Abstract Much of the recent growth in population, jobs and income in the Greater Yellowstone Region, as well as other parts of the rural West, has been driven by ecological and social amenities, in contrast to the historical dependence on resource extractive industries and agriculture. This shift has been fueled by an increase in service occupations, retirement and investment income. Using the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and the Greater Yellowstone Region as exam- ples, statistical tests were conducted to test the relative influ- ence of ecological, amenity, social and economic variables on rural population growth. The results indicate that eco- logical and amenity variables are necessary conditions for growth, but they are not sufficient. An educated workforce and access to larger markets via air travel are also impor- tant. Keywords: rural development, amenities, Greater Yellowstone. Introduction The role of amenities is an increasingly important research topic for geographers, economists, demographers and sociologists seeking to explain the relatively recent phe- nomena of human population growth in rural counties of the Western United States. Resource extractive industries and agriculture have been the backbone of rural economies, yet their performance in the last two decades has been poor. Why then are some rural counties growing? What role do envi- ronmental factors play? How important are amenities in peo- ple’s decisions to move to rural areas, and moreover, which amenities are important? And, if amenities are important, how do they stack up when compared to socioeconomic fac- tors? In this paper we attempt to answer these questions, using the Greater Yellowstone area as a case study. If we knew whether a relationship between amenities and develop- ment exists, we would be able to shed some light on a new approach to economic development, where the land would be treated as more than a repository for raw materials to be extracted and exported to distant markets. Rather, the land — and the amenities they hold — would be considered an eco- nomic asset that attracts and holds people and business. From a research perspective an equally important finding might emerge; that geographers, economists, demographers, and sociologists should join forces with the ecological scien- tists in order to gain a better understanding of the role of the landscape in human development. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has long been a fruitful area for research for those seeking insight on how to balance economic growth and environmental protection. It is a complicated landscape, with multiple jurisdictions and a wide variety of competing resource uses, including mining, grazing, forestry, recreation, and it is valued for its many non- use values, such as scenery and wildlife. Federal lands make up the bulk of the ecosystem: 2.5 million acres of Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, more than 11 million acres on seven national forests adjacent to the parks, and approximately 89,000 acres of national wildlife refuges and small parcels administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Because federal lands make up the bulk of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, much of the attention of researchers, land managers and conservation- Research in Human Ecology 30 Human Ecology Review, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2000 © Society for Human Ecology Natural Amenities and Population Growth in the Greater Yellowstone Region Ray Rasker Director, Northwest Office Sonoran Institute 201 S. Wallace Bozeman, Montana 59715 USA 1 Andrew Hansen Biology Department Montana State University Bozeman, Montana 59717 USA 2