WUPPDR Releases Pandemic Response & Resiliency Plan

The Western U.P. Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR) has completed a plan to address the region’s economic vulnerabilities and opportunities post-pandemic.

The Pandemic Response and Resiliency Plan, funded by the US Economic Development Administration through the CARES Act, identifies the region’s economic vulnerabilities, resources, and opportunities, specifically related to the pandemic. Issues are addressed through the context of resiliency, a term that refers to a community’s ability to recover from adversity, adapt, and evolve.

Data and analysis in the plan highlight specific issues within the region’s economy that have been most impacted or exacerbated by the pandemic. Key issues include population and workforce trends, including remote work opportunities and employee shortages; health and financial risks for individual households prior to, during, and after the pandemic; local government needs and response; increasing demand for housing; gaps in broadband coverage; and business adaptations and recovery from the pandemic.

The plan was developed with data, analysis, and stakeholder input obtained through regional discussions and individual interviews from August 2020 through February 2021 to identify emerging trends, short-term objectives and needs, and a long-term vision for the region. A steering committee made up of economic development, local government, emergency response, workforce development, and education stakeholders provided input and oversight for development of the plan.

Click here to review the initial plan. The plan will be updated over time as the pandemic and its impacts evolve.

For more information, please contact Jerry Wuorenmaa, WUPPDR Executive Director, at jwuorenmaa@wuppdr.org or (906) 482-7205 ext. 111.