A tale of two regions: changes in the energy industry lead to dramatic shifts in eastern utah.

• Author: Haraldsen, Tom
• Position: Report

Geographically, Uintah and Duchesne counties couldn't be any closer to Carbon and Emery counties. Besides their location, these four counties also share common landscapes, demographics, populations and histories of capturing some of Utah's most viable natural resources.

But today, what these regions don't share is economic growth and success--largely due to reasons out of their control. While both regions remain fertile grounds for providing major sources of the nation's power, the energy industry has changed and thus altered their circumstances.

The Best of Times

In both Uintah and Duchesne counties, the boom in oil and natural gas development has raised the economy in almost every category. Mining activity was up more than 8 percent in Uintah and up nearly 14 percent in Duchesne from 2012 to 2013. Manufacturing rose 5.1 percent in Uintah and a whopping 14.8 percent in Duchesne for that same period. In other year-to-year comparisons, gross sales in all categories were up, financial activities increased from 6 to 8 percent, and perhaps most importantly, unemployment was lower than 3 percent (much lower than the state's overall average, and less than half of the national average). Residential valuations were also at or near all-time highs.

Though a report compiled by the Utah Department of Workforce Services showed an average level of

In Uintah County, growth in employment occurred largely in local government and other services. Duchesne County continued to exhibit growth in mining, while construction activity fell a bit. Non-farm payroll wages saw a 4 percent increase--up $16.8 million. The populace of the Uintah Basin communities has contributed greatly to that growth. "Our area is very supportive of our energy folks," says Tam mie Lucero, executive director of the Uintah County Economic Development office. "Oil shale, oil sands, natural gas in the Basin--the momentum is still moving forward here."

Lucero's region has also had its battles with environmentalists, but she says "public land is always an issue in unemployment of 24,240--a result of 140 fewer jobs than in 2012--in Uintah and Duschesne counties, employment payroll was up about 2 percent. parts of the Basin. We believe it doesn't have to be one way or the other--that energy development and conservation can work together." She quotes Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox's recent comments that the state "understands how important energy development is in our state. We can co-exist, and we...