CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES SUSTAINABLE, COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN/STRATEGY December 2015 COMMENTS and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ (CSKT) Economic Development Office would like to thank all of the Tribal members (over 771 people) who participated in the 2014 Sustainable Economic Development Study and Job and Training Needs Survey, and at public meetings to discuss Tribal economic development priorities and strategies. The results of the Study, upon which much of this Plan is built, helped shape the Workforce Development and Business Assistance strategies of this Plan, and helped identify the priorities that you feel we should be addressing in economic development. We appreciate your thoughts and ideas. CSKT would also like to thank our Partners who assisted with development of this Sustainable, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. Project Partners (Steering Committee members) include Steve Clairmont (S&K Business Services and Sovereign Leasing and Financing, Inc.), Vern Clairmont and Ruth Swaney (CSKT Finance Office), Arlene Templer and Kelly Whitworth (CSKT Department of Human Resources Development), Debra Krantz (Lake County Job Service), Marie Hirsch (Lake County Community Development Corporation), Amita Patel-Greer (Montana Community Development Corporation), Salish Kootenai College, Donna Mitchell (Kicking Horse Job Corps Center), Heather Sobrepena-George and Philip Belangie (Montana Department of Commerce Native American Business Development Program), Jean Matt (Mission Valley Power), Larry Hall (S&K Electronics), Tom Acevedo (S&K Technologies), the CSKT Social Services, Personnel, Forestry, Education and Lands Departments, and last, but not least, Rebecca Hendrickx, our ANA Project Assistant for the first year and a half of this project. This team’s knowledge of issues and available resources is invaluable. Most importantly, we would like to thank the Tribal Elders and the Tribal Council for their thoughtful guidance and perspective. Tribal Council members include: Vernon S. Finley (Chairman), Carole Lankford (Vice-Chair), James V. Matt (Secretary), Len Twoteeth (Treasurer), Ronald Trahan, Shelly R. Fyant, Leonard W. Gray, Lloyd D. Irvine, Terry L. Pitts, and Patty Stevens. -- Janet Camel, ANA Project Director and Principal Author -- Anita Dupuis, ANA Project Consultant -- Kyle Hendrickx, ANA Project Assistant CSKT Sustainable, Comprehensive Economic Development Plan/Strategy 2015 Page i CSKT Sustainable, Comprehensive Economic Development Plan/Strategy 2015 Page ii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 1 2 FLATHEAD RESERVATION ECONOMIC SETTING ................................................................................................... 3 2.1 CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES’ HISTORY ....................................................................... 3 2.2 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC DATA ......................................................................................... 12 2.2.1 POPULATION DATA ................................................................................................................................ 12 2.2.2 SOCIOECONOMIC DATA ......................................................................................................................... 14 2.3 PHYSICAL SETTING ..................................................................................................................................... 30 2.3.1 CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................................. 31 2.3.2 SOILS ...................................................................................................................................................... 31 2.3.3 MINERALS .............................................................................................................................................. 32 2.3.4 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ................................................................................................................... 32 2.3.5 LAND-BASED CULTURAL RESOURCES .................................................................................................... 33 2.3.6 LAND USE ............................................................................................................................................... 34 2.3.7 LAND OWNERSHIP ................................................................................................................................. 35 2.4 INFRASTRUCTURE ...................................................................................................................................... 37 2.4.1 WATER/WASTEWATER .......................................................................................................................... 37 2.4.2 IRRIGATION WATER ............................................................................................................................... 38 2.4.3 SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL......................................................................................................................... 38 2.4.4 ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY ..................................................................................................................... 39 2.4.5 COMMUNICATION ................................................................................................................................. 39 2.4.6 EMERGENCY SERVICES/SAFETY ............................................................................................................. 40 2.4.7 HEALTH SERVICES .................................................................................................................................. 43 2.4.8 TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................................................................. 43 2.4.9 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES ...................................................................................................................... 47 2.5 EXISTING TRIBAL BUSINESSES AND REVENUE-PRODUCING PROGRAMS ................................................ 48 2.5.1 TRIBAL ENTERPRISES .............................................................................................................................. 48 2.5.2 TRIBAL AFFILIATES ................................................................................................................................. 50 2.5.3 TRIBAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE-PRODUCING PROGRAMS .................................................................. 50 2.6 EXISTING TRIBAL JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS ........................................................................................... 51 2.6.1 KICKING HORSE JOB CORPS CENTER ...................................................................................................... 51 2.6.2 DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOMENT (DHRD) .............................................................. 51 2.6.3 PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT INDIAN PREFERENCE OFFICE ...................................................................... 51 2.6.4 SALISH KOOTENAI COLLEGE ................................................................................................................... 52 CSKT Sustainable, Comprehensive Economic Development Plan/Strategy 2015 Page iii 2.7 RESOURCES THAT CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT TO TRIBAL MEMBER BUSINESS OWNERS ........................... 53 2.7.1 S&K BUSINESS SERVICES ........................................................................................................................ 53 2.7.2 CSKT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE .............................................................................................. 53 2.7.3 CSKT INDIAN PREFERENCE OFFICE ......................................................................................................... 53 2.7.4 SALISH KOOTENAI COLLEGE (SKC) ......................................................................................................... 54 2.7.5 TRIBAL CREDIT PROGRAM ..................................................................................................................... 54 2.8 ECONOMIC TRENDS, RELATIONSHIP TO THE OUTSIDE ECONOMY, AND OTHER ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE FACTORS ....................................................................................................................................... 54 2.8.1 EMERGING OR DECLINING INDUSTRY SECTORS .................................................................................... 54 2.8.2 RELATIONSHIP TO LARGER REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ECONOMIES—ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES ................................................................................................................................................. 57 2.8.3 OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING THE ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE RESERVATION ......................... 58 3 ECONOMIC STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS (SWOT) ........................................... 69 3.1 STRENGTHS ................................................................................................................................................ 69 3.1.1 PEOPLE, CULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY .................................................................................... 69 3.1.2 PARTNERSHIPS ......................................................................................................................................