A PROJECT LED THROUGH THE REV

Blues Intergovernmental Council (BIC)

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ABOUT

Rural areas of the western United States are often dominated by public lands. Eastern Oregon is no exception with vast areas designated as National Forests, BLM lands, wilderness areas, wildlife areas, as well as state-owned lands. Members of the Blues Intergovernmental Council (BIC) were interested in how the management of our National Forests impacts the socioeconomic conditions in the counties where they are located. The report linked on this page was produced by a team at the REV Center to address this question.

Faculty and students at Eastern Oregon University are working with the Blues Intergovernmental Council to provide the council with facilitation support services. In 2022, a team at the REV completed a report providing a socioeconomic analysis describing the impacts of forest-related industries on local economies in 14 counties in eastern Oregon and Washington.

County commissioners from eastern Oregon alongside the US Forest Service are serving as initial conveners of the BIC and believe that working together will expedite and support the implementation of effective, sustainable management strategies on the ground that will advance environmental health and socio-economic goals for local communities dependent on the Blue Mountains.

TEAM

REV was contracted to facilitate the development of a report to address the economic conditions specific to communities in the region. This county-level data analysis is not available through other sources and provides the council with a basis for decision-making. It is also an excellent opportunity for students and faculty at Eastern Oregon University to be involved in the development of tools that help us better understand rural economies and to apply these tools and understanding to academics at EOU.

COHORT

EOU Faculty: Peter Maille
EOU Faculty: Scott McConnell
Student Intern: Sarah Buddingh
REV liaison: Julie Keniry
Wallowa Resources liaison: Nils Christoffersen