Future of the Montana Hi-Line.gif)
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| Near
Rudyard,
Montana |
The Hi-Line region of Montana is truly a unique part of
the United States. The problem is, few people know it. Moreover,
current society trends (people want to live in the mountains
or on the ocean or in a big city, not in the prairie) are
working against these towns efforts to draw in new people
and businesses. Moreover, the lack of employment prospects
in many Hi-Line towns ultimately lead many native residents
to leave the area in search of better careers elsewhere in
Montana or outside of the state in general.
These,
among many others, are some of the challenges the Hi-Line
communities face. And they are far from easy challenges
to overcome. Yet, the future of the Montana Hi-Line is hardly
a completely bleak one. There are portions of the Hi-Line
region that strike me as having most of the necessary building
blocks in place, either by luck or be design, to allow for
future economic growth and arresting the decline in population
that has been occurring. Let’s take a look at some
of the things that may, in the future, propel the Hi-Line
region along.
Energy
Development
It is
no secret that the US faces a severe energy shortage in
the years ahead. The energy shortage will not just be
seen in crude oil, but also in natural gas and electricity.
While the Hi-Line regions gas and oil wells are slowly going
into declining production, the story is the same throughout
most of the United States now, too. Moreover, since most
of the new electricity generating plants are now powered
by
natural gas, as prices for natural gas creep upward in
the years ahead due to higher demand and diminished supplies,
a new power source for the creation of electricity
will need to be created to keep prices affordable and to
keep up with ever growing electrical demand.
And
for this, oddly, the Hi-Line region is almost ideally placed.
In many areas of Canada and Europe right now, a building
boom is going on. The building boom isn’t of new buildings,
or factories or subdivisions. Instead, this boom is the building
and operation of wind farms. Wind energy has finally arrived,
due to technological innovations, as a viable power source.
It is now being successfully used in many countries to generate
much needed electricity that is also, happily, environmentally
friendly.
The
Hi-Line region is perfectly suited to capture the inevitable
rising demand for wind energy. As wind farms are best built
in places that are windy, and the Hi-Line region of Montana
can be a real windy place, the rise of wind energy holds
huge potential for development along the Hi-Line. New jobs
will be created during the construction of these wind farms
and more jobs will be created for the servicing and maintenance
of these wind farms – all of which should be well paying.
While many factors will need to come to play to have this
scenario work out, ultimately, the rise of wind energy holds
tremendous potential for the growth in jobs and incomes along
the Hi-Line region.
Agriculture
The
Hi-Line industry will continue to be dominated by agriculture
in the near and probably the long-term future. There is just
simply no escaping the agricultural nature of this area.
And while agricultural consolidation is likely to continue
to some degree in future years, it does seem the loss of
people working farms and ranches has slowed down considerably
in recently.
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| Plowing
the Fields on the Hi-Line |
Moreover, although there still may be some small losses
of population who actually work in the agriculture industry
in the Hi-Line region, the agricultural industry in general
seems poised for solid and sustained growth in the future.
This will be good news for the Hi-Line towns, as the farms
and ranches will be on solid financial footing. While this
may not lead to any more new jobs in the Hi-Line towns, it
will, at a minimum, help arrest the loss of population and
the continuing erosion of businesses.
The reason I think agriculture is posed for a good looking
future is due to several factors. First, the world has a
growing population, and has less and less land available
for cultivation of agricultural crops. This will, inevitably,
lead to increased demand for food.
Secondly,
the value of the US dollar is likely to continue to decline
for many, many years. While the decline will neither
be swift nor steady, in general, the value of the US dollar
relative to other world’s currencies is almost certain
to decline in the future. While this is bad news for people
who buy things at Wal-Mart (where most of the goods for sale
are made in foreign markets) or who buy gas at the local
gas station (the gas comes from overseas markets), it is
great news for farmers here at home. This is so because the
decline in value of the US dollar makes agricultural exports
to foreign countries more competitive. As much of the food
grown in Montana eventually ends up overseas, a decline in
value of the US dollar will allow US food exports to gain
an increasing market share of overseas food markets. Conversely,
the decline in the US dollar makes food imports to the United
States that much more expensive – once again benefiting
US farms and ranches.
Courting
Retirees
It is no secret that the demographics of the United States
will be shifting in future years. The age of the population
will be progressively getting older and older, with more
and more retirees.
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| The
nice downtown area of Chester, Montana |
While
this is unlikely to be a “boom” to the
Hi-Line region, it does seem reasonable to expect some retirees
to seek out the quiet, safe, clean towns that are found in
the Hi-Line region. True, the bulk of retirees are likely
to either stay where they are now or venture to places down
south. However, the towns on the Hi-Line really do offer
a certain type of retiree a perfect place to retire - they
just need to be "educated" to the fact. Virtually all towns
on the Hi-Line region, regardless of
size, have
a senior citizen center. The cost of housing – often
a crucial consideration in this day and age – is also
far less expensive than what is found elsewhere in the United
States. And while hospitals and medical services are not
located in every town, by and large, they also are not that
very far away either – usually being no more than a
40 minute drive from all but the most remote regions of the
Hi-Line.
Promotion
of Small Town Life
Many towns on the Montana Hi-Line have changed little over
the years. While some of the towns have indeed gone backwards
as far as population loss goes, other towns have at least
been able to maintain their population.
Because of this lack of growth, many towns on the Hi-Line
seem virtually unchanged. Outside of Havre, strip mall developments,
big box retail stores, sprawling subdivisions, traffic jams
and other inconveniences of modern city life are all but
non-existent. Because of this, people who are seeking out
a place to raise a family in a small, quiet town that is
not hampered by big city problems (and big city prices),
will find much to like in many Hi-Line towns.
In particular, I think the county seats of each county,
such as Chinook, Chester, Shelby and Glasgow, are well set
to attract families seeking a true small-town life in the
future. These towns are quite nice, are heavily wooded despite
lying out in the middle of the prairie, have clean downtowns
and still have all the basics one needs to one degree or
another. Havre, the largest town on the Hi-Line, is also
well set for future growth due to its diversified economy.
Of one
potential help to these towns is, of all things, the Internet.
The Internet and modern communications really
do allow many, many people to work anywhere they want and
still make a living. The towns on the Hi-Line, by taking
advantage of their small town flavor and advantages, have
a strong sales pitch they can make to families who have independent
income sources who are seeking a high quality of life in
a low-cost small town that hasn’t yet been ruined by
unending strip mall and subdivision development.
Of course, there are some big challenges to overcome in
this regard. Countless towns throughout the United States
are competing for these types of families and people. So,
Hi-Line towns will have their work cut out for them in attracting
them. But, it can be done, especially if the town itself
is clean, well-kept up, has quality schools, retains an affordable
cost of living and, crucially, is fully wired up for modern
communications.
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