With a region like the North Fork so dependent on one or two industries, layoffs like the one at Bowie can be devastating to the local economy.
There are efforts underway to change that dynamic. Jay Stooksberry is with Region 10, a coalition of governments and organizations on the Western Slope.
"This is obviously a very sensitive economic issue for our region because we are so reliant on mineral extraction," says Jay.
"A lot of these jobs, there's a large multiplier effect attached to each one of them. For every coal miner, there are all the different supporting operations and businesses associated with them.
"Studies have shown that most of these coal mining jobs have a four-to-one multiplier effect. It's not just the 150 jobs there, but every other supporting industry. It could be a very troubling loss for our particular region."
Jay’s organization recently received about a quarter of a million dollar grant to look into how this area can diversify, how it can protect itself. He says the layoffs show how needed that is.
"I think it actually makes our efforts all the more urgent. We wrote the grant in response to the Oxbow idling, so this is just one more example of why we really need to broaden the economic base of our economy.
"Hopefully those that lost their jobs during this process are able to find work quickly, and hopefully we can try to keep them in the region. People made a conscientious decision to live here, it's a great way of life on the Western Slope, and we want to try to keep them here too."
He says he can’t offer any answers right now for what to do, but hopes that their long term plan strengthens the area.
