AMES, IOWA, Dec.7, 1999--Releasing a new national study that shows America's conservation efforts falling short, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today called for a renewed national commitment to preserving private land.

"Conservation challenges are mounting and intensifying more quickly than we are solving them," said Glickman, addressing USDA's National Conservation Summit at Iowa State University. "This report demonstrates that we must redouble our efforts to preserve farm and forest land, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and protect wetlands."

Glickman released USDA's National Resources Inventory, a report on the health of America's private land, which accounts for about 70 percent of the land in the United States. The report finds - -

From 1992 to 1997, nearly 16 million acres of agricultural and forest land were developed. We are now losing 3 million acres per year of forest and agricultural land, double what was lost each year from 1982 to 1992.

Nearly 2 billion tons of soil is eroding into waterways each year. Despite significant gains in erosion control during the past 15 years, there has been no additional improvement since 1995.

Gross wetland losses have increased to 54,000 acres annually on agricultural land. But wetland preservation efforts, like the Wetland Reserve Program, are helping. Wetland gains are nearly 30,000 acres.

Tree and forest cover in urban areas is declining at an alarming rate. In the Chesapeake Bay region, for example, tree canopy has declined from 51 percent cover to 37 percent in the last 25 years.

"All Americans concerned about clean water, clean air, and preserving our quality of life should come together to do more to address these conservation challenges," said Glickman. "Stewardship of the land falls to all of us as Americans."

At today's Summit, Glickman urged participants from the business, agriculture and forestry communities, landowners, conservation leaders, academicians, and environmental activists to provide leadership in a collaborative effort to improve the declining health of the nation's private land.

Glickman also said he would recommend that the President convene a national conference on conservation next year.

Additional information on the National Conservation Summit on Private Land and today's National Resources Inventory report can be obtained on the web from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Featured within this web site are:

• 1997 National Resources Inventory (NRI)
  
  
• State Rankings by Acreage and Rate of Non-Federal Land Developed
  *Note:  South Carolina ranked 9th in the nation in total lost forests and farmland!
  
  
• Land Converted to Development Highlights