Northern Highland Lakes District of Wisconsin is a nature tourism region that has been undergoing rapid social and ecological change. To understand how to better think about the future of the region, across social divides, researchers collaborated with people from local and state governments, lake associations, Native American tribes, business owners, and residents. Together, they developed three scenarios, which revealed how emerging trends could reshape the region - for better and for worse. The scenarios were grounded in scientific research, including simulation models of NHLD economics, population growth and ecology. These scenarios were then discussed and included in Wisconsin decision and planning processes.