SWOT Analysis

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