Open Space Conservation Strategy

From the Forest Service press release: "The loss of open space threatens the sustainability of the Nation's forests and grasslands. We lose approximately 6,000 acres of open space each day across the United States - a rate of four acres per minute. Land development is outpacing population growth, especially in rural areas where the trend is low density, dispersed growth. The new Forest Service report "National Forests on the Edge" projects that over 21 million acres of rural private lands near national forests and 44 million acres of private forest land will undergo increases in housing density by 2030.

The new Open Space Conservation Strategy is available on the Forest Service's Open Space Conservation website. The site includes answers to frequently asked questions, a summary of public comments, and additional information on the loss of open space.

The Open Space Conservation site includes links to additional reports:

National Forests on the Edge: Development Pressures on America's National Forests and Grasslands

Forests on the Edge: Housing Development on America's Private Forests

Forests on the Edge: Case Studies of NW Washington, Maine and Georgia

Cooperating Across Boundaries: Partnerships to conserve open space across rural America

The site includes information on other reports in progress.