Editing McCreary County, Kentucky (section)

==Economy==
The economic history of McCreary County has been one of boom and bust, based upon the extractive resources of [[coal mining]] and [[Logging|timber]]. The Stearns interests sold the last of their mining operations to Blue Diamond Coal in the 1980s, and the county's last operating mine closed in 1994. A resurgence of the coal industry does not seem possible, as the local coal is high in [[sulfur]], and drainage from [[coal mining]] would adversely affect a number of outstanding and special waters in the county.

The county is poor. McCreary is one of the U.S. counties most dependent upon federal government assistance programs such as SNAP, SSI, SSDI, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and other government assistance programs. 52.46 percent of the income of the residents of the county is derived from government assistance. The average resident received $11,022 in government assistance in 2009.<ref>"The Geography of Government Dependence," ''The New York Times,'' [https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html?_r=0&src=tp], accessed September 8, 2019</ref>

Industrial development began in the 1970s, with new manufacturing concerns in the [[Textile manufacturing|sewing industry]]. Changes in the global economy have shifted a substantial percentage of the consumer garment market to production facilities outside the United States. Those that remain in the county draw their work from military contracts, and the production of [[Upmarket|high-end consumer goods]]. Timber remains a factor in the economy, with logging and cut hardwood production. Since the 1970s, the county has attempted to develop three industrial parks with little success. The latest venture, on [[Kentucky Route 92]] in Pine Knot, is building a "spec" building as a means of attracting new industry to the county.

Agriculture has never played a significant role in the county's economy. In 2002, 5% of the county was in farmland. Top products were [[livestock]], [[hay]] and [[Silage|forage]]. Together this represented a total market value of $566,000, down 1% from 1997. These low numbers indicate that the county has never had a substantial [[agricultural industry]], and that over 80% of the county lands are held by the federal government. McCreary County is ranked number 112 out of 120 counties in overall agricultural production.

The [[tourism industry]] in the county may trace its beginnings to the restoration of Historic Stearns, the development of the scenic railway, the interpretive work at [[Blue Heron, Kentucky|Blue Heron]], and the reconstruction of [[Barthell, Kentucky|Barthell]], the site of Stearns Company's first coal mine and town in 1903. Those resources may represent the largest interpretive collection of historic coal mining in America. The [[Big South Fork Scenic Railway]] is presently in a major development project to add a [[steam locomotive]] and to extend the line.

The [[Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area|Big South Fork NRRA]] represents {{convert|196|sqmi|km2|0}} of land, of which approximately one-third is located in McCreary County. The largest section of the park and its main Bandy Creek visitor center are located in [[Tennessee]]. In 2004, the park received 901,425 visitors, down 23% from 2002. Due to a lack of organized activities, events, and recreational [[tourism]] opportunities, visitation on the Kentucky side does not fare well. Similar issues exist for visitation in the [[Stearns, Kentucky|Stearns]] district of the [[Daniel Boone National Forest]].

===Transportation===
[[McCreary County Airport]] is near [[Pine Knot, Kentucky|Pine Knot]].<ref name="PineKnotMap">"[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=16000US2161122&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=saff&_lang=en&_sse=on Pine Knot CDP, Kentucky] {{dead link|date=July 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes }}." [[U.S. Census Bureau]]. Retrieved February 22, 2011.</ref>

[[US 27]] splits the county north and south, and [[KY 92]] runs east and west. US 27 and KY 92 run concurrent from [[Pine Knot, Kentucky|Pine Knot]] to the traffic light at [[Stearns, Kentucky|Stearns]], where KY 92 splits off and heads west towards [[Wayne County, Kentucky|Wayne County]]. McCreary is also served by [[Norfolk Southern Railway]], which has several industrial sidings in the area. NS also interchanges traffic with the [[Kentucky and Tennessee Railway]] in Stearns.