Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 23, 1997
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Governor to host Port Angeles forum on rural economic development

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke will host a day-long Rural Economic Development Summit, Nov. 5, in Port Angeles to identify ways to help all areas of the state to prosper equally. The summit is designed to bring together state and community leaders to discuss strategies rural communities can use to build their economies.

"It is my hope this summit will give us ideas the state can use to help communities that are not part of the current economic boom along the I-5 corridor," said Locke. "I'm impressed with the energy and commitment of rural area leaders as they look at ways to move forward and bring new jobs to their areas."

The summit will include a roundtable discussion by more than a dozen chief executive officers of companies doing business in rural communities. Gov. Locke, key cabinet members, legislators and tribal, community and labor leaders will participate in another roundtable discussion on how to help create more jobs in rural communities.

A cross section of community, government, business, labor and other groups will be among the 200 invited summit participants. Guest speakers include Ken Casavant of Washington State University, James Beatty II, president of NCS International in Nebraska, and Lynn Youngbar, executive director of the Rural Development Initiative in Oregon.

Legislators planning to attend the Summit include Rep. Jim Buck-R, Rep. Frank Chopp-D, Rep. Mark Doumit-D, Sen. Pat Hale-R, Sen. Jim Hargrove-D, Rep. Lynn Kessler-D, Sen. Valoria Loveland-D, Sen. Ray Schow-R, Rep. Tim Sheldon-D, Sen. Sid Snyder-D.

The state's unemployment rate for September was 4.3 percent, according to the Employment Security Department. Unemployment rates in several rural counties are significantly higher. Pend Oreille County has the highest unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, followed by Columbia County at 8.5 percent, Grays Harbor County at 8.3 percent, and Pacific County at 7.8 percent. Clallam County, the site of the summit, has an unemployment rate of 7.2 percent.

"Rural communities play a vital role in the state's economy in terms of agriculture, trade, tourism, growth management, natural resources and recreation," said Tim Douglas, director of the Washington Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development. "The health of our rural communities should be of concern to all of us, and the Summit will be the launching pad for focusing greater attention on them."

The Governor's Rural Economic Summit will be held Nov. 5 at the Vern Burton Community Center, Port Angeles, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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