Mountains to climb: western North Carolina must depend on more than tourism if it's to expand its economy, regional leaders say.

• Position: WESTERN ROUND TABLE - Interview

Western North Carolina depends on tourism because it has to, but times are changing. The region has the elements to diversify, and alternative energy and the environmental movement could provide the framework: Those were among the topics addressed during a round-table discussion sponsored and hosted by the Van Winkle Law Firm PA in Asheville. Participants were Philip J. Smith, a partner in the firm; Peter Alberice, a partner in Camille-Alberice Architects PA in Asheville and chairman of the board of directors of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce; Joseph F. Damore, CEO of Mission Health System Inc. in Asheville; Joyce Dugan, director of external relations at Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel and a former principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Michael Shore, president of Black Mountain-based FLS Energy Inc., which designs and installs solar-power systems; and. Sam Wyant, vice president of sales and dealer development for Volvo Construction Equipment North America Inc. in Asheville. Arthur O. Murray, Business North Carolina managing editor for special projects, moderated. Following is a transcript, edited for brevity and clarity.

Does the region depend too much on tourism?

Dugan: With closings of factories, we've had to depend on it. Most of the counties, even as fat away as Graham County, will have to move coward tourism. And some are doing it reluctantly, because tourism brings an influx of people to those quiet counties.

Wyant: It has been more of a have to than maybe a want to. It's extremely important for the region to develop the manufacturing sector, because we're not going to be able to support the population growth without being able to supply the infrastructure from the revenue from those industries. That gap worries me.

Alberice: The region definitely has depended on tourism probably more than what a lot of people would feel comfortable with. But one of the unintended good consequences is that it created a much higher standard for any type of development project. So in a roundabout way, tourism has helped in the overall development of western North Carolina.

Damore: You build on your strengths. We have to develop industries that relate to this natural beauty we have. A second strength is our people resources--the creativity, the arts abilities. We need to develop specialty manufacturing and build on those strengths. An example is health care. We have a strength here, and we want to build on it by bringing in...