Bitterroot: “The whole Western Slope has been dealing with the decline of extractive industries, but Paonia is really on the end of the spectrum in terms of rethinking itself,” said Stephan Weiler, director of the Regional Economic Development Institute at Colorado State University. While most resource-rich areas are captive to the boom-and-bust cycle of energy prices, Weiler said Paonia represents one that has “really rethought local amenities and entrepreneurship.”

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