2008 Report Card
The 2008 Colorado College State of the Rockies Report Card
When most of Americans think of "the Rockies," they likely think of the mountains that stretch from New Mexico to Montana. To many, the Rockies region is best known for its environmental amenities - not just mountains, but rivers, redrock canyons, forests, open lands, scenic vistas. The 2008 Report Card attends to a number of these features, yet also pushes into social dimensions that seem increasingly to capture the spotlight in the eight states included in this report: the role of immigrants, the challenge of affordable housing, the need to restore degraded landscapes, the continuing controversies over wildland protection, and the prospect of creating a long-term regional renewable energy boom.
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Table of Contents
Colorado College, The Rocky Mountain West, and The State of the Rockies Project
Editors' Preface and Executive Summary
Rockies Baseline: Vital Signs for a Region in Transition
Renewable Energy in the Rockies: Responsibly Using the Resources of the West
Restoring Rivers in the West: Environmental Benefit, Economic Opportunity
Affordable Housing in the Rockies: Housing a Region in Transition
Wilderness and Extractive Industries: An Economic Transition in the Rockies
Employment Trends and Competitive Advantage in the Rockies: A Mix/Share Analysis
Methods, Additional Acknowledgements, and State of the Rockies Contributors