4 Surprising Statistics Reveal What’s Really Happening to America’s Lands

Across the country, the lands that feed us, shelter wildlife, support clean water, and sustain economies are disappearing faster than most people realize. Development pressure, rising land prices, and rapid ownership changes are reshaping the map of the United States — often in ways that can’t be undone.

Here’s what the data reveals about what’s happening behind the scenes — and why protecting at-risk lands is so important.

1. Farmland Is Disappearing at 40 Acres an Hour

Nearly a square mile of farmland disappears every day. The losses hit hardest around cities, where land values soar and it becomes easier and far more profitable to sell a farm to a developer than to a new farmer. While today’s farmers are reaching retirement age, the next generation — more diverse and entrepreneurial than ever — can’t get a foothold. Once farmland is paved over, it’s gone. We’re conserving these working lands to keep food local and sustain farm businesses.

2. America is Poised to Lose 13 Million Acres of Forests in the Coming Decades

Every year, hundreds of thousands of acres of private forestland hit the auction block. Without conservation action, these forests are often fragmented and converted to development. Losing forests means losing clean air, clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, and more than 2 million rural jobs tied to sustainable forest products and outdoor recreation. Protecting large, intact forests isn’t just an environmental win — it’s an economic one. Learn more about how we’re protecting forest lands.

3. Around 80% of freshwater that feeds into U.S. drinking supply starts in forests

Healthy forests, wetlands, and river corridors act as natural filtration systems. But when these places are developed or broken into smaller parcels, their ability to filter water disappears. Communities pay the price through higher treatment costs and degraded water quality. Land conservation remains one of the most reliable, cost-effective solutions for protecting drinking water at the source — long before it enters a treatment plant. See how we’re working to protect the landscapes that keep clean water flowing.

4. Up to 75% of Biodiversity Can Be Lost When Habitat Is Fragmented

When habitat is cut into smaller patches by roads, development, or infrastructure, biodiversity can decline by up to 75%. Wide-ranging species — from migratory birds to large mammals — depend on connected landscapes to survive and adapt. Conserving large, intact tracts helps maintain those critical connections for wildlife. Learn what we’re doing to support wildlife habitat and corridors.