Ranging from populations of around 400 to 1,500, these six communities reflect the instability of the timber industry and the lack of services typical of isolated towns in large western states. A few of the communities have experienced small but noticeable growth in population due to in-migration of urbanites seeking a rural lifestyle. Still other communities are fighting decline as jobs disappear with the loss of a mill and drastic reductions in timber operations.

One current demographic fact that is true of all these communities is the increase in single parent families as the male head of household leaves to secure work elsewhere after a timber industry job is lost. The visibility of these single parent families is one of the prompts for citizen action efforts to plan for the future. Local leadership seems to be more motivated to deal with change and technology applications because of the more immediate impact of lost jobs and a changing economy.

Idaho communities are not overly dependent on outside technical assistance or services delivered by state or federal agencies. If anything, considerable distrust of such resources exists in these communities. Several team members mentioned that one of the attractions of MIRA was the flexibility and the chance to be less dependent on government: an attitude reflecting this widely held value of self-reliance.

All in all the Idaho Cluster represents a group of typical western rural communities fighting to reinvent local economy and blend heritage with change. Geography has reinforced isolation that must be overcome in order to make the most of resources and opportunity. 1 n each community, a core leadership group is looking hard at both the past and the future, seeking answers to current problems that seem more difficult than ever before.