Abstract
We compiled data from federal, state, and private academic databases to characterize the changing socioeconomics of the redwood region, which is part of the broader geography of the American West. The American West has turned economically away from commodity markets such as timber toward an economy dependent on knowledge and innovation, with job growth in service industries. We illustrate this shift by first comparing two distinct areas of the redwood region, the non-metropolitan northern counties (Del Norte, Mendocino, and Humboldt) and the metropolitan southern counties (Sonoma, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz), on variables including employment, income, and education. These two areas display dramatically different levels of financial and human capital, and represent two very different aspects of the American West. One illustrative distinction is that the northern counties have maintained a forest products industry, while the southern counties have turned almost entirely to other sectors. We then profile the role of the forest products sector within the regional economy, and how it has changed in terms of markets, wood sourcing, and infrastructure. We include trend data for mill capacity, wood prices, and export markets.