Loan

Lone Eagles are telecommuters or business owners who earn more than 75% of their income from non-local sources and are mobile and can live wherever they want. NEOEDD interviewed 30 Lone Eagles in Wallowa County and compiled and analyzed the results.

Copies of the complete Lone Eagle Research Report and Appendices are available from NEOEDD for $15 plus shipping and handling. To place an order contact us by email at lisadawson@neoedd.org or by phone at 541-426-3598 or 800-645-9454.

To view a PowerPoint presentation of the Lone Eagle Research results, click on the following link. When the first slide appears, click your mouse each time you wish to proceed to the next slide. When you are finished, you may use the back arrow on your browser to return to the NEOEDD homepage. Lone Eagles in Wallowa County. http://www.neoedd.org/documents/Lone_Eagle_W_C.ppt (File name: Lone_Eagle_W_C.ppt)

Following is an overview of the project.

The Lone Eagle research project was initiated at the Wallowa County Future Search community planning event held in 2001. During the two and a half day event, 75 community members took stock of their history and current trends and shared ideas for actions needed to create a preferred future. Participants "voted with their feet" and committed to working on activities that were proposed by their fellow citizens. One of the proposed activities was to market Wallowa County in hopes of improving the area’s economic future.

The Future Search Marketing Committee’s objective was to attract and retain families and young people. They wanted families and young people to be able to support themselves at a standard of living that would allow them to own a home and purchase local goods and services, such as health care, etc. The Committee decided to focus their attention on "Lone Eagles," telecommuters or those with Internet-based businesses who did not rely on the local economy for their livelihoods. The Committee felt that this group would diversify and strengthen the local economy by bringing in outside income that could be spent locally. It was also noted that many Lone Eagles had families and were integrated into community life. The Committee believed that the County’s quality of life provided the potential to continue to attract these types of workers and businesses.

The Northeast Oregon Economic Development District (NEOEDD) researched Wallowa County Lone Eagles through an interview and questionnaire process. The research revealed how thirty Lone Eagles discovered the County, what led them to move here, how they are "making it," what type of industry or business they are involved in, how they network with peers and other pertinent information. Results show Wallowa County’s quality of life continues to draw people who grew up or vacationed here to move back to the area and bring their businesses with them.

Telecommunications infrastructure in the County is barely meeting Lone Eagles' business needs and the community is actively working to upgrade service. Issues of importance to Lone Eagles are the same as those of most other residents: the local economy, quality education and medical care. The research helped identify ways to retain current Lone Eagles and their families, as well as to ways to market Wallowa County to new Lone Eagles. NEOEDD, the USFS Rural Community Assistance Program and the Northeast Oregon Alliance Regional Investment Board financed the project.