RALEIGH, N.C. (WHKY) — Governor Josh Stein and the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina have unveiled a long-term plan aimed at rebuilding and expanding the region’s economy nearly two years after Hurricane Helene.

The Western North Carolina Economic Recovery Plan was developed with input from 28 counties, the Qualla Boundary, five regional councils of government, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations.

State officials say the plan is intended to address not only damage from Helene, but economic challenges that existed before the storm. According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the region’s labor force shrank by more than 16,000 people between April 2023 and April 2026, while the state’s overall population grew.

The framework focuses on nine areas, including infrastructure, natural resources, economic development and entrepreneurship, housing, education and workforce development, health care, arts, culture and tourism, and agriculture. It establishes five- and 10-year targets for each area.

The plan does not create a new state appropriation. Instead, it is designed to coordinate existing regional economic development strategies and help communities combine resources around locally established priorities.

The state pointed to several projects already underway, including a $29.2 million federal award for the Western North Carolina Futures Factory in Buncombe County, the $1.8 billion Interstate 26 Connector and Good Jobs WNC, an 11-college, 23-county workforce initiative pursuing roughly 1,200 jobs.

Officials say more than 1,250 homes have been repaired or rebuilt through Renew NC and volunteer partnerships, nearly 16.5 million cubic yards of debris have been cleared, 99 percent of drinking water systems have been restored and 99 percent of impacted state roads have reopened.

North Carolina has provided more than $2.4 billion in state recovery funding through six Helene relief packages through June 30. A state budget signed in July added another $706.1 million. Stein has also called for more than $10 billion in additional federal funding for housing, infrastructure and small-business recovery.

The Economic Recovery Plan is scheduled to be presented to the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery Friday, September 25, at Mars Hill University.