KOTA Territory NewsND economic leaders discuss Belle Fouche oil boom

ND economic leaders discuss Belle Fouche oil boom

The curiosity in Belle Fourche was palpable Thursday, as hundreds gathered to discuss the potential local impact of North Dakota's oil boom.
 
Transportation and economic leaders from oil- rich regions of North Dakota shared their experience on how Belle Fourche and the surrounding areas  can benefit from the expected oil boom.

Panelists warned of likely housing and support service shortages that result from rapid population growth.

Despite warnings of increased crime and traffic, economic leaders urged Belle Fourche locals to embrace the economic opportunity in front of them.
 
"I think most people would be surprised at how much commerce in western North Dakota is coming out of this area. I would talk about the opportunity here, and I would certainly not be afraid of the development here," said Gene Veder, Director of the McKenzie County Job development authority. 
 
"Pros are, you're seeing a lot of younger generations coming back to the area. Some of the cons are, there's just a lot of stress in the area right now as we grow and prepare for the influx that has happened to us. We've taken a city that we're going to double, triple the size of in the next five years," said Shawn Wenko, of Wilson, ND economic development.
 

Thursday night's meeting was the first of many, according to the chamber of commerce. 

The population of Belle Fourche has increased by roughly a thousand people since the last census.