Voices of the valley: Planning for growth
Summer 2025. The Clark Fork and Flathead Rivers merge near Paradise in the eastern valley where my family lives.
We know the beginning of summer arrived when volunteer crews cleaned the yards of our Plains neighbors on Beautification Day and the broad, genuine smiles of Sanders County graduating seniors spread across the pages of local papers.
Within a week, Plains Day's parade, booths and sidewalk foods fill a Saturday, and, in unison, the first fire of summer is carefully announced to anxious listeners. This year, the honor went to the Banana Lake Fire that burned a thousand acres of open timber, now in smoldering containment.
In the mix of expected news, the gifted celebration of local talent arrives — this year in music — as senior Logan Steinebach conducted the Plains High School Band, and the flute duet by seniors Mackenzie Tulloch and Layla Harris amazed the listeners.
In public life, the Cty of Thompson Falls encourages the input of local residents through newspaper articles, planning groups, surveys, an updated website, and researching community growth and planning projects.
In comparison, the Town of Plains remains publicly quiet. The town's elected are thoughtful, hard-working people who function with limited community involvement. Planning seems an afterthought.
Predictably, the routines of life fill our days and seasons, while quietly, population growth and affordable family housing remove options to remain culturally traditional rural communities.
Sanders County is the sixth fastest-growing county in Montana. Currently, the county population is increasing 14.66% a year. Since 2020, the county has added 2,800 people. At the current rate, Sanders County's population will increase to 17,631 by 2031.
Rural cultures are characterized by close-knit communities, traditional practices, and a strong connection to the land and environment. Many challenges face rural communities, and an internet search will quickly list several.
Perhaps the most urgent task is to develop infrastructure to meet water and electrical service demands. These essentials place a demand on existing local services, including health care and education. If traditional values are to continue, they must be preserved by engaged and informed community planning that balances growth and sustains cultural norms.
Rural communities can participate and determine their future for the next few years before people you don't know will plan for their needs and futures. Rural communities can determine where growth will be allowed and what growth will look like — family housing, local stores, new roads, and future school locations.
Planning for infrastructure and housing will determine a rural community's cultural future. This activity is generally known as sustainable development practices.
Charles W. Bickenheuser lives in Plains.