Community Economic Development Strategies in Rural Washington:
Toward a Synthesis of Natural and Social Capital
By Jessica Crowe
Department of Sociology
Washington State University
Introduction
Structural changes and technological advances in traditional rural sectors, such as
agriculture and manufacturing, along with advances in shipping and the notion of “free
trade” pose a threat to the survival of rural communities as homes and places of work
(Sharp, Agnitsch, Ryan, Flora 2002). Many rural communities have initiated economic
development strategies to try to recruit, create, keep, and boost local economic endeavors.
Similarly, these same structural factors pose a threat to the survival of ecosystems as
resources are extracted at a faster pace and shipped to all parts of the world for
consumption and processing (Foster 1999). In response to these structural changes on the
environment, environmentalists, over the course of several decades, have fought for
stricter environmental regulations with regards to extracting resources and dumping the
end waste (Foster 1999). In the Pacific Northwest, where the communities in this study
are located, the two have often been pitted against one another in the common slogan,
“jobs vs. owls” (Carroll 1995; Foster 1999). Referring to the spotted owl, who makes its
home in the old-growth part of the forest and requires a large hunting and breeding
ground, this phrase implies that one can either retain jobs at the environments expense or
preserve local ecosystems—but not both. In the past, the two were researched
exclusively. For example, environmentalists, such as the Sierra Club and Audubon
Society, focused on preserving ecosystems while ignoring the effects that new legislation
may have on the number and quality of jobs in the area (Foster 1999; Pellow 2002). On
the other hand, several community activists and sociologists focused on building
community economic development, while ignoring any impacts it may have on the
surrounding environment (e.g. see Summers 1986).
However, recently, several environmental sociologists and community sociologists
have begun to emphasize the importance of creating socially and environmentally
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Convention