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 32. Net Change in Developed Land, by Farm Production Region and Year, in Thousands of Acres, with Margins of Error
Region
Year
Large Urban and Built Up
Small Built-Up
Rural Transportation
Total Developed Land
Appalachian
1982 to 1987
996.1 ±59.7
101.1 ±15.5
22.4 ±6.2
1,119.6 ±64.4
1987 to 1992
1,099.6 ±87.8
43.6 ±27.4
44.6 ±10.5
1,187.8 ±76.6
1992 to 1997
1,566.9 ±88.5
113.6 ±28.1
24.2 ±6.9
1,704.7 ±86.8
1997 to 2002
1,420.5 ±108.6
123.6 ±23.8
36.7 ±17.8
1,580.8 ±98.9
2002 to 2007
943.3 ±82.7
44.6 ±17.7
43.5 ±19.1
1,031.4 ±95.1
1982 to 2007
6,026.4 ±268.2
426.5 ±51.7
171.4 ±36.0
6,624.3 ±266.7
Corn Belt
1982 to 1987
600.3 ±58.6
35.6 ±10.1
-44.5 ±12.5
591.4 ±60.4
1987 to 1992
607.9 ±49.3
22.2 ±10.0
-15.4 ±8.8
614.7 ±53.8
1992 to 1997
1,019.1 ±74.2
85.0 ±19.4
10.2 ±6.1
1,114.3 ±69.3
1997 to 2002
606.9 ±85.7
104.1 ±25.1
24.5 ±20.3
735.5 ±96.9
2002 to 2007
601.4 ±90.3
48.7 ±18.8
34.7 ±22.3
684.8 ±111.0
1982 to 2007
3,435.6 ±180.6
295.6 ±154.4
9.5 ±43.0
3,740.7 ±273.1
Delta States
1982 to 1987
216.4 ±28.8
34.4 ±8.0
12.7 ±8.2
263.5 ±28.7
1987 to 1992
223.7 ±30.8
11.4 ±6.0
-23.6 ±10.2
211.5 ±29.1
1992 to 1997
417.1 ±53.6
81.1 ±14.2
37.7 ±6.8
535.9 ±58.5
1997 to 2002
390.9 ±63.7
74.5 ±19.8
18.7 ±14.7
484.1 ±62.6
2002 to 2007
355.1 ±54.1
33.3 ±19.7
13.0 ±12.7
401.4 ±56.8
1982 to 2007
1,603.2 ±126.7
234.7 ±33.3
58.5 ±22.0
1,896.4 ±128.4
Lake States
1982 to 1987
436.1 ±35.0
16.4 ±9.7
-5.2 ±7.0
447.3 ±35.5
1987 to 1992
491.7 ±54.5
5.5 ±13.8
9.7 ±11.0
506.9 ±48.3
1992 to 1997
777.1 ±60.4
19.6 ±17.8
2.2 ±6.9
798.9 ±63.2
1997 to 2002
497.7 ±60.0
92.3 ±17.1
19.0 ±14.8
609.0 ±63.8
2002 to 2007
405.6 ±50.0
43.3 ±21.6
7.4 ±8.0
456.3 ±49.8
1982 to 2007
2,608.2 ±160.9
177.1 ±45.8
33.1 ±23.6
2,818.4 ±160.2
Mountain
1982 to 1987
528.2 ±126.6
26.9 ±21.1
14.2 ±10.9
569.3 ±119.2
1987 to 1992
442.1 ±74.2
42.8 ±16.9
12.2 ±10.6
497.1 ±77.1
1992 to 1997
581.0 ±84.8
36.5 ±21.8
41.3 ±18.8
658.8 ±90.9
1997 to 2002
1,031.5 ±311.9
24.2 ±17.0
59.3 ±28.7
1,115.0 ±307.7
2002 to 2007
731.4 ±176.6
28.8 ±24.5
62.7 ±45.9
822.9 ±192.6
1982 to 2007
3,314.2 ±492.8
159.2 ±41.8
189.7 ±56.4
3,663.1 ±492.2
Northeast
1982 to 1987
879.3 ±44.1
61.6 ±14.1
5.7 ±8.0
946.6 ±43.5
1987 to 1992
1,022.5 ±55.8
25.7 ±19.3
6.0 ±8.4
1,054.2 ±47.7
1992 to 1997
1,602.8 ±74.7
126.5 ±18.4
18.1 ±8.7
1,747.4 ±72.9
1997 to 2002
988.5 ±66.3
92.2 ±24.2
33.8 ±14.6
1,114.5 ±70.8
2002 to 2007
707.3 ±58.5
37.5 ±30.1
3.7 ±7.8
748.5 ±60.3
1982 to 2007
5,200.4 ±198.0
343.5 ±54.2
67.3 ±17.8
5,611.2 ±198.9
Northern Plains
1982 to 1987
54.3 ±14.7
4.2 ±3.5
-4.2 ±7.7
54.3 ±18.4
1987 to 1992
164.9 ±40.4
9.7 ±4.3
10.2 ±9.7
184.8 ±43.9
1992 to 1997
175.9 ±33.3
29.1 ±8.1
21.3 ±8.4
226.3 ±34.4
1997 to 2002
115.8 ±27.4
19.5 ±7.2
-5.1 ±9.4
130.2 ±28.8
2002 to 2007
102.3 ±31.2
0.9 ±9.2
12.6 ±11.2
115.8 ±31.1
1982 to 2007
613.2 ±89.1
63.4 ±15.6
34.8 ±22.6
711.4 ±88.9
Pacific
1982 to 1987
406.2 ±64.9
22.0 ±15.1
4.1 ±7.9
432.3 ±64.3
1987 to 1992
735.7 ±117.4
52.9 ±19.5
2.3 ±5.4
790.9 ±120.4
1992 to 1997
836.1 ±91.2
65.0 ±30.8
3.7 ±10.9
904.8 ±89.3
1997 to 2002
671.5 ±101.9
52.4 ±18.6
-9.0 ±11.3
714.9 ±96.4
2002 to 2007
522.1 ±84.4
11.7 ±16.2
5.8 ±9.9
539.6 ±86.7
1982 to 2007
3,171.6 ±247.7
204.0 ±47.5
6.9 ±28.4
3,382.5 ±257.4
Southeast
1982 to 1987
801.8 ±63.6
58.9 ±13.0
48.9 ±11.5
909.6 ±61.2
1987 to 1992
1,267.6 ±106.7
75.6 ±19.1
48.8 ±10.7
1,392.0 ±103.3
1992 to 1997
2,066.1 ±112.1
81.1 ±25.4
20.5 ±10.7
2,167.7 ±111.9
1997 to 2002
1,665.7 ±143.6
110.2 ±29.2
71.9 ±22.0
1,847.8 ±143.3
2002 to 2007
1,357.0 ±162.4
82.6 ±37.5
31.7 ±24.5
1,471.3 ±172.4
1982 to 2007
7,158.2 ±359.4
408.4 ±66.6
221.8 ±44.3
7,788.4 ±374.2
Southern Plains
1982 to 1987
528.7 ±75.0
37.1 ±13.7
7.2 ±6.3
573.0 ±78.0
1987 to 1992
557.4 ±88.8
17.5 ±19.6
16.5 ±5.5
591.4 ±90.0
1992 to 1997
746.4 ±89.0
41.1 ±28.2
30.3 ±17.1
817.8 ±92.9
1997 to 2002
994.3 ±118.4
63.3 ±27.1
62.5 ±16.5
1,120.1 ±121.6
2002 to 2007
815.6 ±104.8
98.1 ±25.9
34.7 ±22.8
948.4 ±114.7
1982 to 2007
3,642.4 ±233.9
257.1 ±59.3
151.2 ±36.4
4,050.7 ±249.3
Notes:
• 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.
