Rural Development

Although agriculture continues to be the major industry in east central Colorado, it is becoming ever more fragile. It is ECCOG's goal to strengthen this segment of our local economy, while at the same time encouraging economic diversification.

Tourism is an excellent alternative and ECCOG has worked to develop tourist information centers and highway rest areas on the Plains, to increase local areas' awareness of their own attractions, and to market this region through brochures and other means. ECCOG also maintains a high profile and involvement in tourism efforts on the travel region and statewide levels.

ECCOG assists communities with main street revitalization projects and with applications for economic development funds. An on-going achievement of ECCOG was the creation of the nonprofit Prairie Development Corporation (PDC). Together, ECCOG and PDC created a revolving loan fund for business development, now capitalized at more than three million dollars, and a second loan fund for increasing the stock of affordable housing for area residents having moderate or lower incomes.

ECCOG and PDC also promote the area through the Our Journey heritage tourism marketing program. If you're looking for some fun on Colorado's Central Plains, click here!

Designation of this region as one of Colorado's rural enterprise zones provides more than one million dollars annually in state income tax credits to area farms, ranches and other businesses, in return for creating new jobs, retaining existing jobs, or making capital investments in the area.
Oil and gas exploration in the area continues to go through the "boom and bust" cycles, and ECCOG has been able to help local governments address problems created by both.

• East Central Enterprise Zone 
• Regional Projects
• EZ Summaries
• Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) (2021-2026)