Public land use

Why is this important?

The growth and development of a community is dependent upon the amount and location of land that is available for various uses. A community is comprised of a variety of land uses, such as residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational. A significant amount of land is also devoted to public uses, such as parks and schools. In the case of jurisdictions that have the majority of their lands held for public use, planning for growth and economic vitality can be a challenge due to this limited resource.

What is the measure?

The amount of land that is engaged in existing uses or available for new development can be measured by the amount of acreage that has been designated for a specific use or range of uses by the county or city. Public lands for both the city of Sonora and Tuolumne County are included within the public and parks and recreation designations under their respective General Plans. Measuring the amount of land that is held in public use provides insight into the opportunity for future growth within Tuolumne County and the city of Sonora.

How are we doing?

While public lands are not available for commercial or residential development, they provide other economic benefits to Tuolumne County through natural resources, tourism, recreation, and employment.

The city of Sonora is comprised of 1,812 acres. Approximately 21% of these acres are public lands.

Tuolumne County is comprised of a total of 1,458,121 acres. Approximately 79% of these acres are public lands.