Estimates presented here are based upon the latest information from the National Resources Inventory (NRI). The NRI is a longitudinal sample survey based upon scientific statistical principles and procedures. It is conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in cooperation with Iowa State University’s Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology. These results are based upon the 2007 NRI, which provides nationally consistent data for the 25-year period 1982–2007. Estimates here cover the contiguous 48 states. Separate estimates include Hawaii, Alaska, and the Caribbean.
Margins of error are reported for each NRI estimate and must be considered at all scales of analysis. The margin of error is used to construct the 95 percent confidence interval for the estimate. The lower bound of the interval is obtained by subtracting the margin of error from the estimate; the upper bound is obtained by adding the margin of error to the estimate. A 95 percent confidence interval means that in repeated samples from the same population, 95 percent of the time the true underlying population parameter will be contained within the lower and upper bounds of the interval.
Table 31. Sources of Newly Developed Land, by Farm Production Region, in Thousands of Acres, with Margins of Error
Region
Year
Cropland
Pastureland
Rangeland
Forest Land
All Other
Total
Appalachian
1982 to 1987
243.0 ±25.4
230.3 ±36.9
0.0 --
634.5 ±54.4
25.8 ±7.2
1,133.6 ±64.6
1987 to 1992
290.8 ±27.8
264.3 ±45.5
0.0 --
629.4 ±41.8
25.1 ±5.7
1,209.6 ±76.4
1992 to 1997
348.1 ±23.3
381.9 ±44.7
0.0 --
919.0 ±57.6
64.1 ±12.9
1,713.1 ±86.9
1997 to 2002
283.6 ±41.9
315.4 ±52.0
0.0 --
1,000.7 ±82.4
30.2 ±11.0
1,629.9 ±98.6
2002 to 2007
193.5 ±39.8
194.0 ±41.2
0.0 --
660.9 ±63.0
33.3 ±10.4
1,081.7 ±95.1
1982 to 2007
1,475.5 ±101.7
1,384.5 ±115.8
0.0 --
3,753.3 ±186.4
154.6 ±19.3
6,767.9 ±267.9
Corn Belt
1982 to 1987
379.0 ±47.4
103.4 ±17.7
0.0 --
155.0 ±22.1
14.6 ±4.8
652.0 ±58.7
1987 to 1992
323.8 ±38.7
112.5 ±20.0
0.0 --
197.6 ±24.4
21.0 ±6.9
654.9 ±50.0
1992 to 1997
573.7 ±43.8
188.9 ±18.9
0.0 --
299.4 ±29.7
59.8 ±19.9
1,121.8 ±70.0
1997 to 2002
348.5 ±63.0
147.8 ±26.8
0.1 ±0.5
223.7 ±43.2
34.6 ±13.5
754.7 ±97.6
2002 to 2007
297.0 ±55.1
138.2 ±41.9
0.0 --
252.3 ±47.4
21.4 ±6.7
708.9 ±111.1
1982 to 2007
2,008.0 ±141.3
699.4 ±82.8
0.2 ±153.4
1,060.3 ±93.1
124.4 ±29.8
3,892.3 ±270.9
Delta States
1982 to 1987
78.6 ±12.8
65.3 ±12.4
1.4 ±2.2
130.3 ±22.1
3.8 ±2.8
279.4 ±28.1
1987 to 1992
53.8 ±9.5
69.6 ±17.0
0.4 ±0.5
141.2 ±17.8
2.8 ±1.5
267.8 ±28.7
1992 to 1997
117.2 ±21.8
132.1 ±24.6
2.3 ±2.2
274.3 ±39.6
11.4 ±4.0
537.3 ±56.8
1997 to 2002
64.4 ±19.9
140.1 ±28.8
1.1 ±3.8
279.5 ±52.1
13.2 ±5.4
498.3 ±62.5
2002 to 2007
53.4 ±17.7
105.2 ±22.5
3.5 ±13.7
250.2 ±47.2
13.1 ±3.5
425.4 ±55.6
1982 to 2007
433.5 ±46.9
515.9 ±58.9
8.7 ±18.8
1,012.2 ±102.4
37.9 ±8.5
2,008.2 ±126.4
Lake States
1982 to 1987
180.6 ±29.5
85.5 ±19.0
0.0 --
184.6 ±25.0
17.0 ±6.3
467.7 ±36.5
1987 to 1992
210.8 ±26.5
105.5 ±22.4
0.0 --
204.7 ±38.6
11.4 ±4.1
532.4 ±47.3
1992 to 1997
340.2 ±31.0
122.6 ±24.5
0.0 --
300.8 ±42.5
43.0 ±13.3
806.6 ±61.4
1997 to 2002
239.5 ±38.3
111.3 ±33.2
0.0 --
244.4 ±42.8
27.6 ±14.9
622.8 ±63.5
2002 to 2007
201.3 ±30.3
66.0 ±20.7
0.0 --
197.8 ±39.7
16.4 ±5.4
481.5 ±47.0
1982 to 2007
1,217.1 ±82.3
494.5 ±76.2
0.0 --
1,096.7 ±99.7
102.7 ±24.8
2,911.0 ±159.6
Mountain
1982 to 1987
167.9 ±55.0
47.2 ±12.9
292.8 ±85.6
59.1 ±33.8
24.2 ±17.7
591.2 ±118.7
1987 to 1992
118.6 ±29.4
58.1 ±21.3
237.6 ±62.6
67.5 ±27.3
31.5 ±19.3
513.3 ±75.2
1992 to 1997
165.1 ±31.1
70.8 ±19.9
344.2 ±76.4
58.5 ±22.1
33.9 ±14.2
672.5 ±85.5
1997 to 2002
239.5 ±84.5
55.4 ±17.7
625.1 ±211.7
173.2 ±108.6
52.5 ±39.0
1,145.7 ±304.4
2002 to 2007
214.3 ±74.6
69.2 ±59.6
494.8 ±136.0
55.9 ±15.3
13.2 ±5.0
847.4 ±192.0
1982 to 2007
1,011.4 ±166.1
265.3 ±90.7
1,978.5 ±351.0
400.9 ±121.1
114.0 ±42.7
3,770.1 ±487.1
Northeast
1982 to 1987
244.2 ±34.1
100.7 ±14.0
0.0 --
586.4 ±38.5
26.0 ±7.3
957.3 ±42.4
1987 to 1992
265.2 ±19.2
132.6 ±19.2
0.0 --
647.3 ±37.9
24.5 ±6.8
1,069.6 ±48.7
1992 to 1997
430.8 ±41.3
207.6 ±22.1
0.0 --
1,045.7 ±50.6
68.0 ±14.2
1,752.1 ±70.9
1997 to 2002
259.8 ±24.4
122.8 ±24.9
0.0 --
723.4 ±42.8
30.4 ±9.5
1,136.4 ±71.1
2002 to 2007
150.5 ±20.0
84.1 ±21.3
0.0 --
531.0 ±47.3
14.7 ±8.9
780.3 ±60.3
1982 to 2007
1,428.0 ±93.6
694.9 ±57.5
0.0 --
3,432.9 ±132.0
139.9 ±17.1
5,695.7 ±197.4
Northern Plains
1982 to 1987
48.5 ±13.6
6.9 ±3.1
14.8 ±5.4
3.2 ±1.7
0.7 ±0.5
74.1 ±16.2
1987 to 1992
122.4 ±33.8
27.7 ±13.9
40.3 ±11.0
9.2 ±4.5
9.3 ±6.6
208.9 ±42.9
1992 to 1997
114.5 ±18.6
28.4 ±8.2
69.5 ±21.5
22.1 ±9.4
7.1 ±5.5
241.6 ±32.6
1997 to 2002
83.3 ±22.3
15.8 ±6.8
31.9 ±12.1
16.8 ±12.2
5.9 ±3.8
153.7 ±28.0
2002 to 2007
67.9 ±19.3
14.6 ±12.0
22.9 ±8.5
17.9 ±14.2
4.6 ±2.5
127.9 ±32.2
1982 to 2007
441.2 ±60.6
93.4 ±24.7
182.9 ±36.2
68.4 ±22.3
20.3 ±6.9
806.2 ±89.0
Pacific
1982 to 1987
97.8 ±30.3
47.9 ±19.3
142.0 ±48.8
139.3 ±34.9
18.2 ±12.8
445.2 ±62.3
1987 to 1992
189.1 ±35.3
84.5 ±24.2
275.6 ±101.8
220.8 ±41.2
28.4 ±13.8
798.4 ±120.8
1992 to 1997
226.7 ±31.6
95.8 ±29.2
266.8 ±76.6
277.2 ±36.3
53.4 ±24.6
919.9 ±87.9
1997 to 2002
176.2 ±39.9
82.5 ±20.8
248.1 ±64.3
227.3 ±34.8
21.4 ±10.5
755.5 ±96.7
2002 to 2007
165.9 ±79.7
64.4 ±24.6
165.9 ±47.9
146.6 ±34.7
22.2 ±20.0
565.0 ±86.3
1982 to 2007
900.0 ±114.4
368.6 ±79.5
1,109.9 ±181.9
986.5 ±109.6
119.0 ±57.2
3,484.0 ±255.0
Southeast
1982 to 1987
169.3 ±38.7
113.3 ±21.9
77.5 ±25.3
542.3 ±44.9
20.2 ±11.6
922.6 ±61.9
1987 to 1992
229.2 ±46.6
231.0 ±46.4
119.6 ±40.6
791.3 ±66.3
33.8 ±14.7
1,404.9 ±102.0
1992 to 1997
295.4 ±39.1
369.2 ±65.9
112.3 ±39.3
1,310.7 ±74.0
84.4 ±21.6
2,172.0 ±113.8
1997 to 2002
201.0 ±42.1
377.3 ±78.5
94.6 ±124.9
1,158.6 ±97.3
46.6 ±38.8
1,878.1 ±145.7
2002 to 2007
158.5 ±38.3
332.6 ±145.9
64.5 ±36.8
931.3 ±105.3
23.5 ±5.7
1,510.4 ±169.3
1982 to 2007
1,282.2 ±155.3
1,291.6 ±235.6
527.9 ±173.9
4,593.5 ±269.0
192.8 ±57.4
7,888.0 ±371.9
Southern Plains
1982 to 1987
136.9 ±36.0
131.5 ±30.8
238.4 ±56.2
69.7 ±27.7
8.6 ±7.8
585.1 ±79.2
1987 to 1992
117.8 ±30.2
163.9 ±45.2
222.6 ±61.2
78.4 ±27.4
16.9 ±11.7
599.6 ±92.4
1992 to 1997
161.4 ±36.1
236.3 ±45.4
294.6 ±50.8
121.5 ±38.2
27.2 ±9.9
841.0 ±93.0
1997 to 2002
145.2 ±33.0
274.6 ±64.8
429.1 ±128.1
268.5 ±80.0
18.5 ±6.8
1,135.9 ±121.0
2002 to 2007
155.0 ±33.5
241.9 ±100.5
360.7 ±74.7
192.2 ±64.4
19.5 ±4.9
969.3 ±112.4
1982 to 2007
920.6 ±132.4
1,036.9 ±171.5
1,392.9 ±176.4
678.8 ±144.6
101.7 ±41.5
4,130.9 ±250.1
Notes:
• Cropland includes cultivated and non-cultivated cropland.
• All Other includes other rural land, water areas, Federal land, and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Land. CRP was not implemented until 1985.
• When the estimate is 0.0, margins of error are not applicable and shown as a dashed line (--).
• Instances where the margin of error is greater than or equal to the estimate are displayed in italics indicating that the confidence interval includes zero and that the estimate should not be used.
