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Updated: This report describes the benefits of a frontage path–a proposed paved, multi-use pathway connecting Belgrade and Bozeman along an approximately ten-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 10 in Gallatin County. Read more
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Reforming county payments by establishing a permanent Trust to fund Secure Rural Schools (SRS). Read more
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The economic challenges and opportunities in Taos County stem from being both a bustling mountain resort town, and a rural community facing long-term socioeconomic challenges. Read more
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A new tool helps the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico assess wildfire and populations at risk. Read more
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Identify neighborhoods in six Great Lakes cities that meet socioeconomic vulnerability criteria. Read more
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Western counties once dependent on timber today perform similarly to like-sized counties. Three case studies outline economic lessons from counties that weathered the timber transition. Read more
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Western counties are experiencing a wide disparity in youth migration. While some are attracting and keeping young adults and families, others are struggling. Read more
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While national poverty rates dropped in the last year, the county-level picture is mixed. Read more
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Understanding your local economy and how it compares to peers is a crucial part of community and economic development. Read more
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Slide show: A theory of economic development in the rural West. Read more
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Coal fiscal policies vary widely across the West in terms of how revenue is generated, set aside in permanent savings, or spent by state and local governments. Read more
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Hispanics account for roughly one in four westerners and one in six rural westerners. Read more
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Lack of access to a vehicle, poverty, and disabilities, can make evacuation difficult or impossible for some households. Read more
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Seven case studies illustrate best practices and lessons learned to develop programs for outdoor state recreation funding. Read more
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National interactive map and charts show Medicaid-dependent counties and populations at risk. Read more
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This report summarizes Montana’s economy analyzing recent growth and what is driving its performance, including a description of how federal lands help attract people, investment, and businesses. Read more
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This story map provides Taos County residents with information about the ecological role of fire, the region’s wildfire risk, forest restoration projects, and emergency preparedness. Read more
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Minority populations are growing in nearly all rural western counties, helping booming communities expand and slowing the decline in counties that otherwise would have lost people. Read more
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Non-labor income sources such as investments, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid often are the largest and fastest growing sources of personal income for many counties. Rural counties especially are surprisingly dependent on non-labor income. Read more
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A guide to planning for the long-term social, economic and environmental well-being of the community of Colstrip, Montana. Read more
