New Jersey's Forests Disappearing

31 July 2010 - 11:00am

A new study shows that the amount of urban development in New Jersey now outnumbers the state's forest acreage.

The replacement of forests with urban development has been especially rampant over the last two decades, according to the report.

"The study, a collaboration between Rowan and Rutgers universities, analyzed land use data between 1986 and 2007 and estimates the state could run out of open space around 2050 if the pace of development that took place in the sprawl years continued.

'There’s less than a million acres left,' said John Hasse, a professor at Rowan University and a co-author of the report. 'We have our last 20 percent.'"

Source: New Jersey Star-Ledger, July 28, 2010

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Link to the report and interactive maps.

Unfortunately, the Star-Ledger does not provide a link to the report or the animated web maps that show urban growth and forest loss.

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Practitioners will need to break free from their silos and forge a better understanding of the interrelatedness of these fields.