Open Space
Success Story: Open Space Conservation Washington State
Between 1982 and 1997, more than 80,000 acres of farmland were lost to development. In an effort to prevent further loss of open space, 10 towns within Boulder County banded together to ensure that any new development be established in or near existing towns, instead of in rural wildlands.
By the numbers:
- 749 million – acres of forests in the U.S.
- 430 million – acres of privately-owned forests in the U.S.
- 6,000 – acres of open space lost every day.
- 80 – percent of Americans living in cities or suburbs.
- 21.7 million – acres of rural private lands located within 10 miles of a national forest that are projected to see increases in housing density by 2030.
What is open space?
Open space refers to any open, undeveloped piece of land. Open space includes natural areas such as forests and grasslands, as well as working farms, ranches, timberland, parks, stream and river corridors, and other natural areas within urban and suburban areas. Open space lands may be protected or unprotected, public or private.
Why are we losing open space?
Open space is diminishing as urban and suburban areas encroach into this space, resulting in a loss of forests, grasslands and other natural areas.
Why should we care about open space?
Open space provides many benefits and services including clean water, natural flood control, wildlife habitat and biodiversity, recreation and relaxation opportunities, timber and other forest products, and job opportunities.
What is the Forest Service doing to save open space?
Our goal is to sustain the environmental, social, and economic benefits of forests and grasslands across the country. Some ways we hope to achieve this goal include:
- Convening partners to identify and protect priority open space.
- Promoting national policies and markets to help private landowners conserve open space.
- Providing resources and tools to help communities expand and connect open spaces.
- Participating in community growth planning to reduce ecological impacts and wildfire risks.
Forests on the Edge
Forests on the Edge is a project that identifies and analyzes areas across the country where private forest services, such as timber, wildlife habitat and water quality programs, might be affected by factors such as development, fire, insect pests, and diseases. The project also seeks to understand how increased housing density near national forests might affect recreation, wildlife, water resources and other public benefits that we receive from national forests.
Cooperating Across Boundaries
Cooperating Across Boundaries is a publication that encourages cross-boundary partnerships to strategically conserve open space. It shares current research on the importance of open space and how growth trends may affect the benefits these lands provide to society.