This article has discussed regional activities because they are evidence of a thriving field of endeavor. I do not think that the rainy Northwest is unique in these accomplishments. The Southwest is the observing center of the U.S., and there are many amateur telescope projects in that area. The evidence on-line is that the phenomenon is global. There have been changes in ATM activity.
Most makers desire a maximum of aperture instead of an exotic design.
Most of the manufacturers of mirror cells, focusers, diagonals, etc. Sellers of optical surplus are plenty, but they all seem to be on-line. These changes will continue, and bigger changes will happen as telescope design evolves around the CCD chip. Someday, amateurs will have orbiting space telescopes. For now, we live in a time of opportunity and accomplishment, when motivated individuals can construct a telescope of a caliber that would have been unimaginable a short time ago.