Titled "Flathead on the Move," the series is part of "Montana on the Move," organized by local leaders across the state and the Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana.

Flathead County's growth has been well documented, with new residents boosting population by 26 percent over the last decade and 7 percent between 2000 and 2003. The only other Montana area growing faster is Gallatin County.

What isn't as widely realized is how quickly that growth is transforming the economy, said Larry Swanson, associate director of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana.

Growth, according to Swanson, is pushing the local economy away from traditional western industries such as timber and agriculture and toward sectors such as health care, business services and technology.

"That's what people have to understand, is how fast this is," he said. "It's going in a completely different direction."

The same thing is happening in communities throughout the Rocky Mountains, he said, and these communities have the same challenge — positioning themselves to reap the economic benefits while preserving the qualities that drew people there in the first place.

"When you have economic development coming your way, it's best not to take it for granted," Swanson said. "You can use it to get into an economy that doesn't require growth" — that is, one with highly educated, skilled workers in stable, sustainable jobs.

How to get there will be the focus of Flathead on the Move, which starts with two seminars this week. Participants will brainstorm ideas on work-force development, business assistance, growth management and other initiatives associated with economic development.

"The basis of our economy has changed," said Susie Burch, who owns Glacier Park Boat Co. and is on the Flathead on the Move steering committee. "Not to say that the traditional bases are not important, [but] we have a diverse economy and a lot of growth here — a lot of people who are bringing jobs with them.

"This is an opportunity to see what kinds of things we can do to encourage growth that leads to economic prosperity."

Participation in this process has been encouraged by Flathead Valley Community College, Jobs Now, Montanans for Multiple Use, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the chambers of commerce in Kalispell, Whitefish, Bigfork, Columbia Falls and Lakeside-Somers.

Reporter Alan Choate may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at achoate@dailyinterlake.com