Forest acreage in Eastern U.S. is declining again

Earlier this month we noted a story from The Washington Post suggesting that forests in the Eastern United States are expanding, but a new study from the U.S. Geological Survey found otherwise. The study reveals the eastern forest did enjoy a period of regrowth from about 1920 onward, but over the last three decades forested area in the region has declined 4.1 percent, April Reese of Environment & Energy Daily reports.

"Considering the substantial historical shift from deforestation to reforestation in the East, which occurred mostly over a time span of less than 200 years, it is significant that forest cover may again be declining," the study says, adding that the loss of forest cover in the region has "important implications for sustainability, future carbon sequestration and biodiversity." The study points to timber harvesting and urban development as the most significant factors in the decline; mountaintop-removal coal mining was also a major factor, accounting for almost 1 million acres of forest loss, Reese reports. (Read more, subscription required)