Perhaps most importantly, tourism is playing an ever-increasing role in the Basin's economy. Even with this new found growth, the Basin's economy still has improvements to make. Senn reports that unemployment is at 9 percent, more than double the national rate of 4.3 percent. Rural areas don't see much of the tourists' money. Residents like Ron Hathaway, Staff Chief for the OSU Extension Service, caution that tourism alone is not the answer to the Basin's economic development.
Natural resources have to stay the focus.