Economic Change and Environmental Conflict in the Western Mountain States of the USA

Although the Western Mountain region of the USA has experienced substantial change, especially since 1990, there is relatively little understanding of the processes and impacts of restructuring in this largely rural region. In addition to the widely understood shift to service and high technology employment experienced in urban, suburban, and rural places, restructuring in the Western Mountain states has also significantly challenged existing political and social relationships. The authors examine the outcomes of restructuring by exploring economic, social, and political change in Idaho—a state in the Western USA. Idaho has witnessed a drastic decline in agriculture, ranching, and mining, and a rapid growth in the tourism, recreation, and high-technology sectors. Such changes have contributed to escalating tensions across the state concerning the appropriate use of public lands. The authors illustrate these tensions by exploring an ongoing controversy over the use of Idaho's school-endowment lands. The conflict over how these lands should be used highlights the central role that restructuring has played in political and social conflict over environmental protection and land use in largely rural areas.