Osage County

Osage County is considered a desirable place to live and work, with a variety of services and amenities available for its residents.  The County is blessed with excellent natural resources including two Federal Reservoirs Melvern and Pomona which provide tremendous recreational potential.  cenic roads and parks contribute significantly to both tourism opportunities and the quality of life for the residents of the County.  Another untapped resource is alternative energy. The County has potential for the development of wind energy and bio-fuels at some point in the near future. 

There is a variety of recreational opportunities that attract visitors and support the County’s tourism industry.  Two Federal Reservoirs and one State Lake are among the largest visitor attractions. The three lakes total 11,070 surface acres with 158 miles of shoreline.  The lakes have given rise to Osage County’s official nickname as The Water Sports Capital of Kansas.  The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Army, Corp of Engineers manage a total of 35,040 acres of public lands surrounding the three lakes.  The agencies provide campgrounds, boat ramps, hunting areas, walking trails, horse trails and other recreational facilities for the visitor.  

Entrepreneurship Community (E-Community) Key Contact

Stephanie Watson
Osage County Economic Development
131 W. 14th Street
P.O. Box 262
Lyndon, KS  66451
swatson@exploreosage.com
Office: 785-828-3242


Application and Process

OsageCounty.E-Community.Application.doc

Links

Official Osage County Website 

www.osageco.org/ 
www.exploreosage.com 


Key Resources

Kansas Small Business Development Center, Emporia State university www.emporia.edu/sbdc 
The KSBDC offers free & confidential business management counseling, including business plan development, marketing, financial analysis for existing businesses & start-ups. 
 
Kansas Department of Commerce, Business Development Division, Northeast Region www.kansascommerce.com 
The Kansas Department of Commerce Business Development Division promotes the growth, diversification, and retention of existing business, as well as assists in recruiting new businesses to Kansas, and creating new job opportunities. 
 
Kansas Department of Commerce, Office of Rural Opportunity, Eastern Region www.kansascommerce.com 
The KDOC ORO serves as a contact point for rural communities seeking assistance with community development to help attract businesses, workers, and investment. 
 
Glacial Hills Resource Conservation and Development Region Inc. www.glacialhillsrcd.com 
Provides a support system for entrepreneurs starting and building enterprises with enhanced access to capital and enhancing the business support services for those entrepreneurs. 
 
USDA Rural Development, Area 2 www.rurdev.usda.gov/ks/ 
Community & Business Programs(C&BP) encompasses a broad range of programs that can be instrumental in effecting economic development in rural areas. The diversity of the programs offer a multitude of opportunities. 
 
Osage County Economic Development www.exploreosage.com 
Osage County is in a strong position to serve job creation needs for the region. The private sectors have the opportunity to work with the city and build on public investments in water and sewer, major thoroughfare roads, utility lines and related infrastructure. Careful timing and phasing of growth so that limited financial resources can support the various infrastructure demands and opportunities is critical to the development of Osage County. 
 
K-State Research and Extension, Osage County www.oznet.ksu.edu 
128 West 15th Street, Ottawa, KS 66067(785) 828-4438‎ 
An informational and educational organization of the land-grant University that functions through a network of Extension offices in every county across Kansas. The educational resources are targeted to audiences of agriculture, family, community, and youth.