MCEDD conducted a SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats) analysis. The analysis is included within the strategy and available below. Scroll down for further detail.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Scenic Beauty, Recreation, Brand and Tourism Industry
- Designated National Scenic Area (NSA)
- Strong tourism industry
- Four season recreation
- Natural diversity
Insufficient Housing Stock
- Insufficient housing for local employees
- Housing stock quality, availability concerns
- Affordability gap
Growth of Value-Added Ag and Ag Tech Businesses
- Value-added sector coord.
- New food processing
- New specialty crops
- Ag tech and research
Housing Shortage Impacts
- Availability/ affordability reduces ability to attract and retain workers
- Impacts businesses’ decisions about expanding
Central Location:
- “Center of the Hub”: geographic advantage in being centrally located in the Pacific Northwest
- Access to urban areas
Education, Skilled Workforce:
- Advanced education
- Quality/funds for pre K-12 and higher ed
- Limited skilled labor
- Workforce training
Expanding Tourism
- Year round, into less traveled areas
- Preserves rural character
- Brand: market as world class destination
Education Quality/ Opportunity and Workforce
- Educational system challenges
- Skilling up and meeting employer’s needs
Regional Collaboration
- Bi-state cooperation
- Spirit of collaboration
- Strong sense of community
- Strong local leadership and regional entities
- Active industry alliances
Transportation
- Mobility: gaps in public transportation options
- Gaps in bike/ped infrastructure
- Capacity of roads, bridges, airports, rail, etc. maintenance, expansion.
Synergy Across State Lines
- Coordination between business sectors
- Enhance industry associations
- Support effective regional teams
Regulations
- Restrictions imposed by NSA constraints
- Length of time for permitting decisions
- Federal agency impact and natural resource management
Availability of Transportation Systems/Modes
- Interstates, highways: east/west, north/south
- Airports
- Rail service
- Columbia River access
- Bicycle/pedestrian/transit
Regulatory Environment:
- National Scenic Area tegulations
- Slow land use decisions
- Impacts on development
High Tech; Unmanned Systems
- Continued increase in high tech businesses
- Support for unmanned systems applications
- Supply chain development
Impacts of Continued Population Growth
- Limited infrastructure capacity to accommodate
- Need for further planning
- Overuse of resources
- Degradation of popular destination areas
Natural Resources and Climate:
- Natural resource base
- Climate
- Air quality
Infrastructure
- Utility limitations
- Broadband capacity regionally
Leverage Natural Assets
- Wood and forestry products innovation
- Renewable energy
- Fishing industry
Natural Disasters/Hazards
- Wildfire, ice storms and other natural disasters
- Aging emergency response systems
Culture:
- 10,000+ years of indigenous culture
- Evolving demographics
Disparities Between States
- Differences in regulations
- Differences in funding
Connectivity
- Market and use the increased high speed fiber optics in region
- Further investment in broadband accessibility
Water Access, Regulations
- Drought impacts
- Impacts of water regulation
- Access issues
- Aquifer concerns
Diverse Industry Sectors and Growing Business Sectors
- Diverse industries; growing industry sectors (unmanned systems, value added ag, mfctr, fermentation, wearables, health)
- Strong agricultural base
Aging Population:
- Meeting the needs of an aging population
Focus on Local
- Further development of the locally based economy
- Buy local education and programs
Infrastructure Limitations
- Bridges, highways, roads
- Transit capacity/gaps
- Overused infrastructure
- Water/wastewater
- Limited existing buildings and industrial land
Human Capital and Entrepreneurial Spirit:
- Available talent with diverse skill sets
- Educational attainment
- Unique educational programs supported by businesses
- Access to education
Lack of Business Expansion Space
- Available and attractive commercial and industrial spaces.
- Lack of shovel ready Land availability
Address Public Transportation
- Utilization of new technologies
- Expanding fixed routes
- Expanding regional transit connections
- Biking/trail systems
Industry Diversification
- Loss of any major employer
- Concentration risk
Infrastructure:
- Telecommunication and broadband capacity
- Infrastructure to support industrial and commercial development
- Abundant, clean power
- Water
High Poverty Rate/Economic Disparity
- High poverty rate
- Disparities between communities
- Inequities
Business/Talent Attraction
- Leverage Gorge brand to attract aligned businesses
- Potential to attract business talent
- In-migration
Funding
- Declining state and federal funding
- Connection to regional priorities
- Shrinking local government budgets
Additional Strengths:
- Business climate
- Access to capital
- Business incentives
- Access to healthcare
- Access to local foods
- Low crime rates
Additional Weaknesses:
- Recreational facilities at/exceed capacity
- Coordination and capacity
- Scale of economy
- Emergency preparedness
- Lack of population diversity
Additional Opportunities:
- Housing innovation: Leaders in attainable housing
- Streamline processes
- Healthcare
- Enhance infrastructure
- Expand education partnerships
- Short sea shipping
- Community land trusts or land banking
- Leverage presence of a nearby national laboratory to further R/D
- National environmental leaders
Additional Threats:
- Poverty; wage stagnation
- Commodity prices
- Retaining local property ownership: outside ownership and increase in non-local property owners
- Aging population
- Drugs/legalized marijuana
- Railroad safety
- Pollution
- Overuse of natural resources and “loving the Gorge to death”
- Transition of economy to rich, vacation play zones
- Need for more incentives/packages to entice business development
- Youth out-migration