Planning ahead helps temper bad news with good

A couple of reports issued over the last two days show just how much economic development is needed, and how it's already paying off.

One is a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, which estimates that all of Southwest Nebraska has lost population to the benefit of counties along the Interstate 80 corridor as well as metropolitan areas in the east.

The second is a survey by the University of Nebraska that shows Southwest Nebraska farmland values up nearly 12 percent over the last year.

There are no surprises in the Census estimates for anyone who has observed our region's aging population and limited economic opportunities.

A glance through the tables shows the following county by county breakdown, listing July 1, 2006 population estimates, followed by July 1, 2000 estimates:

Chase, 3,811, 4,048; Dundy, 2,109, 2,293; Frontier, 2,729, 3,089; Furnas 5,003, 5,303; Hayes, 1,029, 1,074; Hitchcock, 2,926, 3,102; Red Willow 10,865, 11,452.

Those were among 68 Nebraska counties which lost population from 2000 to 2006, with 25 counties gaining people.

Overall, the state gained 3.3 percent in population, reaching an estimated 1,768,331 people.

There was better news in the report from UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, which showed farmland values up 14 percent last year, a bigger jump than any time in the past 19 years.

A story on page 14 today points out that Southwest Nebraska, even with uncertainties about the availability of irrigation water, saw agricultural property values, which average $639 per acre over all types of farmland, climb 11.9 percent.

We can thank the ethanol industry and its effect on corn prices for the strong farmland values.

And, we can thank industries like Valmont, Parker, and dozens of other big and smaller businesses that provide the employment that allows young families to call Southwest Nebraska home.

All of them resulted from commitment to our region and forward-thinking investments in our economic future.

We should be thankful that decision-makers of the past put the wheels in motion to deliver a modicum of good news to counteract the bad.

And, it's all the more proof that we need to continue to look for ways to keep our area growing.