RANGE REGION REALITY The Iron Range has long been a center of mining and nothing else, as the market changes however the restraints on mining become even more stringent those that are part of the Iron Range may begin seeking a livelihood outside of mining. This area for the most part has begun to move away from strict iron ore mining and moved toward newer industries like copper, nickel, and even possibly gold. Another consideration is the fact that this area is nothing like it was 30 years ago when it was at its peak. Instead of mining being the major form of industry and economy in the six county area that makes up the Iron Range in Minnesota, a measly 12 percent was all that mining accounted for. It seems the goal now is not to abandon mining that has long been a staple to both the economy and the culture of the range but rather to find an alternative means of survival and to begin to thrive with help of something other than iron. Iron is no longer the defining factor in the region and employment in the mining industry in the area has fallen to about 4,000, a far cry from the 15,000 that it was in 1979. Though mining is set to remain a part of the region, it is no longer the only means of economy in the area which leaves plenty of other avenues open for exploration. Though there are now new opportunities for growth, many in the area are bent of keeping the old ways and restoring the area to its former mining glory. Unless more jobs open up or layoffs subside it looks like residents are going to have to find an alternate means of survival to help keep the area alive and help keep the communities around it going and actually continuing to grow and flourish rather than shrivel up and fade away.
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