Craig Daily Press

Craig — Community leaders interested in changes to the regional economy, effects of change and possible future plans are invited to attend a presentation by Mesa State College and the El Pomar Foundation on Feb. 6.

The El Pomar Northwest Regional Council commissioned a study by the Mesa State College Natural Resource and Land Use Policy Institute to look into why the region’s economy is booming, what new concerns are coming up and how the area can address the issues collectively.

Mesa State and El Pomar officials plan to present the study, titled “Socioeconomic Impacts of Growth,” from 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 6 at Craig City Hall.

“The Northwest Regional Council noticed more requests for increasing socioeconomic issues, such as housing and health care, and many of them were related to growth in this region,” said Audrey Danner, Northwest Regional Council member. “We wanted to examine all this without a lot of conjectures.”

Six oil and gas companies working in the region contributed $26,000 of the study’s $35,000 cost. El Pomar funded the remaining $9,000.

The large combined contribution from energy companies should not deter anyone from the study’s findings, Danner said.

“What we saw on nearly every grant request coming through to the El Pomar Foundation was that energy growth was a leading factor for people’s requests,” Danner said. “We want (the energy companies’) understanding of the issues, and we want them to be part of the solution.”

The study also looks at impacts from tourism and changing population demographics, such as a baby-boomer generation entering retirement age, Danner said.

According to the study’s executive summary, growth in Moffat County is “a perfect storm” of tourism activity to the east, energy development to the north and south and new construction on all sides.

However, such large growth has negative consequences, as well.

The energy and construction industries have caused a growing number of transient workers to take residence in Moffat County, which strains on local health care providers because those workers are typically underinsured, and the sudden spike in activity in all industries strains the county’s transportation system, the summary reports.

Despite growing revenue from property taxes, the county does not benefit to a large extent.

Although the county’s total property tax valuation increased 14.5 percent from 2004 to 2005, the Taxpayers Bill of Rights limits the county to keeping 5.5 percent.

The limitations forced the county to refund $970,389 in 2007, according to the summary.

Because the county cannot claim all the benefits resulting from the area’s growth, it cannot keep up with service and infrastructure demands, the summary concludes.

The study recommends long-term planning and coordination between government and private enterprise to offset negative consequences from growth.

The study can affect the whole community, Danner said.

“This is for nonprofits, so they can better understand what needs are out there in the community,” she said. “It would be for local governments to see what issues might be coming and what they can do to address them. It would be for businesses not only to find out changes to the local economy, but to the region, as well.

“Our issues ripple over into each adjoining county. We are going to have to come up with a better model of working together, not only between cities and counties, but within the region.”