Loss Of Open Space

An estimated 6,000 acres of open space are lost each day, a rate of 4 acres per minute. Looking ahead, the Forests on the Edge project estimates that 44 million acres of private forest lands could experience sizeable increases in housing density by 2030. Public forests are also affected -- the new National Forests on the Edge publication estimates that 21 million acres of private rural lands near national forests and grasslands will experience substantial housing density increases by 2030.The Forest Service has developed a Open Space Conservation Strategy to identify how the agency can best help conserve open space, with an emphasis on partnerships and collaborative approaches. The agency is interested in addressing the effects of the loss of open space on private forests; on National Forests and Grasslands and the surrounding landscape; and on forests in cities, suburbs, and towns.

See examples of open space loss http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/loss_space.html

site: http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/