▁among ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest . ▁ ▁For ▁administrative ▁purposes ▁the ▁island ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁Santa ▁Barbara ▁County , ▁California . ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁census ▁showed ▁an ▁official ▁population ▁of ▁two ▁people . ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁island ▁off ▁the ▁contin ental ▁United ▁States . ▁O wn ership ▁is ▁split ▁between ▁the ▁National ▁Park ▁Service ▁( 2 4 %) ▁and ▁the ▁Nature ▁Conserv ancy ▁( 7 6 %). ▁ ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Island ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁some ▁en demic ▁species ▁of ▁animals ▁and ▁plants , ▁including ▁the ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Island ▁fo x ▁( U ro cy on ▁litt or alis ▁sant ac ru za e ), ▁a ▁sub species ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁fo x . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁Arch ae ological ▁investig ations ▁indicate ▁that ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Island ▁has ▁been ▁occupied ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years . ▁It ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁Lim uw ▁( place ▁of ▁the ▁sea ) ▁or ▁Mich um ash ▁in ▁the ▁Ch um ash ▁language . ▁The ▁Ch um ash ▁people ▁who ▁lived ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁developed ▁a ▁highly ▁complex ▁society ▁dependent ▁on ▁marine ▁har vest , ▁craft ▁special ization ▁and ▁trade ▁with ▁the ▁main land ▁population . ▁ ▁Juan ▁Rodríguez ▁Cab ril lo ▁first ▁observed ▁the ▁island ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 2 , ▁later ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁Ch um ash ▁on ▁the ▁three ▁northern ▁Channel ▁Islands