That was a main message from the two-day Utah Rural Summit, which wrapped up Friday in Cedar City.

"The world is never like the one we anticipate," Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, told the gathering of business and government leaders. "The world is being transformed."

A big reason for the change: technology, which allows wars to be fought by computers and companies such as Wal-Mart to buy and sell anywhere in the world.

"That could not have been done 20 years ago before use of the Internet and e-mail," Bennett said.

The Republican senator said as confusing and challenging as the future may seem, it also presents a great economic opportunity for rural Utah.

He pointed to the airline JetBlue, which doesn't have any full-time reservation personnel but instead relies on housewives in Orem to do the work.

"Those reliable housewives are also in Cedar City," he said.

A breakout session focused on a new approach to land-use planning for counties.

For example, Clark and Lincoln counties in Nevada have implemented comprehensive land-use management plans after working with city, county, state and federal agencies. Congress then approved those plans.

Randy Johnson, a private facilitator working with Utah counties on preparing similar legislation, said Washington County has finished its scoping process and is refining the language before forwarding the document to Utah's congressional delegation.

"We're optimistic about the bill's future," said Washington County Commissioner Alan Gardner.

Iron, Beaver and Millard counties also are working on such plans, which examine how every acre will be used.

Iron County Commissioner Dennis Stowell said the process has created cooperation with federal agencies that will prove valuable in creating a general plan even if Congress does not act on the more comprehensive version.

Millard County Commissioner Daron Smith said everyone involved is learning a lot about water, recreation, mining and the need for pristine areas.

"It's beneficial to address those needs in specific rather than general terms," Smith said.

mhavnes@sltrib.com