As California's population grows, pressure mounts on ag land

[question everything]

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

By: JULIANA BARBASSA - Associated Press Writer

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- The population explosion in California's cities is sending ripples deep into farm country, with developers eyeing orchards and rolling fields within commuting distance as potential housing sites, or as a safe investment that counts on the population's steady growth.

Between 1990 and 2002, 166,364 acres of farmland in the Central Valley were paved over to accommodate the state's swelling population, according to preliminary results from the California Department of Conservation's Farmland Mapping and Monitoring program.

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The Central Valley leads the nation in farm production. The combination of fertile soil, water from the Sierra Nevada and steady sunshine have made agriculture the motor that drives the local economy.

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But the Central Valley also is the fastest growing region in the state. Demographers predict its population will grow from the present 5.5 million to 12 million or more by 2040. By then, the state's population will have grown from 36.1 million to an estimated 51.5 million.

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http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/06/23/news/state/10_15_046_23_04.txt