Resiliency of small rural communities in the interior Columbia Basin.
| Authors: | Sally Duncan |
| Year: | 1998 |
| Type: | Science Findings |
| Station: | Pacific Northwest Research Station |
| Source: | Science Findings. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. August (6): 1-5 |
Abstract
As part of the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project, 198 small communities were assessed for their ability to deal with change and the characteristics that contribute to this ability. Scientists conducted on-the-ground studies and had communities assess themselves.The data revealed complex differences, patterns, and underlying relationships. Large populations and diverse economies contributed to resiliency. Other crucial factors include civic leadership, how well communities work together toward common goals, and the presence of amenities (the attractiveness of both the community itself and the surrounding region).
Thirty percent of the region's rural communities were identified as significant-change communities that are confronted with dramatic social and economic changes, including "timber" towns, and have begun to adapt to shifting populations and diversifying economies. Comparisons of perceptions and realities indicate that rural economies were more diversified that their citizen representatives thought. People's perceptions, however, may track factors other than employment such as values attached to certain lifestyles. Scientific information on resiliency of communities has application in land management policy and collaborative stewarship of public lands.