26 percent over the last decade and 7 percent between 2000 and 2003. The only other Montana area growing faster is Gallatin County.

What isn’t as widely realized is how quickly that growth is transforming the economy, said Larry Swanson, associate director of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana.

Growth, according to Swanson, is pushing the local economy away from traditional western industries such as timber and agriculture and toward sectors such as health care, business services and technology.

"That’s what people have to understand, is how fast this is," he said. "It’s going in a completely different direction."

The same thing is happening in communities throughout the Rocky Mountains, he said, and these communities have the same challenge — positioning themselves to reap the economic benefits while preserving the qualities that drew people there in the first place.

"When you have economic development coming your way, it’s best not to take it for granted," Swanson said. "You can use it to get into an economy that doesn’t require growth" — that is, one with highly educated, skilled workers in stable, sustainable jobs.

How to get there will be the focus of Flathead on the Move, which starts with two seminars this week. Participants will brainstorm ideas on work-force development, business assistance, growth management and other initiatives associated with economic development.

"The basis of our economy has changed," said Susie Burch, who owns Glacier Park Boat Co. and is on the Flathead on the Move steering committee. "Not to say that the traditional bases are not important, [but] we have a diverse economy and a lot of growth here — a lot of people who are bringing jobs with them.

"This is an opportunity to see what kinds of things we can do to encourage growth that leads to economic prosperity."

Participation in this process has been encouraged by Flathead Valley Community College, Jobs Now, Montanans for Multiple Use, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the chambers of commerce in Kalispell, Whitefish, Bigfork, Columbia Falls and Lakeside-Somers.

Reporter Alan Choate may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at [email protected]

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FLATHEAD GROWTH

http://www.crmw.org/MontanaOnTheMove/Data/NBCFlathead9_22_04.htm

Flathead on the move. That’s the title for the plan set in motion this morning at the outlaw inn. Leaders from all over the valley attended the conference to discuss what will be done to cope with rapid growth. Kalispell Mayor Pam Kennedy said it’s important to get started. "We in the Flathead Valley are one of the most diverse economies in the Pacific Northwest. And I think that says a lot about our community. So we need to be able to get ahead of that," she said.

The keynote speaker this morning was from the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West. Dr. Larry Swanson said the Flathead would only get larger. "We kind of look at this growth to continue for at least another 10 to 15 years. And part of what we’re trying to figure out is how do we position ourselves for this growth, take advantage of it. How do we make it better, how do we make these cities better in the process," he explained. With a canvas like this, it’s no wonder why the Flathead Valley has been painted one of the fastest growing areas in the state.

Pam Kennedy said in order to deal with that growth, community leaders would play an important role. She added, "They all said Co-Operation between the governments. So I think that it’s real important, and we as elected officials need to be able to sit down and try to figure out how we can come together and work together as a co-operating community."

Those who attended the conference spent the morning discussing many important issues. But Swanson was clear this is only the first step. "Out of that discussion, you just hope that it begins to feed itself into good choices and what are we doing with our schools, and what do we do with our streets, our infrastructures and what do we do in housing and transportation. This is a long-term process; it’s not something we can do tomorrow. But it’s something we’re going to have to engage ourselves in steadily and go forward," he said.

Flathead on the move is part of a larger group called Montana on the move. The next action will be a community leaders forum November twelfth.