The Casper Tribune reports that the national economic downturn may finally be reaching Wyoming's lucrative Jonah and Pinedale Anticline fields, and the surrounding communities including Pinedale and Big Piney that have prospered in recent years from oil and gas activity.

But how much of a slowdown and how long it might last remain to be seen, officials say. Communities like Big Piney -- which experienced 5% population growth from 2007 to 2008 -- are certainly feeling the effects of the state's natural gas slowdown, said Phillip Smith, who has served as the town's mayor for the past six years. "I personally think the boom is done," said Smith, a Big Piney native who runs a contracting business. Many of the approximately 475 residents of Big Piney in Sublette County work in the gas fields, or for companies that service and rely upon the energy industry for much of their business, he says. "We have definitely seen a slowdown here recently ... we've seen layoffs and companies asking employees to take reductions in pay, but at the same time, things are still moving here," he says. "The boom might come back, but in the long run, a slowdown might be better for us community-wise because maybe we won't have such a transient work force," he says. "Maybe it will be more stable around here, and maybe we can get people more involved in helping out the community instead of just passing through and picking up a paycheck."