Montana Legislative Assembly (42nd: 1971) records, 1971

              2/5/71
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION np EASTERN MANTANA
Business and Industry Conmittee Hearing
House Bin #534
I am Doloh Harris, President of the Economic Development Association
of Eastern Montana.    Our organization came into being in 1970 and encom¬
passes 18 counties and 2 Indian reservations in Eastern Montana.    We've
worked to organize a development council  made up of leaders in each of
the counties.    This developii^nt council  then elects a delegate and
alternate to represent their county in the development association.    The
association organization is made up of a President, two Vice-Presidents
and a Secretary-Treasurer, elected by the delegates.    We, therefore, like
to think that v/e represent the economic interests of some 93,000 people
in eastern Montana.    We are concerned that in the last ten years we are
experiencing an exodus of people to the tune of 13% or some 14,000 people.
Our economy is agriculturally orientated and we have lost in the last ten
year period a larger percentage of farms.    Our employment rate dropped off
some 14.2%.
Under the rules and by-laws of our economic developrr^nt association
we established as our purpose; to provide the leadership required for
developing and implementing plans for the orderly development, improvement,
conservation and efficient use of the human and natural  resources; and to
take the necessary action to insure improvement of the economic opportunity
for the people in eastern Montana.    Our objectives are to secure federal,
state, local governmental, private, individual  and private corporation
assistance.    To promote mutual  cooperation between local, state, federal
and private agencies and individuals for the above named purposes.
At a meeting of our organization in Miles City on December 28, 1970,
Senator C.  R.  Thiessen and Mr.  Ken Holum presented to our organization a
proposal  for development of huge mine mouth power generating facilities for