Some citizens in the small logging town of Forks, Wash., are hoping to make it a high-tech haven and a model for rural communities around the world. In the past, the livelihoods of the town’s 3,460 residents revolved around logging the nearby old-growth forests, but over-cutting by logging companies and regulations like those that protect the spotted owl have drastically reduced timber totals. Despite resistance from some locals, the town has responded to the changes by working with the local school district, telephone company, and Washington State University to set up small Internet-based businesses and equip them with fiber optics and microwave relays. A program at WSU also encourages employers in other parts of the state like Seattle to allow workers to telecommute from rural areas like Forks.
