After the war，Idaho’s economy began to shift from mostly agriculture to one that included food processing and manufacturing．In 1949，the National Reactor Testing Station（now Idaho National Engineering Laboratory）opened near Idaho Falls．Scientists created，tested，and operated nuclear reactors（反应堆）and related devices there．In Dec．1951，the testing station generated electricity from nuclear energy for the first time in history．In 1955，Arco became the world’s first town lighted by nuclear energy．
Idaho’s farms decreased（减少）in number and increased in size during the 1950s．Many farm workers were replaced by large machinery．By 1960，half of Idaho’s population lived in cities and towns．The increase in agricultural production and industry required more hydroelectric（水力电气的）power．In 1955，the Idaho Power Company began construction of three dams along the Snake River．Brownlee Dam was completed in 1959，the Oxbow Dam in 1961，and the Hells Canyon Dam in 1968．In 1965，the state parks department，water resource board，and personnel system were created．That same year，the Nez Perce National Historic Park was established in north－central Idaho．
Idaho experienced rapid growth during the 1970s．State legislature strove to improve water pollution．The Sawtooth National Recreation Area opened in 1972．However，the 1970s are known for two major disasters in Idaho．One of the worst mining accidents in U．S．history happened at the Sunshine Silver Mine near Kellogg in 1972．Fire killed 91people．In 1976，the Teton Dam burst．It created a massive flood resulting in 11deaths and over500million in damage．
Beginning in the mid－1980s，drought and grasshopper（蚱蜢，小型侦察机）infestation（（害虫，盗贼等）群袭，横行）killed crops and hurt the farm economy in Idaho．Many lost their farms．In 1983，an earthquake measuring 7．3on the Richter scale killed two children and caused over 4million in damage．The quake，centered in the Lost River Valley，was the largest in the continental U．S．in 24years and created a 10－foot high，15－mile shear in the earth．
During the 1990s，many small industries diversified（使多样化）Idaho’s economy from its dependence of agriculture．Large construction，food processing，lumber，and computer companies established their headquarters in Idaho．The city of Boise grew at an amazing（令人惊异的）rate．The harsh（残酷的；无情的）drought（干旱）ended in 1992．However other disasters brought attention to the state．In 1992，fire on the State Capitol caused 3．2million in damage and Idaho experienced its worst forest fire season in the state’s recorded history．And in 1996，major flooding encouraged a visit from U．S．President Clinton．
Today，Idaho is expanding its tourism industry．State leaders are working to clean both air and water pollution throughout Idaho．They are also striving（努力，力争）to solve conflicts between those who wish to conserve（保存）Idaho’s natural resources and those who want to develop them．
Governor州长
Dirk Kempthorne在1998年被选举为爱达荷州第30任州长，2002年11月再次被选举为爱达荷州州长。为了确保继续扩张多样化经济，Kempthorne州长提出鼓励农村经济的发展，更多培养爱达荷州产品的海外市场，以及鼓励本州科学、教育和商业的综合发展。
Governor Dirk Kempthorne was reelected as Idaho’s Governor in November of 2002．He was first elected as Idaho’s 30th Chief Executive in 1998，following a successful six－year term in the United States Senate．
To ensure that Idaho’s diversifying economy continues to expand，Governor Kempthorne has put forward initiatives to foster（培养，鼓励）rural economic development，more overseas marketing of Idaho products，and greater integration of the state’s scientific，educational，and business communities．
Dirk Kempthorne began his commitment to public service as the highly successful Mayor of Boise．During his seven years in office，he helped direct a renaissance（复兴，复活）in the state’s capital city that resulted in record growth，economic development and numerous national honors and recognitions for quality of life，business climate and family issues．
As a Senator，he wrote，negotiated，and won passage of two major pieces of legislation：a bill to end unfunded federal mandates on state and local governments，and a substantial（坚固的）revision of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act．He also worked to improve the quality of life for American active duty military personnel，reservists（预备役军人，在乡军人），their families，and veterans（老兵，退伍军人）．
Idaho’s children are Dirk Kempthorne’s priority．Upon taking office，he declared the “Generation of the Child”，to ensure that Idaho children are healthy and well educated．
Kempthorne established a statewide voluntary immunization（使免除，使免疫）registry（注册，登记）to help ensure that more Idaho children from birth to 18months receive the full complement of vaccinations（［医］接种疫苗）recommended by pediatricians（儿科医师）．He also worked with the Legislature to enact an Idaho Reading Initiative，designed to have every Idaho child reading at grade level by the third grade．
Kempthorne also stepped up Idaho’s fight against the growing scourge（鞭，苦难的根源）of drugs．The Legislature approved his measures to establish tougher mandatory（命令的，强制的，托管的）sentences for those convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine（［药］甲基苯丙胺，脱氧麻黄碱（中枢兴奋药）），increase law enforcement’s ability to detect（察觉，侦查，探测）and shut down drug labs，and provide education and drug treatment in prison．
Governor Kempthorne has worked to develop consensus（多数人的意见，舆论）on management of Idaho’s and the West’s natural resources．He has worked with his colleagues in Oregon，Washington and Montana to develop an historic bipartisan（两党连立的）agreement on a state－based solution for returning salmon（［鱼］鲑鱼，大麻哈鱼）runs in the region．
Following the devastating wildfires of 2000，he worked with fellow western governors and federal officials to fundamentally change the approach to forest health and wildfire management．
Under his leadership，Idaho has developed wolf and grizzly bear（大灰熊）management plans aimed at delisting（从表上删除）the endangered species and protecting state’s rights by giving the state management responsibilities．