Similar debate going on in Central & San Joquin Valley, California and specifically Greater Fresno Area (Fresno County) - issue of rural meets urban and the "meshing" of the two. I sit on a couple of volunteer citizen committees...it is frustrating but cannot give up.
http://www.stancog.org/appendices/chapter_a.pdf#search='San%20Joaquin%20Valley%20growth' The Eight County San Joaquin Valley Setting - One issue that the eight counties have in common is a rapidly expanding population. In fact, all of the San Joaquin Valley counties exceeded the growth rate for California during the past five years (1995 to 2000) and six Valley counties are in the top fifteen with the highest growth percentage of all fifty-eight California counties. Population growth is anticipated to continue. The San Joaquin Valley is long and relatively narrow. Stretching about 300 miles from north to south and about 100 miles from east to west, it occupies an area between the two largest metropolitan areas in Council of Fresno County Governments 2001 Regional Transportation Plan Air quality is a major issue. Many sections of the Valley are in non-attainment areas for a number of pollutants. Geographical situation, economic activity and population pressures tend to exacerbate air pollution within the region. Both ends of the Valley are under growth pressures from huge metropolitan areas. Kern County population growth is being influenced by Los Angeles, while growth in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and Merced counties is partially due to overflow growth from the San Francisco Bay area. Much of the residential growth observed has been caused by people searching for affordable owner-occupied housing within automobile commuting range of the large metropolitan areas. A great deal of land in the San Joaquin Valley is used for agricultural production. Urban areas tend to be widely separated from each other and are developed at low densities (Year 2005 update = not any more!). A majority of the locally developed road and rail network serves farm-to-market activity. Major transportation facilities serve as conduits between major metropolitan areas, and national recreation areas. Economically, the region is tied to primary production. Agriculture production will always be a major industry because of the physical characteristics of the Valley (Maybe or maybe not) These characteristics include a nearly frostfree growing climate, long summers, reservoirs, and water distribution projects such as the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project. However, direct employment in agriculture and other primary production (such as oil production) will continue to drop as production becomes more automated. The San Joaquin Valley of California will continue to develop and become more populated. Many of the issues that are faced by individual county jurisdictions are of a regional nature and could benefit from regional coordination. Transportation is one of these issues and a continuing effort to plan, fund and construct transportation facilities on a regional basis will benefit both the residents of the San Joaquin Valley and the State of California. The San Joaquin Valley is the southern portion of the Great Central Valley of California. The San Joaquin Valley stretches from the Tehachapi Mountains in the south to the San Joaquin Delta in the north, a distance of nearly 300 miles. The eastern boundary is the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which reach elevations of over 14,000 feet, while the western boundary is the lower coastal ranges. Total land area is approximately 23,720 square miles. The topography is generally flat to rolling, and the climate is characterized by long, very warm summers, and short, cool winters. Precipitation is related to latitude and elevation, with the northern portions of the valley receiving approximately 12-14 inches of rain a year, while the southern portion has an annual average of less than six inches. Snow rarely falls on the Valley floor, but heavy winter accumulations are common in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. For the purposes of this report, the San Joaquin Valley is considered to include the counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern. Kern County straddles the Sierra Nevada Mountains and occupies a portion of the Mojave Desert. The desert portion of Kern County is within the Southeastern Desert Air Basin. This report addresses only that portion of Kern County that falls within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin. See Exhibit 1-1. --- Doug Younker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Well yes the rub is in defining rural. My point is > you don't have to drive > very far "out of town" to find the very same things > that where being used to > paint urban as somehow more evil than rural. The > second point was that > there is not enough viable real-estate available for > every family have their > own self-sustaining homestead. Viable meaning > decent soil, enough water to > support, crops humans and livestock, material to > build the shelter, fuel and > anything else I may be forgetting. The whole urban > Vs. rural debate can > never be productive because, a mix of the two has to > be the ultimate > outcome. Yes urban as well as rural and can, do > better in reducing their > impact on the environment, but IMO putting one above > the other is counter > productive. > Doug > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Kim & Garth Travis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 6:49 AM > Subject: Re: [Biofuel] End of Suburbia" and > Ruralization > > > : Greetings, > : > : I think our definitions of what is rural and what > is urban need to be > : straightened out. If you live in a town, on an > ordinary lot, in a single > : family home, you live an urban lifestyle, no > matter where it is. The > : reason I say this, is because only small lots > require water and waste > : treatment plants. And that is a fallacy, too. > Actually, compost toilets > : and grey water systems work really well, improve > your land and have no > : waste. They do not require public works and are > not bad for the > : environment. The problem is that one must engage > the brain at all times, > : when using the systems or yes, you could make > yourself very sick. > : > : To live in the country does require a higher > degree of organization and > : more of a willingness to do for oneself, even if > it is just cooking your > : own meals. We don't have a McDonalds just around > every corner. > : > : I meet lots of people who are living a life based > on fear, and are so > : unhappy. They simply do not understand that it is > the lack of skills that > : is causing this problem. This is especially easy > to see in middle-aged > : single moms, living in the country without the > skills to look after their > : own place. Add to that a limited income, and yes > I do understand the > : fear. The thing is, the skills are not that > difficult to acquire. > : > : There is a real joy, in eating a meal that with > the exception of the salt > : and pepper, came from your land, was processed > 100% on the land and in a > : home that your built yourself. It is fun setting > an example of how it can > : be done, in reasonable comfort and in safety. It > is empowering to know > : that you can survive whatever is coming down the > road. Yeah, I guess I am > : kinda subversive. But what else would you expect > from an old hippie? > <grin> > : > : Bright Blessings, > : Kim > : > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/biofuel > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable): > http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/biofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable): http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
