Santa Cruz County, California

Mission Santa Cruz, established in 1791 and completed in 1794, was destroyed by the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, but a smaller-scale replica was erected in 1931.[10] It is a strip about 10 miles (16 km) wide between the coast and the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains at the northern end of the Monterey Bay.It can be divided roughly into four regions: the rugged "north coast"; the urban City of Santa Cruz, Soquel, Capitola, and Aptos; mountainous Bonny Doon, San Lorenzo River Valley; and the fertile "south county", including Watsonville and Corralitos.Most of the north coastal land comprises relatively flat terraces that end at steep cliffs like those shown in the photo below.Elk, sometimes confused with bison, were initially described by Miguel Costansó in his diary of the 1769 Portola Expedition near the mouth of the Pajaro River both on the way north on October 6, and on the way south on November 25.The last Republican to represent a significant portion of Santa Cruz in Congress was Burt L. Talcott, who was defeated in 1976 by Leon Panetta.[53] Santa Cruz County is split between California's 18th and 19th congressional districts, represented by Zoe Lofgren (D–San Jose) and Jimmy Panetta (D–Carmel Valley), respectively.The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense: In the 19th century, Santa Cruz's economy was based on milling lumber, making lime cement from limestone, and tanning leather.[46] The agriculture businesses are significant enough to be prominent in local politics, where they influence issues of water, pesticide use, and labor."[63] In 2002, the National Association of Realtors reported that Santa Cruz was the most unaffordable place to live in the United States.UCSC's No Place Like Home Project reports that in Santa Cruz County, 2.5 minimum wage jobs would be needed to afford renting a 2 bedroom apartment.National policies since the 1980s have deregulated rental markets, which decreased the rights of tenants and exacerbated frustrations for renters all across the country as well as in Santa Cruz.The restrictions on land prevent development from responding to housing and employment demands, which is an issue particularly politically relevant in the Watsonville jurisdiction.The goal was to contain urban sprawl while still finding housing alternatives for residents in light of the crisis that was exacerbated by UCSC growth and Silicon Valley encroachment.[59] Already contentious debates about land were present in the area due to its large tourism industry and the relatively new UCSC campus, but after the quake both private interests and public servants had a stake in how rebuilding would go.