Iron Range Time of Transition - February 2016

The Iron Range is in a Time of Transition February 2016 In a time when thousands of workers from the local mines are laid off the resiliency of the people who live in the Iron Range shines through. Many residents, especially those of the younger generations, realize the region must diversify in order to survive, at least to make it through the economic hurdle facing the iron industry at present.

People are coming together for each other in this time of crisis. The organized ‘Change the Range’ campaign has provided a venue for anonymous donation of clothes and goods for laid‐off workers and their families. Notes explain the purpose of the items that are placed on tables outside businesses or hung from trees on public property and information is provided for local services including homeless shelter and food banks. The communities, who have come together on their own accord, have witnessed the ups and downs of the mining industry for decades and offer whatever support they can.

Other changes in the Iron Range include the Will Steger Wilderness Center near Ely. The building boasts the area’s first renewable power grid, comprised of state‐of‐the‐art solar panels, battery packs, and future plans for the inclusion of wind and biomass power. The Wilderness Center is proposed to be a public avenue for discussion on future directions of social and environmental obstacles. Younger people are moving to the area, galleries and spas have been opened in recent years, and revitalization appears eminent with the help of Iron Range‐born young professionals who are working hard to keep the region going in a time of struggle for the mining industry.