Commissioners Discuss Economic Growth in Carbon County

MAY 2, 2025 |

Photo – Wind farm – Bigfoot99 file photo

Medicine Bow residents asked county officials how to retain workers and increase job opportunities.

During the April 15^th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, a Medicine Bow resident informed the Board that a young volunteer firefighter moved out of town to accept a lucrative position at a Gillette coal mine. The resident said Carbon County’s most important asset is its people and asked the Commissioners what they’re doing to promote economic growth in the region.

Mining once served as the economic backbone of northern Carbon County, drawing hundreds of workers and their families to the area. As the mines began closing in the early 2000s, the towns of Hanna and Medicine Bow experienced a sharp decline in population. By the 2020 census, Hanna’s population had dropped to just 668, while Medicine Bow is home to only 238 residents.

The story is the same nearly everywhere in Carbon County. Since 2020, only the towns of Saratoga and Dixon saw their population rise.

Every other municipality in the county experienced a decline in residents, except for Baggs, which saw no change in population in the numbers published in the Wyoming 2020 census.

Speaking at the April 15^th meeting, Commissioner John Johnson said mining is unlikely to see a significant resurgence in northern Carbon County. Ur-Energy, one of North America’s largest uranium producers, is preparing to begin extraction in the Shirley Basin, north of Medicine Bow. However, Johnson said their in-situ mining technique is unlikely to generate many job opportunities. Additionally, the Commissioner said coal mining is unlikely to return to the area due to the high cost of transporting the extracted minerals.

Commissioner Sue Jones added that the difficulty in finding workers is not unique to Carbon County. The entire state is experiencing a workforce shortage due to the ongoing trend of exporting jobs and workers elsewhere. Commissioner Jones said she does not have a solution to the problem.

Commissioner Jones continued, saying the same mindset was used to encourage wind turbine construction. Wind generation companies boasted about their companies producing a massive boost to employment in the area. Jones said the wind turbines provide little economic benefit to Carbon County, and certainly not many jobs.

Commissioner Jones acknowledged that outdoor recreation, such as hunting, draws people to Carbon County. However, the influx of tourists has placed additional strain on infrastructure in the county, specifically the roads from the increase of heavier traffic.

Commission Chairman Travis Moore blamed the problem on county residents. Moore explained that attracting new businesses to Carbon County is difficult due to a reluctance among residents to embrace change.

Additionally, Chairman Moore said Carbon County’s declining population has made it difficult to staff the existing businesses.

Commissioner John Espy said electrical generation appears to be the most promising path for Wyoming’s future. Commissioner Espy said the U.S. Department of Energy is experimenting with modular nuclear reactors, which may bring jobs to the area.

The Board of Carbon County Commissioners recognized that they have no immediate solution for expanding the local workforce. However, the Board encouraged residents to attend commissioner meetings and share their opinions on how Carbon County should grow.