{{dablink|For Santa Cruz Island of the Galápagos Islands, see [[Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos)]]}}

[[Image:SantaCruz-Island-EO.JPG|thumb|300px|NASA satellite image of Santa Cruz Island.]]

'''Santa Cruz Island''' is the largest privately owned island off the [[continental United States]]. The island, located off the coast of [[California]], is 22 miles (35 km) long and from 2 to 6 miles (3 to 10 km) wide. It is part of the northern group of the [[Channel Islands of California]], and at 61,764.6 acres (249.95 km² or 96.507 sq mi) is the largest of the eight islands in the chain. Santa Cruz Island is located within [[Santa Barbara County]]. The coastline has steep cliffs, gigantic [[sea caves]], [[coves]], and sandy beaches. Defined by the [[United States Census Bureau]] as Block 3000, Block Group 3, [[census tract|Census Tract]] 29.10 of [[Santa Barbara County, California]], the [[United States Census, 2000|2000 census]] showed an official population of 2 persons. <ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-show_geoid=Y&-tree_id=4001&-_caller=geoselect&-context=dt&-errMsg=&-all_geo_types=N&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_G001&-redoLog=true&-transpose=N&-search_map_config=|b=50|l=en|t=4001|zf=0.0|ms=sel_00dec|dw=0.3599341050264767|dh=0.22748226131046756|dt=gov.census.aff.domain.map.EnglishMapExtent|if=gif|cx=-118.42426637496948|cy=33.37146458057821|zl=5|pz=5|bo=318:317:316:315:314:313:323:319|bl=362:393:392:358:357:356:355:354|ft=350:349:335:389:388:332:331|fl=381:403:204:380:369:379:368|g=05000US36061&-PANEL_ID=p_dt_geo_map&-_lang=en&-geo_id=100$10000US060830029103000&-CONTEXT=dt&-format=&-search_results=01000US&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-keyword= Block 3000, Block Group 3, Census Tract 29.10, Santa Barbara County] United States Census Bureau </ref>

A central valley splits the island along the [[Santa Cruz Island Fault]], with volcanic rock on the north and older sedimentary rock on the south. 

Three-fourths of Santa Cruz has been owned by [[The Nature Conservancy]] since [[1987]], when it was willed to that group by owner Carey Stanton. The remaining fourth once belonged to the Gherini family and is now part of the [[Channel Islands National Park]]. Santa Cruz boasts the most diverse of habitats in the sanctuary. 

Santa Cruz is the only place where the endemic [[Island Scrub Jay]] is found.

==Introduced Species==

*[[Golden Eagle]] (invader)-displaced the native [[bald eagle]], and hunted [[island fox]]es to [[threatened]] status.
*[[Fennel]] (introduced)-Served as cover for Island Foxes, but as [[forage]] for the feral pigs.
*[[Feral]] [[Pig]]s (Introduced)-displaced native island foxes.

==Reintroduced Bald Eagles==

[[Bald Eagle]]s were once numerous on California's Channel Islands. Because of eggshell thinning caused by [[DDT]] and other factors, the last known successful Bald Eagle nesting in the northern Channel Islands was in 1949. By the 1960s Bald Eagles could no longer be found on any of the Channel Islands.

The [[Institute for Wildlife Studies]] started a program in 2002 to reintroduce Bald Eagles to the Channel Islands, funded by money from a $25 million fund to deal with the lingering effects of tons of DDT dumped by the [[Montrose Chemical Corporation]] into the ocean near Santa Catalina Island. Since June 2002 46 young bald eagles have been released on Santa Cruz Island. On [[17 March]] [[2006]] wildlife biologists for the Institute announced that for the first time in over 50 years there has been a successful hatching on Santa Cruz Island. [http://www.iws.org/SCZ%20bald%20eagles.html] [http://www.iws.org/bald%20eagles/bald.htm] [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060318/ap_on_sc/island_eagles] <!--Title:Eagle Lays 1st Egg in 50 Yrs on Santa Cruz-->

[[Image:Santacruz 300.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Santa Cruz Island]]
==External links==
* [http://www.west.net/~scifmail/ Santa Cruz Island Foundation]
* [http://www.nps.gov/chis/scipage.htm Santa Cruz Island Channel Islands National Park]

==References==
<references/>

{{8islands}}

[[Category:Santa Barbara County, California]]
[[Category:Channel Islands of California]]

[[de:Santa Cruz Island]]
[[et:Santa Cruzi saar (California)]]
[[fr:Île Santa Cruz]]