According to the U.S. Census Bureau, from July 1, 2004, to July 1, 2005, Idaho added 33,956 people to its population, becoming the third fastest growing state in the Nation.

However, this population boom is causing numerous problems.

First of all, Idaho is not currently equipped with the facilities or the housing to handle such a growing population. In McCall, Idaho, for example, housing prices have doubled over the last five years, but the annual family income has not increased to reflect that change.

Another problem is “city sprawl.” According to a study done by Northwest Environment Watch of Seattle, Boise is the most sprawling city in the Pacific Northwest. This means that instead of growth occurring within Boise, growth has been concentrated on its outskirts, pushing the city limits farther and farther away.

City sprawl increases traffic, limits funding for special services, increases air pollution and decreases farmland.

And the population boom is not over yet. According to the Census Bureau, Idaho will continue to be one of the fastest growing states over the next quarter century, and the state’s problems are expected to keep growing with the population. For example, there is an expected increase among the 65-and-older population that could cause serious health care problems, considering that Idaho has one of the lowest patient-doctor ratios in the country.

These problems have not gone unnoticed by Idaho state officials.

“Our strong economy continues to attract people and investment into the state,” said Roger B. Madsen, Idaho Commerce & Labor Director on the Idaho state Web site.

“As an agency, our challenge is to make sure Idaho communities have the facilities in place to accommodate growth, and the businesses we attract create jobs that pay well and provide benefits,” he said.

In order to meet this challenge and change Idaho’s population boom from problematic to profitable, the state has developed its own chapter of a governmental program called Smart Growth.

Idaho Smart Growth officials have begun to address many of the state’s overwhelming problems including city sprawl and healthcare. Smart Growth has even fought the growth problems of Rexburg since the evolution of Ricks College into BYU-Idaho.

Rexburg recently received an Idaho Smart Growth award for the “innovative and proactive” methods used to renovate the development and ordinance code and the architectural and design standards of the city. The award was presented to Mayor Shawn Larsen and Planning and Zoning Director Kurt Hibbert.

“We’re not in Kansas anymore,” said Hibbert. “Things are always changing. Three years ago we weren’t the fastest growing city in the fastest growing state. ... It’s an ongoing process, but it is nice to be recognized for the work we’ve done.”