The Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado (Region 9) is in the process of updating the Southwest Colorado Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) which provides information data about the overall health of our communities, identifying and recognizing trends, either positive or negative as they occur.

For each county, and the region as a whole, the CEDS provides data relating to population, infrastructure, county government, county revenues, land use, transportation issues, services, labor force, employment and income by sector, employment, and income trends since in 1980.

Please visit the Region 9 offices at 135 Burnett Drive to access a paper copy of the CEDS and www.region9edd.org to find the electronic version that includes the regional, individual counties, disaster preparedness, and environmental draft overviews. Input will be collected until August 15, 2021.

The purpose of the CEDS is to create direction for retaining and creating better paying jobs, fostering stable and more diversified economies, as well as maintaining and improving the quality of life in Southwest Colorado, which includes the five counties of Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, and San Juan, plus the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribes. The full CEDS is updated every five years and this 2021 document is the sixth full edition is and funded by the Economic Development Administration.

The CEDS document is meant to be a working plan for all local governments, community entities and respective economic development organizations.

For more information, please call Region 9 at 970-247-9621.