In your mind’s eye, picture wild coastline, giant rivers, farms and ranches, redwood trees and forest lands stretched across 20,000 square miles, including millions of acres of federal land. 40% of the state’s natural runoff water, including a lot of the water that feeds farming in the southern part of the state. This area makes up 11.5% of California’s land but it’s home to less than 1% of the state’s population.

The North Coast, as it’s defined in California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment, stretches over 20,000 square miles and includes six counties: Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Lake, Trinity, and Siskiyou. This episode explores how climate change is projected to affect life in the North Coast region.