Representatives of the Juneau Economic Development (JEDC) were in Wrangell April 12 to discuss a recent regional initiative aimed at strengthening specific industry within Southeast Alaska.
JEDC is leading the economic development strategy — called the “Southeast Alaska Cluster Initiative”— through funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The process has brought together representatives of four different industry sectors from the region — visitor products, ocean products, timber products and energy.
These industry-sector groups have met, discussed the strengths and weaknesses of those industries and mapped out a number of initiatives that, if implemented, could help the industry grow.
While in Wrangell last week, JEDC Director Brian Holst said that was the goal of the process – “to identify within each industry specific actions, that when implemented, will increase jobs, increase prosperity, increase income, increase the number of firms within those industries.”
Before last week, the JEDC had not come to Wrangell to hold such industry discussions as part of the “Cluster Initiative” process.
Much of the discussions have taken place in Juneau. And, while communities around the region were invited to participate in those discussions last year, Eva Bornstein of the JEDC said, many could not make the trip to Juneau.
JEDC traveled to Ketchikan last week before stopping in Wrangell. Bornstein said it became JEDC’s goal this year to travel to smaller Southeast communities.
“That’s the commitment this year, to get that regional involvement that we didn’t get the first year,” Bornstein said.
JEDC hopes to travel to Sitka this year as well, she said.
The broad, regional focus of the “cluster initiative” plan was what prompted Wrangell to create its own plan, which outlines how the community can take the region-wide industry initiatives and apply them at a local level.
The plan discusses specific actions for Wrangell’s marine and fishing industry, such as increasing wild salmon production through habitat restoration.
It also outlines initiatives Wrangell could take to enhance the trail system throughout the Wrangell Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest as well as enhancing local timber industry, and developing a renewable energy industry.
Wrangell is the only community within Southeast Alaska that has taken these region-wide initiatives and localized them.
Holst said he applauds Wrangell for creating such a plan.
“It’s exactly what we hoped communities would do,” he said.
Wrangell Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore said now that Wrangell has taken these regional initiatives from this process and identified local projects, the goal is to try to make these projects a reality.
“We’re going to try to move forward with that to try to make some of these things happen,” she said.
At the same time, it’s important for Wrangell to remain a part of the regional discussions in the process led by JEDC, Rushmore said. However, the process is not a new concept in economic development, she said, and is something Wrangell has been doing at a local level for years.
“It’s something the community has done for a long time, looking at what our strengths and weaknesses are, what are the needs, and trying to fill in those gaps,” Rushmore said.
A perfect example is the Wrangell boat yard and boatlift. In the 90s, Rushmore said the city tried to determine how to diversify its economy after the loss of the timber industry. Wrangell had boat builders and had welders, Rushmore said.
“What did we need? We needed a place to work on those boats,” she said. “And we created the industry.”
And, at it’s core, that is what this regional “cluster initiative” process is all about — how to enhance Southeast’s economy.
“It’s economic planning, and how to help businesses grow and thrive,” Rushmore said. “What are the strengths, what are the obstacles and what can we do to fix them?”
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