In discussions of the economies of the Mountain West, natural landscapes tend to be looked upon from either of two perspectives. The first is tied to the history of European settlement of the region. Natural landscapes are looked upon as the source of the natural resource raw materials that supply the region's "basic" industries: mining and metal processing, farming and ranching and the food processing associated with them, and timber harvest and the manufacturing based on it. The second view focuses more on the present and expected future. It notes the rapid expansion of recreation and tourism in the region and points out the role played by those same natural landscapes in supporting that economic activity. The booming Mountain West resort towns are offered as examples of the emergence of a "new West."

This Dialogue argues that neither of these interpretations of the economic role being played by natural landscapes in the Mountain West is complete or correct. Both views are tied to an unreasonably narrow way of conceptualizing the regional economy. The primary economic role currently being played by the region's natural landscapes lies in the provision of high-quality environmental services that make this region particularly attractive to new residents and businesses. It is the population growth drawn to the region by these amenities that is primarily driving the economies of the Mountain West region. A more complete way of conceptualizing the local economy is needed if this amenity and population driven economic growth is to be understood.