Let’s be clear about one thing upfront: It’s good that a national travel magazine, Travel + Leisure, named Joseph as one of the 20 most beautiful small towns in the United States.

You can read more about the accolades for Joseph in Josh Rindfleisch’s story in this week’s edition of the Chieftain. We’ve put it where we figure no one will notice it, at the bottom of the front page.

And you won’t get any argument from us that Joseph isn’t worthy of the honor: It’s a beautiful part of a county that’s filled with spectacular vistas. Even The Oregonian newspaper, which you might think is often unaware of anything east of the Cascades, took note in this report from Jamie Hale:

“Joseph, nestled into the Wallowas in the far, northeastern corner of Oregon, has become a popular tourist town over the years, offering an abundance of outdoor opportunities. Hikers, backpackers, and horseback riders can explore the nearby Eagle Cap Wilderness in the mountains, while boaters and campers can enjoy Wallowa Lake State Park. Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America, is also nearby, as is the Zumwalt Prairie, which comes alive with wildflowers in late spring.”

Hale ended his report with this paragraph: “Looking down at the town and up at the mountains, it’s easy to see why people fall in love with the place. Those who have been to Joseph will no doubt be unsurprised by its latest honor.”

All that is true. But you also can’t blame county residents for channeling former Oregon Gov. Tom McCall, who had these words of welcome to tourists in a famous 1971 speech: “I urge them to come and come many, many times to enjoy the beauty of Oregon. But I also ask them, for heaven’s sake, don’t move here to live.”

It’s undeniable that tourism is an increasingly important part of the economy of Wallowa County: Service-related jobs, which include jobs related to tourism, have increased 44% in the county since 2001, according to the recent Blues Intergovernmental Council Final Socioeconomic Report, which focused on the Eastern Oregon economy.

The same report also notes that Wallowa County is experiencing a demographic shift as aging retirees move into the area. That helps boost the county’s per-capita income, which is good, but it also tends to drive up home prices — a big issue in the county. It stands to reason that retirees first noticed the county during trips to the area.

There also are indications that the county’s housing stock is being snapped up for vacation homes and rentals. One result from all of this is that would-be employees at establishments that cater to tourists have an increasingly hard time finding places to live that they can afford. (As a side note, this is one of the reasons why it would make sense for the county to follow the lead of the city of Enterprise and launch a countywide housing-needs assessment.)

Despite McCall’s admonition more than 50 years ago, tourists will continue to flock to Oregon. And, increasingly, many of them will find their way to this gorgeous northeast corner of the state. We may like to grumble when tourists run thick throughout the county during the warmer months — and indulge ourselves in a little sigh of relief when cooler weather drives most of them away.

But the economic questions that come with tourism are vitally important to county residents, and they are questions that deserve our attention — even as we take in the sheer beauty offered by Joseph, and all of Wallowa County.