Annual economic outlook forum brings info about leading developments to Winnemucca

With adjacency of county lines, Pershing and Humboldt counties have many similar economic factors contributing to their development. 

From housing and revitalization to local government activity and major industry developments, both counties have substantial growth—and barriers—ahead of them.

The annual Nevada 95-80 Futures Forum, hosted by the Nevada US 95 I-80 Regional Development Authority on Oct. 26, brought many important stakeholders in both the Humboldt and Pershing county communities together to get connected to each other. Along with informational booths were important speakers from some of the major developments in the Humboldt and Pershing areas. 

“The purpose [of the Futures Forum] is really focusing in on how to strengthen the connections between businesses and really strengthen those networks,” said Michelle Hammond Allen, Economic Development Officer, Humboldt Development Authority/ Nevada 95-80 Regional Development Authority Director in a previous meeting.

Among the stakeholders who presented updates during the forum were officials from West Coast Salmon Nevada, Brownfields Revitalization Program, Humboldt County and the City of Winnemucca, Pershing County and the City of Lovelock, Nevada Gold Mines, i-80 Gold Corp., Lithium Nevada, Seven Troughs Distilling, US Silica, Uprise Fiber, Nevada Rural Housing Authority,  the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Center for Regional Studies, University of Nevada, Reno, and Piton Exploration/Oregon Energy. 

West Coast Salmon Nevada

Ralph Runge, Vice President for Development of West Coast Salmon LP, was present to present an update regarding the development of the West Coast Salmon Nevada facility.

According to Runge, West Coast salmon Nevada (WCSN) is six to eight months behind their project timeline from last year due to the financing market and supply difficulties, but they are making progress with filing final permits. 

Runge assured that with 20 million dollars invested in the project so far, WCSN is committed to opening the facility which has the potential to make “millions of meals of salmon a year”. 

WCSN is also committed to working with Winnemucca Farms in order to recover nutrient value in their nitrogen-rich  wastewater projects, working with Great Basin College on programs to get younger people interested, creating new jobs in order to be an active participant in both the Pershing and Humboldt County communities, and working with other water authorities to ensure they are managing resources responsibly.

“We are very cognisant that water is a very precious resource in Northern Nevada and we’re going to use it wisely and try to do everything we can to reduce our usage and still maintain our production plans,” said Runge.

Humboldt Area Business Updates

There are many major events on the horizon within city and county limits, according to officials. Humboldt County is currently working to improve water and sewer services all over, getting ready for growth and development, and actively seeking grants to alleviate costs, according to County Manager, Dave Mendiola.  

The City is also working to improve and expand water and sewer services to both maintain and make room for new businesses and housing. Funding received through the American Rescue Plan Act has helped both County and City entities to facilitate projects and make necessary improvements, according to City Manager/Engineer, Alicia Heiser. 

Lack of affordable housing continues to be an issue for Humboldt County residents.

Pershing Area Business Updates 

Property assessments through the Brownfields Revitalization Program have been taking place in the Pershing area, according to  Heidi Lusby-Angvick, Co-Director of the Nevada US-95/I-80 Regional Development Authority. 

The assessments help to safely clean up properties and alleviate the costs of those services to buyers. They have helped to attract property buyers to bring new developments to Pershing County and Lovelock.

Seven Troughs Distillery will be in a building which utilized the Brownfield Revitalization Program to clean the poverty. Seven Troughs has also stopped production at their Reno,NV  location in order to focus on their new location in Lovelock, according to Seven Troughs Distilling Founder/ President, Tom Adams. 

Uprise Fiber Founder, Sam Sanders, is working to bring broadband internet services to the more rural areas of Pershing County, which he qualifies as a necessity. Through different avenues of funding, Sanders has been able to provide jobs and will soon provide a very necessary service to rural Nevadans without internet.

Pershing is also struggling with the housing market, as housing prices and associated costs have doubled in the past year, making it especially hard to find or build a home, according to Joe Crim, Public Works Director for the City of Lovelock.  

Housing 

Lack of housing is obviously not a new problem and it is not an easy problem to solve. Both Humboldt and Pershing County are struggling to incentivize new developments to come into the areas because of the lack of adequate and affordable housing. 

Briann Bonnefant, Project Manager for the Center for Regional Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, explained the tremendous need for temporary housing in both areas in order to sustain and grow. 

Bonnefant explained that after conducting an extensive study on housing, the findings established that the median income of Humboldt County residents was driven up by the industry-laden jobs in the communities. The only homes available or that are under construction can only service those in the upper brackets of income and exclude many single-income families in other industries because of price. 

Chelsea Walburg, Director of Business Development for the Nevada Governor’s Office of Development, affirmed the struggles that Pershing and Humboldt Counties are facing with housing, and commended both communities for their awareness and strides to address the problem. 

Mining

Mining and the vast amount of associated industries that contract with local mining companies continue to bring both jobs and support to the Humboldt and Pershing communities and economies. With proximity a close factor to workforce, many residents of both counties travel to work in either place.

With the Piton Exploration/Oregon Energy development mining critical minerals in Oregon, close to McDermitt NV, more jobs will be on the market as Piton Exploration/Oregon Energy works to establish properties in Humboldt County.

According to Cody Pink, a representative of Piton Exploration/Oregon Energy, the backing of mining in Nevada has encouraged the company to pursue 400 acres of property in Humboldt County to process the minerals they mine. Pink explained that Nevada policies and permitting are much more mining-friendly than those of Oregon. 

Through the large number of jobs that Nevada Gold Mines creates— as many as 900 at a time—and the strides that Lithium Nevada is making to benefit the Orovada community through the construction of a new school, the mining industry continues to be a committed partner to both communities. 

Others in the mining community, like i-80 Gold Corporation, which employs 34 percent females, and US Silica, which further diversifies the job force with different skill sets, all are continuing to bring more jobs and community support to Humboldt and Pershing Counties.