Lewis County, historically a resource-based economy, is struggling to maintain past levels of resource-based employment and net earnings in light of increasing environmental regulations and changing demographics. A growing tourism and retail trade sector has offset some of the regulatory impacts on these resource-based sectors and has allowed the economy as a whole to continue to grow.
However, retail trade revenues are low profit margin, and regionally centered along Interstate 5, the cross-state transportation artery. The future of the rural, resource-based industries is still critically important to the County’s economy.
The report was originally published as CINTRAFOR Special Paper 35.