An exodus of young people from the rural Great Plains is tolling a death knell for hundreds of small communities. Experts blame the decline on such factors as the rise of agribusiness, the lack of cultural amenities and the federal farm-subsidy program, which they say mainly benefits large farms. Meanwhile, the number of Native Americans and buffalo on the plains has rebounded. Some experts say the federal government should try to lure residents and businesses to rural areas with financial incentives, much as the Homestead Act attracted 19th-century settlers with free land. Others call for reforms to farm subsidies. But some say stemming the depopulation of the region is impossible, and that it should be transformed into nature reserves for wildlife, Native Americans and tourists.

Brian Hansen, a freelance writer in Boulder, Colo., specializes in educational and environmental issues. He previously was a staff writer for The Researcher and a reporter for the Colorado Daily in Boulder and Environment News Service in Washington. His awards include the Scripps Howard Foundation award for public service reporting and the Education Writers Association award for investigative reporting. He holds a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in education from the University of Colorado.