This indicator will produce tabular and graphical information on historical and current trends in the extent of nonfederal forest land base, particularly large contiguous tracts of forestland with few developments, and projections of future development of forestland to other uses. Maintaining and enhancing the productive capacity of forests to produce the ecological, social, and economic values people expect from their forests requires limiting the development of forestland to other uses.

Depicts areas/districts (counties, NCCPs) where ordinances and plans require that developers purchase and set aside acreage of undeveloped lands for permanent conservation on par with that which they are developing. Though difficult to specify where they will occur spatially, a number of areas in the state require that for each acre developed, an acre of similar vegetation type in the same region (and often of oak woodland) be purchased by the developer and set aside for conservation.

Using housing density projections and wildland hazard ratings such as fuel loadings, assess areas most at risk of becoming “bad WUI” -- meaning people and structures exposed to wildland areas with high likelihood of burning.

Converting forest lands to other land cover types (e.g., rural residential) results in loss of plant and animal biodiversity. These effects result from direct loss and fragmentation of habitat.

Human population size in an area can indicate potential impacts from human infrastructure (e.g., roads) and activities (e.g., driving). Residential development often introduces weeds, domestic animals, pesticides, and human physical presence into areas that may have previously had little of these types of disturbance.

Protecting the diversity of California's ecosystems is likely to also protect the diversity of native fauna and flora. This depends on how much area is protected and if diversity is appropriately defined. For example, there are many kinds of vernal pool, which vary because of underlying geology and surrounding landscape. Different vernal pool types will have different assemblages of species. Therefore, just protecting "vernal pool" diversity without attention to types of vernal pools could result in loss of diversity.

Based on population projections, this indicator highlights areas of forest and rangelands where development is most likely to occur in 5 year intervals. Based on landscape conditions and assets, threatened areas are ranked, to target for conservation measures.

Shows areas that, under current regulations, are open to new development. Many areas of the state held in private ownership are under some sort of restrictions on development, due to for example the Williamson Act, Timber Production Zoning, or conservation easements. Areas of forest and rangelands not under such constraints are more vulnerable to development. In particular, areas of forest and rangelands recently or currently being withdrawn from Williamson Act or other protections can indicate places where new developments are more likely to occur.

Fragmentation is the process whereby a landscape is broken into pieces by development activities (e.g., road construction or expansion). Fragmentation can negatively impact biodiversity, hydrology, weed invasions, wildlife movement, and other ecological processes and features.

Birds are particularly sensitive to certain types and patterns of development. Landscape fragmentation, loss of food and nesting vegetation, predation by domestic cats and nest-predation by medium-sized carnivorous mammals (e.g., skunks) can all affect species presence, abundance, and distribution. They are also a well-studied fauna and there are many types of existing monitoring for birds in general.