3.8 Socioeconomics
Socioeconomic Characteristics
3.8.1
In terms of the broad economic contribution of beaches to the economy as a whole, while the total value
of the beaches to the local jurisdictions and the region is known to be substantial, the quantification of the
value of this resource is not straightforward. One way to approach the problem of valuation of is to
examine the estimated costs of continuing beach lo ss to the region. As noted in subsection 2.4.3 (No
Action Alternative), an earlier regional study (SANDAG 1993) places estimated annual costs (losses) of
lost property and recreational benefits to the region at million by 2010 and over 6 million by 2040.
To provide a localized socioeconomic context for the proposed project, the remainder of this section
presents information on population and income in the project area. To meet the specific intent of Executive
Order 12898 on EnvironmentalJustice (59 Fed. Reg. 7629 (1994)), it is necessary to consider the minority
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and economic status of the population surrounding receiver beaches. To allow for a subsequent assessment
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of potential disproportionate impacts to minority populations and low-income populations it is necessary
to compare the same type of demographic and income information for the local jurisdiction and larger
region. Therefore, these data provide information on population, ethnicity, and median income for each
of the receiver beaches compared to the local jurisdiction and the San Diego County region. (Housing and
employment data, often presented in socioeconomic sections of NEPA documents, are not provided in this
section as the proposed project is not considered likely to have any direct impact on either housing or
employment in the immediate area. Potential positive benefits to employment as a result of enhanced
recreational and tourism opportunities would likely be felt at a subregional or regional level.)
Census tracts are the standard localized units of analysis for these types of data. The receiver beaches are
contained within twelve census tracts. These census tracts, as well as the receiver beach sites they each
encompass, are listed in Table 3.8-1. Although some tracts contain all or portions of more than one
receiver beach, some sites straddle two census tracts. In addition, census tract boundaries do not follow
city boundaries. For example, census tract 173.03 includes portions of both Encinitas and Solana Beach.
The data presented in this section for local jurisdictions and the region as a whole are from SANDAG
Demographic and Economic Estimates Profiles which are derived from 1990 census data. Data for
individual census tracts are directly from the 1990 Census (STF 3A).
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