Land use change in three San Francisco Bay area counties: Implications for ranching at the urban fringe

ABSTRACT:

California's rapid demographic changes are affecting the use and management of private grazing lands. Although it has been argued that expanding urban development is leading to rangeland overgrazing as animals are crowded onto the remaining range, an examination of 30 years of land use and livestock inventory data iii the three Sun Francisco East Bay counties of Alameda, Santa Clara, and Contra Costa, shows that the decline in rangeland is paralleled by a decline in animal deinand for forage. Shifts in livestock and crop production are evident. Sheep numbers have been drastically reduced due to dog, predator, and marketing problems. Traditional field and orchard crop production is in decline, while intensive greenhouse and nursery production is increasing. Although urban expansion causes problems for livestock producers, grazing is strongly supported by residents concerned about fire hazards. Management practices for “urban rangelands” are needed if range livestock production is to survive in much of California.