04/14/08

A new report says 8 states in the Rocky Mountain area - including Idaho - are seeing less and less open spaces due to increasing populations and more construction.

The 8-state region has seen a population growth of more than 14-percent between 2000 and 2006, with some of the largest increases coming in southern Idaho and the Magic Valley.

The report by researchers at Colorado College says the increasing population in the Rockies and Intermountain West is also creating the need for more roads, water, and energy sources, such as power plants.