| Southwestern North Dakota has historically been economically dependent on agriculture and the energy industry. Since the early 1980s, the region has experienced substantial out-migration and population loss as both the agricultural and energy sectors have undergone substantial consolidation with subsequent declining employment. The patterns of economic restructuring, out-migration, and population decline throughout the region led to the designation of the eight southwestern counties of North Dakota (a.k.a., State Planning Region 8) as a Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) zone in 1995. The USDA program was established to help address critical economic and community development issues unique to rural areas by facilitating a collaborative and... |
