At its meeting Tuesday night, the Wrangell Borough Assembly approved a plan that aims to enhance local industry and boost economic development.
The “Wrangell Economic Cluster Initiative” will now be forwarded to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and congressional representatives.
The Wrangell economic development plan is a product of an effort throughout Southeast Alaska to try to enhance the region’s economy. Last fall, the USDA contracted the Juneau Economic Development Council (JEDC) to create the “Southeast Alaska Cluster Initiative.”
That process brought together representatives from four “industry clusters” to discuss what those industries need to grow. The industry clusters were identified as visitor products, ocean products, timber products and energy.
Wrangell resident Julie Decker has been involved in the ocean products discussions. Decker, along with Wrangell Mayor Jeremy Maxand and Borough Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore, who also participated in the “industry cluster” discussions, decided to look at the economic initiative process at a very local level. That’s how the “Wrangell Economic Cluster Initiative” was created, she said.
“We looked at a list of the different initiatives that came out of these four clusters, and said ‘which ones really applied to Wrangell, and which ones would be appropriate in Wrangell,’ and that’s where this came from,” Decker said.
Wrangell is the only community in Southeast Alaska that has created a specific economic development plan, said Borough Manger Timothy Rooney.
Local projects discussed in the plan focus on the marine and fishing industry, the trail systems throughout the Wrangell Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest and renewable energy.
Decker said the next step should be to introduce Wrangell’s projects to USDA officials and congressional representatives, especially when U.S. Rep. Don Young is scheduled to visit Wrangell next week.
Rushmore agreed it was a good idea to begin this discussion about how Wrangell can enhance its economy, based on the projects mapped out in the economic initiative plan.
“Jumping on this now will help Wrangell, and create some dialogue with us,” she said.
Assembly members present Tuesday voted unanimously to approve the plan and forward it on to the appropriate state and federal representatives.
Assembly member Pamela McCloskey commended Decker and all those involved in creating Wrangell’s specific economic development plan.
“This is really great,” she said.
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