West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

3.4.1.1 Regional EnvironmentIn totality, the West Mojave’s existing population base is significant but is widelydispersed in scattered concentrations ranging from as few as 25,000 residents in such areas asBarstow and Ridgecrest to more than 200,000 in the Palmdale-Lancaster area of Los AngelesCounty and also the Victor Valley area of San Bernardino County. The West Mojave populationbase is too small and geographically dispersed to be realistically considered a self-generatingeconomy, even though certain industries such as aerospace, mining, military, and governmentoperations have long provided local employment to area residents.The West Mojave, while relatively remote, is situated along the periphery of SouthernCalifornia and its huge metropolitan population and employment base. Overall economic growththroughout the West Mojave is increasingly influenced and driven by growth trends describingthe larger economic region of Southern California for a number of reasons. The six-countySouthern California region (Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, andVentura counties) hosted 19.7 million residents and 8.0 million nonagricultural wage and salaryjobs in 2001. Due to the sheer volume of employment opportunity in more developed regions ofSouthern California a large number of workers residing in outlying areas commute to jobs insuch central locations. In 2000, about one in five workers residing in cities throughout the WestMojave commuted at least 60 minutes each way to work. By contrast, the high desertenvironment of the West Mojave continues to offer a diverse range of options for a growingurban population seeking recreation and leisure activities or passive relief in vast natural settings.The high desert region has attracted nearly 2.0 million visitor-trips a year for off-highwayvehicle recreation and nearly 1.5 million visitors to State and National Parks in the area.Recreation travel in the West Mojave also provides support for local businesses and related jobs.Growth in employment throughout Southern California therefore constitutes one of the principalfactors driving demand for household formation in outlying sub-regions, such as the WestMojave.Historic Regional TrendsPopulation: A wide variety of socio-economic factors can be evaluated with regards togrowth trends, but changes in population, employment, and housing reflect principal drivers ofurbanization and associated economic activity. Area population growth is a product ofhousehold formation. Household formation is primarily driven by the availability ofemployment, with the exception of retirement households.Total population within the six-county region of Southern California, plus Kern County,grew by 6.54 million residents over the 21-year period from 13.8 million residents in 1980 to20.4 million residents in 2001. The resident population of Inyo County has remained relativelystatic since 1980 (about 18,000 residents) and is not explicitly evaluated in relation to regionaltrends since it hosts roughly 600 residents or less than 0.1 percent of WEMO population.Total population throughout Southern California grew at an average annual rate of 1.84percent. Since 1990, the rate of population growth has slowed relative to the average rateexperienced over the past 21-years. Los Angeles County continues to account for the largestChapter 3 3-197