Appalachia: Turning Assets Into OpportunitiesSection II: Asset-Rich Appalachia: Cultivating OpportunitiesAppalachia is home to many inventions, traditions and landmarks. The region's scenic beauty is rivaled only by the pride of its people. Carved by majestic mountains, Appalachia boasts an abundance of assets that can be utilized for future growth. Three categories of assets provide the greatest opportunity for Appalachia to enhance its prosperity:
Natural and cultural resources represent what is best—and often most unique—about the region. Its recreation, old growth forests, music, history, scenic landscapes, artisans and skilled workers provide an authentic foundation from which to build. Structural resources are often overlooked by communities or perceived as liabilities. Finding new uses for old structures is a proven path to economic success. Throughout the region, communities and businesses are integrating development and management practices to leverage what they have—historic buildings, abandoned railroads, and old mines – to build or expand economic vitality. Three Reasons why Asset-based Economic Development is Timely and Appropriate.
"Awareness is the key. Residents who benefit from tourism tend to value and conserve what tourists are coming to see. Visitors reinforce that line when they support businesses that sustain the destination." Asset-based Opportunity: Natural ResourcesThe lush landscape, pristine valleys and regal mountains define this region and make it unique. For years, the region has seen these formations as barriers to progress. With asset-based economic development, these natural features can become a source of opportunity – through harvesting, recreation, new agricultural products and other market-driven uses. The popularity of nature-based activities is growing. In the last 20 years, the number of Americans 12 and older participating in some form of outdoor recreation has grown from 188 million to 229 million, an 18% increase per year. (US Forest Service, 2004) As more visitors seek out whitewater rafting excursions, mountain biking and nature trails, bird watching sites, leaf peeping routes, scenic drives and cross-country skiing, Appalachia can provide a range of experiences from leisurely excursions to hard-core adventure. For example, hiking is one of the nation's most popular recreational activities. In 2002, over 73 million Americans hiked. The region is fortunate to have the Appalachian Trail winding along its spine and providing an international platform for nature-based economic development. According to the American Hiking Society, well-managed trails running through communities can foster substantial, economic opportunity through business development and tourism: Damascus, Virginia has over 30 businesses in operation, and local leaders credit the Virginia Creeper Trail going through the town with the economic overhaul. The Great Allegheny Passage is the longest multi-purpose trail in the east with 100 continuous miles of trail open between McKeesport and Meyersdale Pennsylvania and 20 miles scattered throughout the Pittsburgh area. The trail's direct economic impact exceeds $14 million a year. One study recorded more than 350,000 visitor trips on the trail each year with users spending $12.01 to $15.33 per person, per trip.(American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, 1998) Recreation is just one economic development strategy for natural assets. Growing niche agricultural crops, refining timber production and revitalizing waterways are a few of the ways entrepreneurs and communities are expanding economic opportunities with natural resources in Appalachia. "Forests are like natural capital that pay daily dividends in clean water, flood protection, opportunities for outdoor recreation and more. The Forest Service has a role in promoting the sustainable management of all forests in the US, both public and private." "Selling" the Farm Farmers and bankers don't always agree. Yet both contribute to the livelihood – and connectivity – of a community. Local farmers in Broome County, New York want to keep their agricultural heritage healthy and productive. Bankers and businesses in Binghamton want cash registers to ring. And with its abundance of livestock and vegetable farms and orchards, the county is attracting a lot of outside interest in the form of professionals who chose to trade in urban dwellings and telecommute, change careers entirely or explore the countryside. The area's conundrum is to provide a win-win solution for all. Leaders decided to focus on ways to increase farm sales. In February 2004, the county launched the Agritourism Marketing and Education Initiative. A major objective of the Initiative is to educate and build a bridge between the Chamber of Commerce and the agricultural community. Bringing traditional businesses, new landowners and the agricultural community together is often a challenge. Local communication is vital to form alliances and encourage support for farming. New marketing materials are one vehicle for fostering communication. "We provide the local media with good news about agriculture. When people read positive articles, it has a big impact. Residents who didn't even know these places existed – and were driving two hours to Pennsylvania or the Finger Lakes region for similar sites – now learn about the same experiences offered in their own backyard," said Krys Cail, program manager. "We are looking at job creation, and working hard at developing accurate ways of counting the impact. Our economic development success, though, doesn't depend on getting one 200-job employer. By allowing and encouraging this level of micro enterprise, we are supporting several small companies that could grow that large," said Cail. Components of the Agritourism Marketing & Education Initiative include:
Getting people excited about the county's crops will hopefully realize the goal of increased sales, at farms and other local businesses including restaurants, hotels and retail shops. In the past three months, almost 20,000 copies of the regional brochure have been distributed. The response has been very positive and local officials indicate that visitation has increased, even during the wettest summer in memory. For additional information about the Agritourism Initiative call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County at 607-772-8953 Meet me at the JunctionBy train, by boat, by foot, by buggy or bike, travelers have journeyed to and through Cumberland, Maryland for more than 200 years. At the hub of several thoroughfares, this town is:
As transportation needs changed, however, so did downtown. The canal was no longer used for cargo. Retail moved away. Buildings were abandoned and decline set in. Things changed in the 1990s, though. Interstate 68 was completed and the town launched a pedestrian and bike-friendly downtown revitalization program. Cumberland relied on its diverse transportation past to make it hip again, with hiking and cycling paths in harmony with retail and restaurants. Downtown development from April 1998 to November 2002 includes:
The Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority leveraged strong public-private partnerships among national, state and local agencies – including the Appalachian Regional Commission and the C & O Canal National Historic Park – to renovate the Western Maryland Railway Station, built in 1913. Last year, Phase I of Canal Place opened adjacent to the depot with nine retail shops. The complex helped spur preservation of more than 100 historic structures and revitalize downtown Cumberland— which includes Canal Place and Town Centre— into a vibrant shopping, dining, recreation and entertainment area for residents and visitors. Future plans include private redevelopment of Footer's Dye Works Building and rewatering of the western terminus of the C & O Canal. For more information on Cumberland's downtown redevelopment, contact the Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority at 301-724-3655 or www.canalplace.org. Training for AdventureRecreation is big business in western Maryland and throughout Appalachia. In McHenry, 60 miles west of Cumberland, Garrett College is investing in adventure sports as a job generator through its Adventure Sports Institute (ASI). The program, founded in 1992, "develops professionals in the field of adventure recreation through academics, field studies and practical experiences." ASI educates and credentials highly skilled competent professionals. It also enhances opportunities for the general public to engage in adventure recreation. The region first considered the potential for growing adventure recreation when it hosted the1989 Whitewater World Championships in Allegany and Garrett Counties. Three years later, Garrett College organized the Olympic Team Trials in Whitewater Canoe and Kayak. Local officials recognized that the area's "distinctive four-season climate and a diverse geology" make it a natural for adventure recreation. In addition to its educational offerings, ASI also engages in a number of community projects including trail repair, river clean ups, and improving public access to local rivers. A new International Adventure Sports Center is planned in McHenry to accommodate future programs. For more information about the Adventure Sports Institute contact Garrett College at www.adventuresportsi.org Eco-friendly Kane Hardwood: A Certified SuccessLook closely at "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno's desk and you'll see something special. It's one of the certified wood products made by Pennsylvania-based Kane Hardwoods, a division of Collins Pine Company. This family-owned business has been operating for 150 years with the philosophy that good stewardship pays big dividends. Why? According to Connie Grenz, General Manager, "Taking care of what nature produces allows us to provide quality, renewable products for our great, great grandchildren." Kane Hardwood manages the 126,000-acre Collins Pennsylvania Forest. The land, which received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management certification from Scientific Certification Systems in 1994, sits in the center of one of the finest black cherry hardwood forests in the world, the Allegheny Mountains. Kane Hardwood currently produces about 14 million board feet per year, and includes a pre-dryer, dry kiln, solar kiln, planing mill and dimension plant. The company employs 120 people including nine professional foresters who believe in sustainable practices and environmental sensitivity:
They also purchase timber from other sources – the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania State Game Lands, State Forest Lands and private lands in the area – to accommodate production needs rather than overuse their own lands. Approximately 93% of their products are sold in the U.S. and the rest is exported. Kane's customers include a wide range of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. 30% of their product is purchased by secondary manufacturers to be made into FSC certified products, such as the panels used to build "The Wall" at the San Francisco International Airport. As the largest sawmill employer in McKean County and second largest private landowner in Pennsylvania, Kane Hardwood has been widely recognized and acclaimed for its civic and environmental practices
For more information on Kane Hardwood visit www.CollinsWood.com Asset-based Opportunity: Cultural ResourcesAmerica is now recognizing some of the cultural talent that Appalachia has nurtured for centuries. Adding to its list of accolades Asheville was named one of five American "Cities that are Special" by USA Weekend in July 2004. Ralph Stanley's music was recognized with Grammy Awards for the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack. U.S. News & World Report just named Berea College in Kentucky the "Best Comprehensive College for a Bachelor's Degree in the South for 2005." The rich cultural heritage of the region is unparalleled in its music, craft, performing arts, historic sites, time-old traditions, cool towns and hot entertainment. Hand-made objects, such as pottery, glass, metal work, textiles and jewelry, are a major source of income and employment in Appalachia. Artists are part of the creative economy, the rapidly growing sector now replacing or supplementing extractive industries and manufacturing. A national economic impact study of 80,000 craftspeople in 2001 by the Craft Organizational Directors Association (CODA) revealed that national craft sales are approximately $13 billion per year. The study showed that the median household income of full-time craftspeople is $50,000, 26% above the national median of $39,657. Other studies support the strong economic impact of craft in Appalachia:
Famous authors and entertainers, from classic to contemporary, contribute to the cultural wealth of the region. The Appalachian settings of great literature can also become cultural attractions for visitors. The wine country of Northern California became so (valued) because generations discovered what grew best in the soil and the climate of the community. The same lessons hold true for the arts in Appalachia. Forging Ahead on a Crooked RoadIn August 2004, Governor Warner officially dubbed the winding 200- mile stretch from Galax to Clintwood as Virginia's Heritage Music Trail. Encompassing eight counties, three cities and nine towns, "The Crooked Road" has high hopes for turning its culture into cash. Planners have two basic project objectives:
The road highlights the musical heritage of the region by connecting six major music venues. Plans are underway to erect 20 radio "listening posts" and informative signs along the route, allowing visitors to learn about the region's history and significant landmarks. Already, planners have:
"The Crooked Road" is funded by ARC with additional support from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development Program, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Tourism Corporation. To learn about Virginia's Heritage Music Trail call the Heart of Appalachia Travel Association at 1-866-686-6874 or visit www.thecrookedroad.org "This project is an excellent example of 'making do with what we have.' We've taken one of the greatest assets that our region has, our music, and tied it all together to offer tourists a unique product that will provide much needed economic revenue along the trail. Visitors will be surrounded by the songs, the stories and the people that created country and bluegrass music." One Teacher's VisionListening to the radio has paid dividends for a small town in Northeast Tennessee. A high school journalism teacher was in his car with a group of students when he heard Grand Ole Opry veteran, Jerry Clower, share a funny tale about raccoon hunting in Mississippi. This experience inspired Jimmy Neil Smith to start the local storytelling festival in his hometown of historic Jonesborough. Around 60 people showed up the first year. It was 1973. Three decades later, the National Storytelling Festival attracts more than 10,000 visitors every October and has been heralded as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association. The festival is also credited with igniting an international revival in storytelling art. In June 2002, the organization that plans the annual festival and perpetuates the storytelling movement found a new home at the International Storytelling Center and Gift Shop, billed as "the only facility anywhere in the world devoted exclusively to the power of storytelling and its creative applications." The Center complex includes a 200-year-old country inn, a new 14,000 square-foot education and interpretation building, and a surrounding three-acre park. For more information contact the International Storytelling Center at 423-753-2171 or www.storytellingcenter.org "Through our work, the International Storytelling Center is advancing the performance, preservation, and practice of storytelling to enrich our lives and work—at home, at work, and in our community. Storytelling can be used to produce positive change in education, healthcare, business and industry, public services, and arts, culture, and media." Crafting ExperiencesBerea has a long-established reputation as the Folk Arts & Crafts Capital of Kentucky. Its tradition in crafts began in the late 19th century when Berea College started a crafts production program to help students pay for their education. The skills learned during work-study have led to generations of quality craftspeople, many staying in the area. As Berea became known as a haven for craftspeople, other artists located here and built a diverse craft community. Today, visitors to Berea find a wealth of craft experiences including studios and galleries where artists demonstrate—and sell— their work. Churchill Weavers has produced quality hand-woven items for over 80 years and now welcomes visitors to its facility. It's one reason why Southern Living calls Berea one of its "favorite small towns in America." Last year, the Kentucky Artisan Center (KAC) opened to encourage visitors to learn more about the Commonwealth's crafts. Like Tamarack in West Virginia, the KAC features local artists through retail displays of their work. Music, books, specialty food products, visual arts and crafts and other hand-made objects by Kentucky artists are the foundation of the KAC. Another major objective of the center is to provide visitors with information on Berea and area craft excursions. The Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trail (www.kaht.com) weaves through the town and surrounding areas, reconnecting with I-75 at the southern end of Berea. Since opening in July 2003, the KAC has hosted 97,000 visitors. The KAC complements the award-winning "Kentucky Crafted: The Market" program by offering a year-round in-state location to purchase Commonwealth-made crafts. "Kentucky Crafted: The Market" was the nation's first wholesale/retail handcrafted gift market, and has become the model for Montana and other states interested in showcasing — and selling — their own distinctive craft. For more information on the Kentucky Artisan Center, visit www.kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov "The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea provides a stable, high volume sales venue for Kentucky-made products. When the craft marketing function is combined with the Center's mission to serve as a gateway to Kentucky through tourist information services and a product marketing approach that links maker/place/object, the KAC becomes a generator of local, regional and statewide economic opportunity. Economic benefits are generated in at least two sectors: the artisan industry and the tourism industry." Asset-based Opportunity: Retooling Old Structures into New UsesTurning lemons into lemonade is a favorite phrase from childhood. Now, as raw resources become scarce or abandoned buildings blight the countryside, community leaders understand and seek the power of adaptive reuse. Converting old buildings, recycling products and conducting massive environmental cleanups have stimulated new life into tired communities. Highways initially designed to move people rapidly through the region now foster a meandering mentality in motorists as these roads receive recognition for their vistas. Many sections of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) have become attractions in their own right. For instance, ADHS Corridor L – part of U.S. Highway 19 in West Virginia – helps bring whitewater rafting enthusiasts to the area. It also lures visitors along its route to experience the seasonal landscapes and New River Gorge Bridge, one of the state's most photographed structures. Twenty highways throughout Appalachia have been designated National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads by the Federal Highway Administration. Flat surfaces, such as landfills, provide a perfect tableau for redevelopment. Old coal mines are now being converted for new uses. The region can compete globally by designing market-driven solutions from perceived problems or liabilities. "If smart growth in the form of environmental protection and community development is the destination, then economic development is the vehicle for getting there…Development of our local brownfields has occurred in a variety of ways. Environmental factors alone did not necessarily control the brownfields redevelopment process…In most cases economic factors were the prime determinants of each project. Our local brownfields reclamation projects offered the best opportunity to not only recycle land, but also to better utilize existing infrastructure, e.g. roads, sewers and utilities." Gone Fishing"We've been totally dependent on coal," says Mike Whitt, executive director of the Mingo County (West Virginia) Redevelopment Authority, "and we've got to find new jobs and a new tax base if we're going to continue to live here." So, local officials decided to take another look at what coal mines produce. The answer was clear: water, lots of it. And in Southern West Virginia, the water runs abundantly clear and cold. These two ingredients are essential to fish farming, especially high quality breeds such as the salmon-like Yukon Gold™ Artic Char. In 1999, the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority built an artic char hatchery using water from an abandoned section of the Mingo Logan Coal Mine. The mining and land companies (Mingo-Logan Coal and Pocahontas Land Corporation) donated approximately $150,000 of in-kind contributions, matched by funds from both the West Virginia State Legislators and USDA-Rural Development, to ready the facility. It was stocked with 188,000 eggs in 2000, using the market- proven Artic Char as its inventory. Grow-out farms take the char when they mature at five to seven inches. Places such as West Virginia Aqua, a consortium of mining companies and landowners, provide homes for the fish until they are market ready. "Ultimately, we'd like to see grow-out farms in neighboring counties, employing 100 people," said Mike Whitt. "Our goal is to diversify the industry base and provide a wealth of career opportunities for local residents." West Virginia Aqua shipped approximately 300,000 pounds in 2003 and estimate shipment of approximately 400,000 pounds in 2004. "There are presently 10 employees at the hatchery and grow-out facilities. The new processing facility began operation in early October, creating another two to three jobs initially, and jobs will increase with market growth. Presently, there are 600,000 fingerlings at the hatchery. At the end of October, these are transferred to the grow-out farm. West Virginia Aqua has another 600,000 eggs ordered for the hatchery in late 2004, and plans are nearly complete to construct another grow-out farm somewhere in the southern coal fields, utilizing abandoned mine water. "This is the largest batch of eggs that's ever been brought to the hatchery at one time, and the market looks very promising for West Virginia Aqua to expand its production into other nearby counties. We are very optimistic that within the next decade, we can have a cottage industry developed in the southern coal fields region which will accomplish one of our goals of diversifying our economy by taking our natural resource assets and converting them into job-creating, tax-producing and prosperous industries," said Whitt. The Freshwater Institute helped Mingo County and West Virginia Aqua to overcome obstacles associated with fish farming through its research and development programs. The Shepherdstown-based company has also conducted demonstration projects in other parts of Appalachia, and provided technical assistance to the Fingerlakes Aquaculture's tilapia farm. The New York fish farm, founded in 1996, has the capacity to provide about one million pounds a year and employs 10 people. To learn more about this project, contact Mingo County Redevelopment Authority in Williamson, West Virginia at (304) 235-0042 or www.mcrda.org From Gas to GreenhouseAmericans throw away an average of 4.5 pounds of trash per person every day. What happens to this waste? Most goes to landfills, where the decomposition process creates methane gas. Methane gas traps 21 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide, so it can be dangerous at high concentrations. Many landfills "fill up" due to space limitations or concern about methane build up. What do communities do when their landfills close? Increasingly, communities turn to the EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMPO) to find new uses for old dumps. When the Mitchell-Yancey County Landfill in Western North Carolina closed in 1994, a non-profit organization formed to demonstrate the responsible use of landfill gas as an energy source for small enterprise in craft and horticulture, and to meet local energy needs. In 1999, Energy Xchange converted a portion of the six-acre 350,000- ton site into four greenhouses, three cold frames, two craft studios (one for clay and one for glass), a public gallery and a visitor center. At the landfill, Project Branch Out propagates rare and native flora of Western North Carolina and provides a variety of educational opportunities for students, growers and plant enthusiasts. Staff are re-introducing native rhododendrons and azaleas to landscaping and horticulture companies. An incubator program was established to support entrepreneurs starting, managing and operating new businesses in blown glass and pottery. Craft residencies are available for artists to work in studios at a nominal cost, and include business training from HandMade in America and Mayland Community College. The clay kiln and glass furnaces are fired with landfill gas at no additional cost to the artist residents, with a projected savings over the life of the project estimated at over $1 million. Energy Xchange has been a model for other regions, and the University of North Carolina-Asheville has just announced plans to build its new craft school on the Buncombe County Landfill. Neighboring Avery County also plans to convert its landfill to studios, focusing on wood and horticulture. For more information about Energy Xchange, contact 828-675-5541 or visit www.energyxchange.org "This is the first glass shop in history that hasn't been harmful to the environment." Revitalizing Main StreetsAcross Appalachia, towns large and small are restoring old commercial districts into vibrant and varied uses. The restored Elkin Theatre brings people to Aberdeen, Mississippi for movies on Friday night. When The Works Pizza Restaurant opened last year in a restored public works building behind City Hall in Loveland, Ohio, it helped revive downtown by attracting new businesses and customers. A Smithsonian "Museums on Main Street" exhibit will soon enhance the cultural offerings in restored Bridgeport, Alabama. Several Appalachian communities are winners of the coveted "Great American Main Street Award" designated annually by the National Main Street Center (www.mainstreet.org), a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Morgantown, West Virginia received the accolade in 1998; Greenville, South Carolina shared the honor with Rome, Georgia in 2003. Downtown revitalization usually occurs through new design and rehabilitation, beautifying streetscapes, promoting unique retail and dining experiences, erecting wayfinding systems, and providing a distinctive and safe environment for residents and visitors. Riding the RailsIn southeast Tennessee a group of local citizens, representing economic development and preservation organizations as well as local governments, collaborated to save an 1890 railroad that cuts through the Hiwassee River Gorge between Etowah and Copperhill. The Old Line Railroad Coalition formed in 2001 when CSX announced its plan to abandon the line and salvage the materials. Glenn Springs Holding provided a loan in the amount of $1.6 million that made the acquisition possible. The Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association (TOHA), a cultural tourism organization that helped form the Old Line Railroad Coalition, is the current owner. The Southeast Tennessee Development District immediately began work to assist with development of passenger and freight service on the line. They worked very hard with the local communities to save this line because, as officials say, "We are in the business of building infrastructure, not tearing it out." When the Tennessee Valley Authority realized that the most cost-effective and least troublesome way to access the Appalachia Powerhouse was the Old Line RR, the federal agency rehabilitated 13 miles of the line to gain access to the plant. Soon after, Tennessee Valley Railroad became an active partner and, in partnership with the City of Etowah, began to offer travel excursions on the newly upgraded 13-mile section. Last May, 5,040 people rode vintage passenger cars alongside the Hiwassee Scenic River on the Old Line RR. Seven weekends of excursions are scheduled this fall carrying a potential 8,000 passengers. In addition to the excursions on the old rail line, local leaders are developing industrial uses. Negotiations are currently underway for large amounts of calcine to be shipped from a site at Copperhill to several domestic and international markets, including China. TOHA values the Old Line RR for a number of reasons. First, it holds great historic value and is currently being surveyed in preparation for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Secondly, TOHA is convinced that no one can predict today what changes in transportation might emerge in the coming century. For more information about the Old Line Railroad, contact the TOHA at www.tennesseeoverhill.org "Just as we could not predict the vast economic and social changes that the automobile or Internet would bring to the 20th century, we probably can't accurately predict what kinds of economic and social changes might occur in the 21st century. Who knows, we just might need a fine old mountain railroad."
|
