There's a gold rush going on in parts of our region, and the urban-forest fringe is expanding at a rapid pace. This gold rush generates high demand and high property taxes, putting even more pressure on rural landowners to subdivide their woodlands. Water is an especially strong magnet, and surging shoreline development has huge effects on riparian areas and water resources. This amenity migration is changing the character of forests and communities. New residents from the city often bring a dramatically different culture that conflicts with traditional residents' culture and changes the rural characteristics they seek.
Communities struggle to provide expensive infrastructure like utilities and road access.
Houses scattered throughout fire-prone areas present extraordinary challenges for rural fire protection districts. As land uses shift to amenity-based development, less timberland is available for harvest. The effects of this gold rush are also likely to morph over time. Forest recreation isn't what it used to be. The boom economy, cheap gas, an aging population, and hot technology are creating new leisure activities and extending tourism to four seasons.