Thursday and Friday last week, hundreds of leaders met in Cedar City for the 31st Annual Utah Rural Summit.
Gov. Gary Herbert and Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox, as well as many other notable state and local leaders and experts were on the docket to discuss the needs and future of rural Utah.
The focus of the conference could be summarized in three main topics:
- Healthcare and the Opioid Crisis in rural Utah
- Environmental issues- protecting our forests and public lands
- Economic job growth and expansion from the Wasatch Front to rural Utah using technology and improving the internet infrastructure
Healthcare and Opioid Crisis
Utah was #7 in the nation for opioid related deaths, Carbon County being the top county in the state with 52 percent of the reported opioid overdose deaths.
Debbie Marvidikis, a Carbon County resident, highlighted how the use of NARCAN kits have saved 40 lives in Carbon County.
Healthcare is a huge challenge for rural Utah. The number of healthcare professionals per capita is significantly lower.
Travel and out of pocket costs are also a significant expense compared to the Wasatch Front. The state has been looking at ways to improve these issues and there are significant grants that will provide rural cities with medical resources. It was announced that East Carbon City and a few other locations has received a grant to purchase a first responder vehicle.
Environmental Issues
Governor Herbert addressed the concern in our forests and the affect the drought is having on our state.
He laid out a plan to take back the upkeep of our forests from the federal government.
He said “It is time to propose a state plan to the federal government to manage our own public lands.”
Governor Herbert discussed the challenges our local government leaders have had in trying to reduce the risk of wildfire due to federal government restrictions and this plan will reduce or eliminate these barriers.
Economic Job Growth and Expansion in rural Utah
Governor Herbert highlighted the current strength of our coal mines. He said, “five of our seven coal mines are expanding, exporting of our coal is on the rise, and three coal mines in Emery and Sevier Counties have added 85 new jobs.”
Fiber was a hot topic at the summit. Utah has passed legislation that provides over $2 million to create opportunities for individuals in rural Utah through creating telecommuting jobs, freelance work, entrepreneurship, and other online commerce.
The ROI (Rural Online Initiative) works from rural Utah to create training and connect workers with job opportunities. The REDI Grant (Rural Economic Development Incentive) is designed for companies in the Wasatch Front or other urban areas to hire rural employees in which they may qualify for up to $6,000 in hiring incentives.
Summary
Utah has seen an unprecedented growth in almost all areas, but rural Utah has lagged significantly behind.
This issue is not going unnoticed by our leaders and even businesses have stepped up to help. For example, Brainstorm, a tech company in Utah County spoke about their adoption of Carbon School District and how they have provided money and teaching experiences for students in our area.
This is just one example of how companies are looking out for rural Utah.
Trent Willson is an occasional business reporter and columnist for the Sun Advocate. You can email him at dreamcoachers@gmail.com.