Patterns of Settlement Density in Selected Counties

Developing Counties Portray Different Patterns of Density

Counties show considerable variation in how they spread people across the landscape. Orange County has a u-shaped curve with large proportions of land in the Developed and Wild classes, but relatively little land in the Intermix class. Santa Cruz shows quite the reverse, with a larger proportion of land in the Intermix than in the Wild or Developed classes. Sonoma resembles Santa Cruz but has a greater proportion in Wild. Sacramento appears to move toward the Orange County case: a growing proportion of Developed and a declining proportion of Wild with both hinged by a low proportion in Intermix. Sacramento and Orange have created high-contract, urban-wild landscapes while Sonoma and Santa Cruz have created landscapes with a large "homestead/estate" element between the urban and the wild. Each domain - Developed, Intermix and Wild - has impacts on ecological integrity and economic sustainability of the county.

The Pattern in Sierran Counties Shift as they Grow

Mono County shows what one would expect of a county dominated by wildland: nearly all Wild and very littler Intermix or Developed. If El Dorado once had a population distribution similar to that of Mono County now, growth in El Dorado County has increased the proportion of Intermix much more than that of Developed and has lost considerable Wild land. Rather than concentrate growth in dense Developed areas, El Dorado has experienced lower density development with its creation of a rural residential landscape.

Which Way will Foothill Counties Grow?

Buildout of El Dorado County’s General Plan shows elements of both the Orange and Sonoma trajectories. The Plan shows a considerable percentage increase in high density development when compared to the current pattern. (The scale of the graph renders this great percentage increase difficult to see, but it is there). Nevertheless, the Plan also projects increase proportions of land in the Intermix domain. The Current Plan appears to move El Dorado along the Sonoma trajectory. Biodiversity in the foothill counties will therefore depend more closely on how people manage their ranchettes and backyards than is now the case in Orange County.

Wildland, Small Parcel, Agricultural/Metropolitan and Suburban Population Patterns

- Different Challenges for Biodiversity

Wildland County: Mendocino- Population growth will have a relatively small impact on overall land use. The vast amount of land is forest or rangeland with only a small proportion in parks and reserves. Land stewardship practices across the "working landscape" and especially within river and stream corridors will have greater impacts than land conversion of residential uses.

Small Parcel County: Sonoma- Historic parcelization of larger forest, range and agricultural holdings has resulted in a pattern where more than half the county is characterized by an intermix of wildlands and homes. How people mange their ranchettes, non-industrial forest lands, large rural lots, small farms, and vineyards will have a significant impact on the functionality of wildlife habitat, vegetative communities and stream systems.

Agricultural/Metropolitan County: Sacramento - Most of the land is in agricultural holdings of various sizes. Flat land surround the major metropolis is increasingly being converted to residential, commercial and road uses. Biodiversity will depend on both that which coexists with agriculture and what resides on reserves or other areas required to mitigate the environmental impacts of new intensive development.

Suburban County: Orange - Full buildout is planned to consist of high density subdivisions and urban centers. High land costs per acre will limit the area of the county in the intermix densities. Reserve purchase, design and management will be the main trust of biodiversity planning.

Land Use by Housing Density

Source: CDF/FRAP Analysis of 1990 Census Data, November 19, 1997

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Fire and Resource Assessment Program (frap.cdf.ca.gov)

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