The fiscal court’s efforts to develop a horse trail system around Dewey Lake is one of the most significant developments to promote tourism in Floyd County in the last several years, and it’s one that we can endorse without qualification.

The idea is a smart one, taking two things Floyd County has in abundance — natural beauty and a rugged terrain — and using them to our advantage. The Appalachian Mountains have long been a hindrance to the development of industry or infrastructure in our region, but in this instance they are actually a bonus.

Its use of niche marketing — focusing on attracting one small group with money to spend — is also wise, and should give rise to a cottage industry of ancillary businesses designed to service the needs of horse-riding enthusiasts, much in the way the Red River Gorge has given rise to businesses catering to campers, hikers and rock climbers.

But in and of themselves, the horse trails are not the answer to our economic needs. They are a step forward, and every bit certainly helps, but they fall well short of providing all of the economic diversity Floyd County needs.

What we need are more good ideas like this one, ideas that are well suited to both take advantage of the resources we already have and fulfill our needs.

To be fair, Floyd County has a lot of this already in place. Whether it’s the outdoors and watersports adventures provided by Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, the arts attractions available through the Mountain Arts Center and Jenny Wiley Theatre, our county’s two, soon to be three, golf courses, or the myriad of other attractions, such as the East Kentucky Science Center, Middle Creek Battlefield or Thunder Ridge, our community offers a lot to keep any tourist occupied for more than a few days.

But aside from Jenny Wiley, these attractions fall more along the lines of side attractions, rather than primary draws. They are great for helping to sell our community to people who might be deciding whether to visit Jenny Wiley or another state park, or in the future to horsemen seeking out new trails, but they aren’t really designed to draw a large number of tourists, either by themselves or collectively.

But that does not mean that such opportunities are not available. We just need look for them and develop them.