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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming will try yet again to diversify its economy beyond fossil fuels.
Gov. Matt Mead gave a pep talk Thursday to a new committee that will make recommendations by year's end. He told the committee Wyoming has a lot going for it including high-speed internet, a small population and pristine landscapes.
Mead says Wyoming needs to do more to make sure young people don't keep leaving the state for opportunities elsewhere.
Coal, oil and natural gas extraction provide 70 percent of Wyoming's state revenue. That's requiring major cutbacks now that all three industries are in a slump.
This isn't the first time Wyoming has tried to diversify during hard times. Efforts since the 1960s even included talk of manufacturing Barbie dolls here, a plan that never came to pass.
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