In a thousand old stories, someone searches far and wide for a hidden treasure, only to find it, at last, close to home. Attendees at the Building on Appalachia's Assets conference, held October 13-14, 2004, in Abingdon, Virginia, heard many variations on that theme--based not on fantasy, but on facts. The conference, which drew approximately 350 attendees, focused on asset-based economic development, defined by Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Federal Co-Chair Anne B. Pope as "building on strengths . . . taking what you have and maximizing its potential." Sponsored by ARC and partners, including the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and hosted by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the program combined challenging, broad-brush perspectives on the Appalachian Region's economic future with nuts-and-bolts examples of how different states and communities are capitalizing on sustainable natural resources, distinctively Appalachian products, structural resources, and regional history and culture.
Congressman Rick Boucher, representing Virginia's Ninth Congressional District, welcomed conference attendees. He chose to emphasize the economic potential of tourism. "Our mountain culture," Boucher said, "is unique. In an increasingly homogenized national culture, it attracts people to our region."
Keynote speaker Lawrence A. Selzer, president and CEO of the Conservation Fund, a conference co-sponsor, described asset-based economic development as "a new approach for economic development based on the cultural, historical, and natural resources that we already have." Selzer also noted the importance of tourism, especially the rapid growth of "eco-tourism." For example, mountain vistas and mountain streams can become a potentially inexhaustible source of revenue, assuming they are valued and protected.
Selzer described land conservation as a key element in an economic development comprehensive strategy. He contended that Appalachia's economic problems can be understood as "a crisis in creativity." He challenged his audience to see opportunities in prior problems. Examples ranged from the extraction of valuable metal oxide from mining wastes to aquaculture projects in water-filled mine shafts. Selzer suggested that market forces and environmentalism are converging, rather than following separate paths. For example, large business firms will not locate or remain in areas that cannot attract and hold creative young people. Prized employees who are capable of finding jobs anywhere will prefer locations with quality-of-life advantages, including outdoor recreation opportunities and a clean environment. Selzer's summary: "A growing economy is getting bigger. A developing economy is getting better."
Drawing on Skills and Assets
Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner, ARC's 2004 states' co-chair, addressed conference attendees at lunch. He described three components in an asset-based strategy: intangible assets like music and culture; distinctive products like arts, crafts, and agricultural specialty items; and irreplaceable natural assets like mountains, streams, and forests. Warner acknowledged that individual communities and entrepreneurs have often built projects around assets like these, but he suggested that these initiatives have been "ad hoc at best." "It's time," he said, "that we put our love of the Region into a comprehensive economic development effort."
Warner listed three desirable features of jobs developed through an asset-based strategy. First, these are jobs "that can never be outsourced." Second, they do not require that residents of rural areas and small towns move to cities. Third, although all good jobs require education and training, jobs created by tourism and craft products "draw on the natural skills and traditions of our people."
Federal Co-Chair Anne Pope noted that the 1964 study that led to the creation of ARC not only outlined the Appalachian Region's problems, but also described the Region as "rich in natural assets." Since then, she said, ARC and its partners have made substantial progress in overcoming regional deficits but have paid less attention to building on its unique strengths. Although roads, communications infrastructure, education, and training continue as priorities, Pope said, she stressed a "need to use every tool in the toolbox." In that spirit, she urged conference participants to "look for the things that set us apart."
Pope also announced that ARC will sponsor a $250,000 grants competition to promote asset-based economic development. Selzer responded with a pledge that the Conservation Fund will serve as a strategic partner with ARC to support this effort. The two organizations will partner with others in providing applicants with technical assistance. Winners of the competition will be announced in June 2005.
Focusing on Creative Strategies
Twelve breakout sessions showcased specific examples of asset-based development. In general, the sessions focused on three issues: the creative use of cultural and natural assets, transformation of liabilities into assets, and taking entrepreneurial advantage of niche markets for distinctive local and regional products.
A session on "heritage trails," one of two sessions repeated twice, attracted a substantial number of participants. A heritage trail may include historic sites, studios of artists or artisans, musical or dramatic productions--or some combination of these. But the trail as a whole can be promoted as a total experience, larger than the sum of its parts. The goal is to make sure that every location on the trail benefits from its links to the other locations.
Todd Christensen, representing the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, described the Crooked Road, Virginia's heritage music trail, which celebrates traditional bluegrass, gospel, and mountain music. Christensen called the trail "a massive collaboration of partners." It extends more than 200 miles and includes sites in 10 counties, 3 cities, and 12 towns. State agencies and ARC provided most of the trail's $3.3 million startup and promotional costs, and roughly a dozen other organizations made special contributions that relate to music, culture, and the arts.
Other presenters at the heritage trails session included Kathy Werking, a faculty member at Eastern Kentucky University, who described the Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails, a cluster of 15 trails built around arts, crafts, local food products, and music. In addition, Cheryl Smith, a regional tourism representative for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, outlined a strategic planning process leading to the ARC Tourism Council's "Roadmap for Tourism and Craft," a plan outlining growth opportunities for Appalachia's tourism and crafts industries.
Presenters on other tourism-related issues included Barbara Stagg, executive director of Historic Rugby, who described the restoration of Rugby, a utopian community established in eastern Tennessee in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Jonathan Tourtellot, director of sustainable tourism for the National Geographic Society and geotourism editor for National Geographic Traveler magazine, had people scrambling for handouts explaining how National Geographic rates areas for geotourism. The formula includes six criteria: natural setting, "built environment," skill in tourism management, overall aesthetics, culture, and general outlook. "I can say, based on worldwide experience," Tourtellot told his audience, "that Appalachia is on the cutting edge in this area." At the same time, he commented frankly on low-rated areas in the Region with immense capacity to improve.
Building on Natural Resources
A session on "ecological assets," also presented twice, emphasized creative use of natural resources for tourism and outdoor recreation. For example, Linda Caldwell, executive director of the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association, described how ongoing efforts to rebuild her area's economy after the closing of copper mines in 1985 have gradually paid off. A strategy focused on outdoor recreational activities (and amenities in "gateway" communities) has resulted in opening motels, other lodging and food facilities, and vigorous new businesses. In addition, there are promising indications that international firms may invest in extracting value from waste products of the abandoned mines.
Stephen Herman, president of Garrett College, explained how the smallest community college in Maryland (located in Garrett County, the state's westernmost county) has become a national center for the adventure sports industry, which includes rock climbing, orienteering, whitewater rafting, and other activities. The college and a number of public, quasi-public, and private organizations are now partnering to create a large adventure sports complex that will combine an adventure sports museum, the nation's first recirculating whitewater course, 550 acres of trails and open space for hiking, biking, skiing, and climbing, and a community recreation center with gymnasiums and classrooms.
Other sessions dealt with exploiting undervalued resources. For example, converting strip-mined land into industrial sites may both reduce restoration costs for the land's owners and eliminate any necessity to damage or destroy a pristine site somewhere else. Mike Whitt, executive director of the Mingo County (West Virginia) Redevelopment Authority, described a wide range of projects--orchards, a fish hatchery, and a privately developed golf course. Related sessions included restoration and reuse of old buildings and ways of promoting the sale of art and craft products--whether traditional or contemporary.
Creative use of wood and forest products rated a separate session. Among other presenters, Ron Miller, a forest industry specialist affiliated with Ohio State University, described the importance of "branding" local products, citing Ohio's success in capitalizing on the reputation of Amish wood craftsmen for producing high-quality work at reasonable prices. He also noted the existence of niche markets for "minor" forest species--hickory, sassafras, sourwood, and eastern red cedar.
A session on funding sources offered perspectives on pitching ideas to public agencies, private foundations, and sources of private capital. Speakers were Brenda Barrett, a national coordinator for heritage areas with the National Park Service; Mary Hunt-Lieving, program officer with the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation; Rick Larson, managing director of SJF Ventures; and Tony Tighe, intergovernmental affairs specialist for the National Endowments for the Arts.
Conference attendees responded enthusiastically to this smorgasbord of offerings. Pat Houck, from the Wilderness Road Arts and Craft Guild in Rose Hill, Virginia, said she came away realizing that whether an artisan's product is traditional or contemporary is less important than customers' coming to feel that they know something about the artisan and what he or she was trying to do. "It's important that we tell the story behind the craft," Houck said. "When people can meet the artisan who made the basket they're buying, they'll go home and tell that story."
Referring to Selzer's keynote address, Patricia Dewees, representing the multistate Central Appalachian Network, summed up what many were saying: "He really hit home. Let's look at our strengths and assets. This is all about, 'What do we have here that they can't do better in China?' Well, we have our history and our land."
Fred D. Baldwin is a freelance writer based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
July 2005
|