Growth issues paramount in El Dorado County races

The four candidates for two open seats on the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors speak in near-spiritual tones of being drawn to oak-studded hills, cascading rivers and a sapphire blue lake rimmed by mountain peaks.

When it comes to campaign arguments on how to protect it all, things get more intense.

The candidates in supervisorial districts 4 and 5, together stretching from Lake Tahoe to El Dorado Hills, are debating about managing roads and freeway traffic, protecting water resources and providing housing and jobs. They are also trying to convince a wary electorate that they won’t stand for anything that could alter the county’s rustic character, from big-box stores to major new subdivisions.