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Although still a valuable part of the Sierra Nevada economy, timber extraction has significantly declined in past decades. At the same time, the value of such natural resources as water and energy, and the tourism industry, has continued to grow in importance to the region’s economic health.

Still a vital part of the economy in the northern Sierra, lumbering has declined in importance elsewhere in the range. The continuing decline has led to mill closings, lost jobs and lower revenues.

But the Sierra Nevada’s water and power resources have grown in importance. The mountain range supplies 60 percent of California’s fresh water, with the bulk of that sustaining the Central Valley’s agricultural bounty. By comparison, urban use of the Sierra’s water is minimal.

Electricity produced by hydropower, biomass and geothermal sources has grown in recent years in the Sierra, making the region a net exporter of power.

Finally, the Sierra’s beauty and natural resources has spurred the growth of the region’s tourism industry. As a share of a county’s total earnings, six of California’s top tourism counties are within the Sierra Nevada.

<i>Source: The Sierra Business Council’s “The State of the Sierra.”</i>