Defining rural Utah and measuring success. Rural Utah consists of hundreds of vastly different communities. Some remain much the way they have for years. Others, like St. George and Washington County, are no longer rural in the way they were before. Successful economic resettlement will be achieved one community at a time and measured one community at a time.
Local leadership determines the outcome.
Every economic development success in rural Utah over the past 25 years has come as a result of local leaders stepping up, defining what they want their community to be, and making it happen. State government has provided the framework for 21st century positioning, and it also will channel resources, advice and financial incentives. What it cannot do is conduct planning for a community, guarantee success or define quality. The latter point was driven home recently by a rural county commissioner. The commissioner liked the proposal but didn't care much for the choice of words.