Collection Timeline

2003 to 2022

2003
Rural Idaho (2003)

2005
Rural Idaho (2005)

2008
Rural Idaho (2008)

2009
Rural Education (2009)
This report analyzes the community-level impacts of Idaho’s changing dairy industry, and specifically, that part of the industry involved in milk production. Using a three-part methodology, we examine how the people who work on dairy farms impact local economies, schools, health care providers, justice systems, and other aspects of communities in southern Idaho. Two parallel trends shape the context for this analysis. Both are consistent with national trends in farm-dependent areas of the country. First, the structure of Idaho’s dairy industry is changing. The trend is towards larger and more geographically concentrated farms with an increasing demand for wage labor. Second, Idaho is becoming more ethnically diverse as the state’s Hispanic population grows at a faster rate than the rest of the population.

2010
Hispanics: Overview (2010)
Hispanic Labor Force & Economy (2010)
Rural Idaho Recession (2010)

2011
Hispanic Education (2011)

2012
Measuring Broadband (2012)

2013
Hispanics and STEM Education
Hispanic Health (2013)

2014
Refugees & Healthcare in Idaho (2014)
Measuring Broadband: Households (2014)
Food Security in Idaho (2014)
American Indian Education (2014)
Highway Funding Survey (2014)
Food insecurity causes serious long-term problems for individuals and society as a whole. People with poor diets are far more likely to experience poor overall health status, activity-limiting health impairments, depression and other mental health issues. Children with poor diets experience compromised health and development and are less likely to succeed in school, while adults who experienced childhood hunger are more likely to miss work and have a harder time holding down a job. People with poor diets are also more vulnerable to being overweight and obese. They have lower incomes, less access to affordable, healthy foods, and fewer options for physical activity. We have two goals in writing this report. First, we aim to create a base of common information about Idaho’s food security challenge and how it is currently being addressed. Second, we seek to encourage organizations and agencies to collaborate around a common agenda to improve food security in Idaho. In achieving these goals, we also aim to identify the best ways in which the University of Idaho can work with partners to address Idaho’s food security challenge.

2015
Life After High School Methodology
Early Childhood Learning (2015)
Rural Idaho Since the Recession (2015)

2016
Refugees in Idaho (2016)
Hispanics: An Overview (2016)
Hispanics: Education (2016)
Hispanics: Labor Force and Economy (2016)
Life After High School (2016)
American Indian Education (2016)

2017
Climate Overview (2017)
Community Impacts of Idaho’s Dairy Workforce (2017)
Idaho's Public Libraries (2017)
Life Choices of High School Seniors (2017)
The Idaho State Board of Education is one of a handful of such boards to govern both a state’s K-12 system and its postsecondary institutions. This consolidated structure offers an important platform for education sectors to join forces toward making improvements from kindergarten through graduate school. In June, 2017, 31 high school career and college counselors and postsecondary academic advisors and career counselors used this consolidated platform to consider the persistently low rate of Idahoans earning postsecondary credentials and to offer recommendations for improvement. These educators gathered for a three-day Idaho’s Future Initiative (IFI) meeting in Boise, examined the student pipeline from eighth grade through the first postsecondary year, and drafted nine recommendations to present to the State Board. Educators at this invitation-only event represented every region of the state, every size of high school, and every one of the state’s eight public colleges and universities. One hundred percent of the Idaho’s Future Initiative (IFI) participants have expressed interest in building a statewide structure to allow high school and postsecondary counselors and advisors to work together to implement these or other improvements.
This edition examines the changing trends and their impact—providing stakeholders with information on the needs and issues facing Idaho’s growing Hispanic population. By sharing this rich data set with the general public, policy makers, K-20 institutions, businesses, and NGOs, the Commission hopes to foster collaboration, seek resources, and assure sound public policy to address the complex issues resulting from the growth of Hispanics in our State.
This study updates our 2009 analysis of how the dairy industry’s workforce impacts communities in Idaho’s south central region, commonly referred to as the Magic Valley. The region is home to about 70 percent of Idaho’s dairy cows and 10 percent of its residents. In the original study and in the update, we examine community impacts from a demographic, economic, and social perspective. Both studies were funded by grants from the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. For the 2017 study, we conducted 48 semi-structured interviews with experts and keyinformants selected based on their knowledge of the region, its communities, and the dairy industry. In addition to our interviews, we also analyzed secondary data from federal, state, and local sources. These data provide important context to help understand themes, trends, and patterns that emerge from qualitative interviews, and vice versa. Two key national trends form the context for this report. The first is a continuation of decadeslong structural change in the dairy industry, towards fewer and larger farms. The second is slowing growth in the Hispanic population, largely the result of lower birth rates (in both Mexico and the U.S.) and a dramatic decline in the number of Mexican immigrants entering the U.S.

2018
Education for Idaho’s English Learners (2018)
Education for Idaho's Migratory Students (2018)
Idaho’s Title III Consortium for English Learner Students (2018)
Migratory Students (2018)
English Learner Students (2018)
Idaho Family Forest Owners (2018)

2019
Hispanics: An Overview (2019)
This economic analysis measures estimated impacts arising from the manufacturing and construction of the NuScale 12-pack Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) within the regional economy of eastern Idaho. Utilizing studies of the regional extent of employment, purchasing and other activities at the proposed Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site, this research estimates fiscal and economic impacts.  Specifically, this study employs IMPLAN, the most widely used economic impact analysis model in the United States, to estimate the increased output (sales), gross regional product, employment, employee compensation and tax revenues resulting from the construction and operations of the proposed project. The impacts estimated here are provided at the eastern Idaho regional economy level, which consists of Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Caribou, Clark, Custer, Franklin, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison, Oneida, Power and Teton counties.

2020
Housing Insecurity (2020)
This Needs Assessment is designed to help Idaho policymakers, administrators and stakeholders learn more about children and families in Idaho, their early childhood care and education (ECCE) needs and the quality and availability of the supports and services that allow Idaho’s families and children to thrive. This is the first comprehensive assessment of early child care needs, the quality and availability of ECCE and the barriers that prevent Idaho children from achieving early literacy and early learning skills they need to succeed in school and life. The Needs Assessment was made possible by federal grant #90TP0077-01-00 and the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (Idaho AEYC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families

2021
The agricultural sector comprises an important part of the Idaho economy, with agriculture and food and beverage processing accounting for over 18% of total business sales (Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), 2020). Conditions in the sector influence the lives of all Idahoans to at least some degree through provision of food that fuels daily activities. The goal of this report is to describe the economic risks and opportunities for the Idaho agricultural sector in the context of climate change. The report describes current conditions in the Idaho agricultural sector, observed changes in Idaho’s climate and trends in agricultural productivity over the past several decades, projected changes in Idaho’s climate and agricultural productivity for key subsectors, specific effects of the changing climate on key agricultural subsectors as identified in the peer-reviewed research literature, the important linkages between water availability and agricultural sector performance, and existing evidence of adaptation strategy adoption by Idaho farmers.
Agriculture Snapshot
This report focuses on the impacts of climate on energy and the dynamic effects of climate and energy on Idaho’s economy. The changing climate carries implications for planning, policy, and social impacts at the international, national, regional, state, and local levels. Concerns surrounding energy and climate center around the availability of primary energy resources necessary for an increasing population and increasing electricity consumption in commercial and household heating and cooling. The relationships among climate, energy production, and the economy are complex. There is a reinforcing loop between energy and the economy; as the economy grows, more energy is required for both production and consumption. Increased energy demand can exceed available output, creating a secondary balancing loop between the economy and energy; as prices increase, costs of economic output also increase and overall output is decreased.
Energy Snapshot
Human health is significantly impacted by extreme weather-related events. Heat waves, floods, drought, and wildfires increase the risk of heat-related illness, respiratory illness, infectious diseases, mental health disorders, and even loss of life. Climate change will lead to more frequent and intense weather-related events in Idaho. This report examines the impacts of climate change on Idahoans’ health and the economy and is organized into five sections: (1) an overview of climate change impacts on health and related economic models and measures; (2) climate impacts on health and wellbeing from air pollution, temperature, allergens, water, vector-borne diseases, and more, as well as economic impacts, when possible; (3) populations most vulnerable to climate-related health impacts and potential economic impacts; (4) opportunities to prepare for climate impacts on health; and (5) summary.
Human Health Snapshot
Report describing Idaho's Health Care landscape.
Infrastructure consists of the basic facilities and networks that are needed for a functioning economy. In Idaho, this includes road and rail systems, information and communication networks, energy networks, water and wastewater facilities, and air and seaports. Infrastructure is not only essential for communities to function, the quality and reliability of infrastructure systems also factor into corporate location decisions. Idaho’s infrastructure likely will be impacted by climate change and climate change-related weather events.
Infrastructure Snapshot
The forests of Idaho have long played a fundamental role for inhabitants. They have provided shelter; sustenance; jobs in silviculture, logging, and manufacturing; the land base upon which homes and structures have been built; and areas for hunting and recreation. Decades of wildfire suppression coupled with federal forest policy changes in the 1990s have created forest conditions susceptible to increased risk of wildfire, insects, and disease, exacerbated by an increasingly warm and dry climate. The increased risks, and various ownerships’ responses to increased risk, have important impacts on the state’s forest resources and economy. To understand the potential economic risks to Idaho forests from climate change, it is necessary to understand the underlying resource base and ownership structure. This report first takes a brief look at the forest land base and resource characteristics, and how they have changed in the recent past. It then presents the contributions to Idaho’s economy through timber harvesting and forest products manufacturing. After that, the report identifies how forests are affected by climate change, and provides an overview of studies that explore climate change impacts. The final section lays out mitigation and adaption options.
Forests Snapshot
Key takeaways due to anticipated changes to climate, risks, and implications for rangelands- dependent sectors.
Rangelands Snapshot
Idaho’s ecosystems can be characterized in different ways, including a) resilience, a measure of human modification, diversity of microclimates, and ecological representativeness; b) connectivity and climate flow; and c) biodiversity value. Much of Idaho is considered resilient, with ecosystems that are connected, allow movement of species, and recognized for biodiversity value. Agricultural and urban areas in northern and southern Idaho are designated least resilient, less connected, and of less significance in terms of biodiversity value. Areas of biodiversity value within Idaho do not always overlap areas of climate resilience, which means adaptation options will help support and facilitate continued biodiversity. Most ecosystems are addressed elsewhere in the assessment; here we cover alpine ecosystems (i.e., locations above treeline). Climate change is expected to facilitate upward movement of treeline, thereby reducing alpine area. Some evidence for this upslope movement exists, but in some areas, movement is slower than predicted. Many Idaho species are covered in other assessment reports. This supplemental report focuses on significant species that may be impacted by climate change. Multiple plant and animal species, including those important to tribal communities, are expected to be impacted by climate change from warming, loss of snowpack, and shifting habitat. Some species will experience range shifts in response to climate change, either upward in elevation or northward in latitude.
Climate change is predicted to produce “winners” and “losers” among Idaho’s native fishes in terms of kilometers of stream habitat. Habitat quality is predicted to decline in large rivers that support the highest quality fisheries for native natural-origin salmon and trout. Warming is predicted to expand the distributions of three key non-native species (brown trout, brook trout, and smallmouth bass), but expansions may only benefit smallmouth bass anglers in rivers; expansions of trout species will occur in small headwater streams that are rarely fished. The changing climate will affect habitats and species interactions in complex ways beyond the effects of temperature alone. Predictions for anadromous fish species are further complicated by migratory life cycles. Economic impacts will depend on changes in fish distribution; fish traits, such as size and abundance; angler access and activity; feedback patterns between climate effects; changes in socio-ecological drivers; climate mitigation actions (e.g., riparian management, instream flow regulation); and economic costs and benefits of conservation and management action, including Endangered Species Act (ESA) listings.
Ungulates, such as elk (Cervus elaphus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), moose (Alces alces), and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) are ecologically and economically important in Idaho. Many ungulate populations also provide hunting and tourism opportunities. Understanding potential effects that climate change will have on ungulates is important to make sure that herds remain healthy. Understanding climate effects on winter survival is particularly important because winter is the season with the highest mortality rates.
Idaho has a substantial and growing tourism sector, largely based on the outdoor recreation opportunities provided by land, lakes, and rivers. Climate change is likely to influence the economic risks and opportunities this sector experiences and affect the overall wellbeing of Idahoans who engage in recreation and tourism.
Recreation & Tourism Snapshot
Observed and Projected Changes in Idaho’s Climate
Climate Snapshot
There are two main mechanisms that govern poor air quality in Idaho: (1) in cold months, air stagnation and inversions concentrate local air pollutants within valleys and close to the ground and pose significant health challenges to Idahoans and (2) in warm months, wildfires in Idaho and across the western U.S. emit huge quantities of pollutants that dwarf all other sources of pollutants (Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ), 2020). Air quality has generally improved across Idaho over the past several decades, except for episodes of wildfire smoke that blanket large portions of the Gem State during warm temperature seasons. Wildfire smoke is a growing hazard for wildfire-prone regions like Idaho.
Smoke Snapshot
This report is divided into seven sections. Section 1 provides an overview of water resources in Idaho. Section 2 discusses how changes in climate impact water resources. Section 3 explores observed and forecasted changes in streamflow. Section 4 dives into drought, floods, and water storage. Section 5 looks at climate impacts on water quality. Section 6 notes interacting influences of other factors in water use, both present and future. Finally, Section 7 provides a synthesis and summary of the research presented in this report.
Water Snapshot
Newsletter that was originally posted on the McClure Center website.
Newsletter that was originally posted on the McClure Center website.

2022
Agricultura Instantánea
Energía Instantánea
Salud humana Instantánea
Infraestructura Instantánea
Bosques Instantánea
Pastizales Instantánea
Recreación y turismo Instantánea
Clima Instantánea
Humo Instantánea
Agua Instantánea
Idaho's Economy & Climate Change (2022)
Idaho Rangelands (2022)
Newsletter that was originally posted on the McClure Center website.
Newsletter that was originally posted on the McClure Center website.
Newsletter that was originally posted on the McClure Center website.