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<br />:;:~) <br /> <br />N <br />-.J <br />~ <br />...... <br /> <br />~~;.) <br /> <br />,".". <br />'.....-....:1 <br />:'<.::.~,! <br /> <br />River Basin; and Farmington, New Mexico, ranked as the Region's largest <br />urban center, partly because of the Four Corners thermal electric plant <br />construction. Between 1970 and 1975, the populations of Grand Junction <br />and Rock Springs had the largest increases, the former running a very <br />close second for the status of the Region's largest city. Vernal, Utah, <br />although less than 10,000 in population, is becoming a significant popu- <br />lation center in the northeast part of that State. <br /> <br />ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT <br /> <br />The four largest emp16yme~t sectors in the Region are wholesale and <br />retail trade, professional and governmental services, agriculture, and <br />mining. These sectors were responsible for nearly three out of every five <br />jobs in 1970. <br /> <br />Relative to other employment sectors, and in absolute terms, farm <br />employment has been declining. By 1970, farm employment was less than 10 <br />percent oi the total. Most farm activity is and has been devoted to live- <br />stock husbandry, including livestock products (dairy products and wool <br />especially). About 75 percent of farm sales are derived fr01ll field crops, <br />fruits, and vegetables. While total revenue from agriculture has increased <br />dramatically over the past several decades, it has been outpaced' by other <br />industries. <br /> <br />To a, large degree, economic activity in the Region has been sustained <br />by primary extractive industries. Because of the large distances to <br />national markets, the only significant manufacturing industries are those <br />which reduce raw material weights or serve local markets. It is likely <br />that the economy of the Region 'will continue to be based upon such pri- <br />mary industries and that the Region will therefore experience the cyclic <br />economic effects that those extractive industries produce. <br /> <br />The only significant stabilizing influence on the economy has been <br />the large growth of year-round tourism and recreation. The increasing <br />number of recreational visits has led to rapid growth in recreation- and <br />urban-related occupations. This urban-associated employment has replaced <br />mining, farming,and forestry in importance, both individually and <br />collectively. <br /> <br />Per capita income in the Upper Colorado River Region was $4,087 <br />in 1974. This figure is low in comparison to that for Colorado, the <br />Rocky Mountain region in general, and the United States, as shown in <br />table 2.1. Reasons for this difference are (1) the arid climate and <br />relatively low agricultural productivity, (2) the lack of an industrial <br />manufacturing base with attendant high-skill jobs, and (3) the low popu- <br />lation density and lack of major urban centers that generate high income <br />services. <br /> <br />2-7 <br />