Abstract:
Over the last fifteen years, rural communities in the Pacific Northwest have been trying to redevelop their
economies to meet new federal land management priorities. Numerous state and federal agencies and
nonprofit organizations work to promote rural economic development. These entities offer grants and low-interest
loans; they seek to recruit new businesses and retain existing ones; and they provide business development
tools, worker training, and employment opportunities. However, the extent to which economic development and
land management agencies work together to foster economic development associated with stewardship of natural
resources and public lands is unclear. The purpose of this study was to understand how economic development
service providers engage in natural resource–based economic development, and their perspectives on the challenges
and opportunities that it presents.