A Case Study for the Inland Northwest Economic Adjustment Strategy
Population, city of Salmon: 2,941
Percentage Below Poverty Level: 15.8%
250 jobs lost due to mill closures
120 jobs lost due to the Beartrack mine closure
Community projects include downtown and infrastructure improvements.
Local strategies: development of a business park, and placing Salmon on the Scenic Byway system.
Salmon is participating in a collaborative initiative to develop the Sacajawea Education and Interpretive Center, containing a community center and cultural institute.
Lemhi County
Population: 7,806
Salmon
Population: 2,941
Percentage Below
Poverty Level: 15.8%
Outlying Cities:
Challis: 748
Gibbonsville: 85
Leadore: 111
North Fork: 150
Background
Located at the confluence of the Lemhi and Salmon Rivers, this small western town is known as the Gateway to the Frank Church River of no Return Wilderness, and also as the Whitewater Capital of the World. The Lemhi River Valley was home to the Mountain Shoshone Indians more than 8,000 years ago. The Shoshone tribes gave the name "Ag-gi-pa" to both the Lemhi and Salmon Rivers, meaning "fish water". White settlers named the Salmon River in honor of the yearly migration of salmon to their breeding grounds. The Lemhi River was named for the chief of the Mountain Shoshone, Chief Lemhi. Salmon is an important point on the Lewis and Clark trail. In 1805, Captain Meriwether Lewis and his small advance party crossed the Continental Divide for the first time at Lemhi Pass.
The Salmon Valley is located in one of the most beautiful natural areas in the United States, providing unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities. However, Salmon's proximity to the wilderness also means that it is isolated. Highway 93 carries one of the lowest volumes of nonresident motor vehicle tourists of all federal highways in Idaho. Both the services and infrastructure of Salmon have limitations. Also, Salmon is undergoing economic hardship. Closures of mills and mines as well as restrictions that affect tourism have resulted in a significant loss of employment. Over 90% of the land in Lemhi County is in Federal hands, and the local economies are strongly linked to the land.The county once hosted a diverse resource economy based on the land area held by the federal government. Decisions made in Washington, DC have severely reduced jobs and opportunities in every sector of industry, including commercial recreation, logging, mining, ranching, hunting and fishing. At the same time, payments in lieu of taxes, government employment, and revenues from USDA Forest Service receipts have been cut.
Declining Natural Resources
Restrictions on logging and mining along with species protection policies have curtailed local use of natural resources. Timber harvest in the Salmon and Challis National Forests has been reduced to less than two million board feet per year. Concerns for Chinook salmon have led USDA Forest Service and National Marine Fisheries to restrict and reduce river rafting and fishing in our streams and rivers. Road closures and travel restrictions imposed for wolf recovery and bulltrout programs have hampered winter recreation. Grazing restrictions continue to impact the cattle industry.
Grangeville Gem Community Team
Economic Impact
Employment has been lost in mills as well as mines, putting the local economy into crisis.
- Until five years ago, the area had several small locally owned timber mills, which operated on forest products made available from federal lands. Every mill has closed, resulting in the loss of 250 jobs-- a drop in employment of more than 10%. The last closure cost the area 30 jobs.
- The tourist outdoor recreation industry has employed 20% of the area's workforce. Restrictions on the use of rivers and roads has forced local firms to sell out to seasonal operators.
- Unemployment in Lemhi county is 8.3%, while the national average is 4.8%. Per capita income in Lemhi county is 74.4% of the national average.
- Low metal prices coupled with high permitting costs have been the cause of mine closures. Since the redesignation of Napias Creek as Salmon Habitat, the Beartrack Mine Project has laid off 120 of its 155 employees. The mine used to provide 15% of the area's employment, and 30% of the revenues for local taxes.
- Grazing restrictions have affected the cattle industry for the past ten years. The area's small operators, each with a few hundred head of cows, will have difficulties surviving new restrictions on nutrient loadings and sedimentation.
- The introduction of the Canadian Grey Wolf has adversely affected tourism based on hunting because of the disruption in the feeding patterns of wild ungulates and the reduction of their numbers. Eco-tourism, though a possibility for the future, does not currently exist at a significant level.
- Local governments have experienced shortfalls of 30 - 40% in revenue, affecting schools, road maintenance, and the ability to provide health and social services.
Lemhi County Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Committee
"We are at the mercy of the stroke of a pen. Our economy is tied to federal land-- timber, recreation, mining, and agriculture."
Mike England, North Fork
Human Impact
Mike England is a Northfork resident whose grandparents homesteaded in the area. His father operated a small sawmill and also worked as a guide and outfitter. Mike grew up working both in the mill and in the wilderness. When large companies began opening mills in the area, Mike's family-owned mill had to close along with other smalls mills. Believing that there was not much future in resource-based industry, Mike financed his retraining while working for a logging operation as a feller. He works now as a general contractor with 2-3 employees and contracts to the government for fire-fighting in the summers. "It's a hand to mouth kind of living," Mike says, but says he's happy to have been able to stay in the area and raise his two children there. Others trying to make a transition from logging or mining, he said, into other ways of making a living had to relocate. Two years ago, Mike began serving as county commissioner.
Strategies
Infrastructure improvement and economic diversification are key strategies of the Salmon Gem Community plan. The plan outlines both long term and short term projects, some of which have already been accomplished. Funding was obtained for a downtown beautification project including landscaping and improvements. The city established an Urban Renewal District to help guide future planning efforts.
A youth park and a skating rink were developed. A juvenile detention center was completed. Three years ago, a marketing strategy outlined ways for Salmon to improve the economic role that tourism has in the community. Plans in progress include placing part of a historic bridge across the Salmon River connecting two parks. Adding Highway 28 to the Scenic Highway system has been proposed. Funding for airport improvement is being sought, as well as funding for a Salmon Valley Innovation and Business Center.
New Approaches
Salmon is actively involved in seeking innovative alternative to natural resource-based employment. A full-time economic director has been hired. Funding is being sought for the Sacajawea Education and Interpretive Center, which would contain a community center and cultural institute.
The project is a cooperative effort between the City of Salmon, Lemhi County, Lemhi County Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Committee, Salmon Chamber of Commerce, the local office of the USDA Forest Service, and the local office of the Bureau of Land Management. The Center will house administrative offices, display wings, learning center, conference rooms and performing arts area.
Salmon Gem Community Plan
The people of Lemhi County are seeking a means to preserve their cultural heritage and provide employment while protecting part of the history of America.
Resources
A variety of resources are available to Salmon. Chamber members, city and county officials (including a new county Economic Development Office), as well as local business people, artists, and residents have experience working with state resource organizations. On a regional level, this area is served by the East Central Idaho Planning and Development Association for grants development and business financing support. The state of Idaho is also currently implementing new rural economic development programs that will support planning and project related activities.
Conclusion
Salmon is a rural community in a crisis of change as its economic base requires rebuilding. Salmon has reached out in several new directions looking for economic opportunities and diversity. Strengthening community identity and engaging in partnerships have been part of the process of change.
