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Economic development director lays out countywide strategy: recreation, forestry, broadband and workforce
Summary
Coconino County’s economic development director presented a year‑in‑review and proposed framework that organizes county work into four pillars: recreation/tourism, biomass/forestry, broadband/infrastructure and workforce/entrepreneurship. Staff sought board input on priorities for county support and partnerships.
Coconino County’s economic development director presented a spring 2025 update on April 1 outlining a countywide framework to guide business and workforce growth across the geographically diverse jurisdiction.
John Salton (presented as John Salton, Economic Development Director) told the board he had reviewed local plans and convened stakeholders over the past year to identify consistent themes. He proposed four “pillars” for county economic development: recreation and tourism; biomass and forestry (linked to forest restoration and post‑fire opportunities); broadband and infrastructure; and workforce development, entrepreneurship and business assistance.
Salton cited state and regional figures to show the sector scale: Arizona outdoor recreation generates roughly $14.1 billion annually per the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ outdoor recreation data, and county visitor spending was cited at about $1.7 billion in recent years. He said forestry and biomass represent a potential regional market for restoration work and emerging wood‑products investment, and noted the county’s outreach to potential private and federal partners, including a feasibility effort with ASU LightWorks.
Board members and attendees suggested priorities and partnerships. Supervisor Patrice Horstman said she wanted the county to take visible leadership and to deepen collaboration with partners including Econic (EconA), Discover Flagstaff, NAU, the Forest Service and private industry; she also stressed tourism and the county’s parks and recreation assets. Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez and others emphasized the need for improved housing and workforce housing to make economic-development gains sustainable. Gail Jackson of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECONA) highlighted that about 93% of the county’s nearly 5,000 businesses employ 20 people or fewer, and that health care, retail and accommodation/food services are top employers by job count in Coconino County.
Salton invited the board to identify its top three priorities; supervisors named (variously) partnership-building, tourism and small-business/micro‑entrepreneur support, and housing/workforce development. The director said staff will continue to develop the county’s work plan and to pursue coordinated outreach and partnership-building across the region.
Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the meeting record: John Salton (Economic Development Director); Supervisor Patrice Horstman; Gail Jackson (ECONA); Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez; Supervisor Lena Fowler.
