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. . . t'A u..' f\,;, w to 438,931. Much of that growth occurred in the last decade, reflecting the rapid but scattered urbanization that the Region has recently wit- nessed. In contrast, farm population has dropped more than 50 percent over the same period; it is presently only 10 percent of the total regional population. Over the last 25 years, the Region has experienced similar upheavals in its economy. In 1950, much of the economy was devoted to primary activities (agriculture, forestry, and mining). Now, tertiary occupa- tions* are predominant, reflecting the growth. of the urban population. Secondary activities (manufacturing) have been, and will probably continue to be, minor employers for the Region because of its isolation from the major markets of the country. Paralleling the decline of farm population, agriculture has declined in importance. Less than one-tenth of the Region's population now is engaged in farming, whereas close to one-third of the population was farming 25 years ago. Since 1964, irrigated acreage has declined 24 e..erc.~.t.,.. Table A.8 i!!..Appendix, A shows some of the recent trends. Since 1965, and especially in recent years, mining activities have become important contributors to the economy of the Region. Mining was the third largest regional employment category by 1970, and by 1976 this employment sector had grown to 18,508, or nearly 16 percent of all employment. Non-precious minerals are by far the,most important to the economy now, especially coal and petroleum. The Green River ASA (1401) has the largest reserves of coal, producing over half the coal in the Region. *Tertiary occupations include the trades; finance; personal, medical, and educational services; and government. A good share of these occupa- tions are connected with recreation and touris~, which are very important generators of regional income. 2-7