Human migration and natural resources: implications for land managers and challenges for researchers.

Rural areas of the Pacific Northwest experienced a dramatic growth in population during the late 1980s to early 1990s. This growth was fueled by both push and pull factors, including environmental and natural resource based amenities. Such growth has not only stressed the capacity of rural counties and communities to cope with change but also has raised important questions about interactions between people and natural resources. This paper, explores four fundamental components of this interaction: (1) the drivers of population growth; (2) the consequences of population growth, primarily for management of natural resources; (3) the potential changes in the social and psychological links between people and natural resources that may accompany rapid immigration; and (4) the best way to measure and assess the consequences of population growth in rural areas. Some fundamental propositions within each of these components are presented. We use examples from Kittitas County, Washington, to illustrate our discussion.