a.) Retirement, crafts, logging, consultancies, house construction, trucking, medical personnel - the usual situations/jobs. We would certainly set up WiFi, which might be the basis of employment for certain individuals. Hospitals are in Goldendale, The Dalles (15 miles), Hood River (35 miles), White Salmon (32 miles). Goldendale has an airport, too.

b.) Moderate density housing - one to two acres per actual homesite. Three to four acres per site would accumulate into the common land pool - owned by the co-op, controlled by the co-op's members.

c.) Land in Klickitat County is not as productive as land in the Willamette River valley. However, as you say in your following point (d.), "Do not depend on agriculture as a income-producer." Agreed. The land and climate in Klickitat are suited for gardens, orchards, hay, cereal grains, though.

e.) Water is always an issue, no matter where. There's plenty out there for now. One of the best parts about owning large chunks of the place is that: 1) internal systems can be run with conservation in mind, and 2) we can have more local political impact by virtue of numbers.

f.) There are Evangelicals everywhere in the U.S. Klickitat is not run by such, but it is part of Doc Hastings' district - all the more reason to increase the progressives' presence. Getting Doc out of the House of Representatives would be a positive step.

g.) and h.) - Points understood.

i.) I think that you're saying that markets have a local character. True enough. A hedge can have a local character. If you want to preserve some kind of international level of relative strength in a currency or any kind of liquid asset, then you play The Game. The Game favors The House. Rarely does anyone not associated with The House win for any substantial length of time. Land has intrinsic value, as well as market value. In the short run you may do better in The Game. In the long run land appreciates at a level that is very commensurate with other costs of living.

paul spencer