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A Community Conversations visit to two counties in rural western Virginia showcased inviting landscapes that offer opportunities for economic growth.

During meetings and tours in Alleghany County and Highland County, which border the Allegheny Mountains, Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin, Regional Executive Renee Haltom and Community Development Manager Jarrod Elwell discovered that the natural resources and beauty in the area offer prime possibilities for drawing more residents and industry.

“Both regions have strong tourism potential and have invested significantly in a ‘sense of place’ to retain current residents, interest new workers and capitalize on tourism,” Haltom said, noting that Alleghany’s natural materials and history in mining and railroading are rich foundations upon which they can build.

During their stop in Alleghany County (which includes the city of Covington and town of Clifton Forge), the Community Conversations team hosted a business leader roundtable and met with several CEOs to hear their perspective on the region’s strengths and challenges. Alleghany’s Vision 2025 strategic plan, which was developed about a decade ago, continues to focus on community engagement and regional collaboration to make the mountain town enjoyable for current residents and attractive to transplants. The team also learned about a thriving arts ecosystem that goes back decades in Clifton Forge.

While Highland County boasts just 2,200 residents, the Community Conversations team found that it has some easy draws, including an annual Maple Syrup Festival attended by tens of thousands of people. The county is on a quest to better host and leverage that volume of visitors, and perhaps lure some of them to settle. Efforts include maximizing the usage of the Highland Community Center and restoring the Highland Inn, a 100-year-old hotel — both of which leaders hope will complement tourism with regular weekday and business traffic, as well as serve the existing community.