The Resource Planning Act Assessment reports on the past, present, and future of renewable resources on public and private forests and rangelands. The recent 2020 assessment forecast was released in November and includes the following topics:
- Land Development will continue to threaten forests
- Fire will kill more trees
- Forests will store more carbon
- The South will continue to dominate global timber markets
- Rangeland growing seasons may decrease by 3 to 10 days
- Water use may increase by more than 200 percent
- Changes in land use and climate will continue to stress fish and wildlife
- The most popular outdoor activities will remain the most popular
Let’s dive into the “Rangeland growing seasons may decrease by 3 to 10 days”. According to the assessment, rangeland health has relatively unchanged since the 2010 Assessment. The greatest impact to rangeland health has been observed in the Pacific Coast Region and the Southern Part of the United States due to increases in invasive annual grasses and drought. Invasive species have a larger impact on rangeland health than any other factors.
While rangeland production is increasing in the northern parts, it is decreasing in the South. Interannual variability in productivity is increasing with the largest changes since 2000 having occurred in the Southwestern United States. The current production trends are projected to intensify in the future and become more variable on the interannual basis.
In addition, Rangelands have been steadily converted to developed and agricultural land uses. Urbanization is projected to be responsible for more of the future reduction in rangeland extent.
For more information and the full 2020 Resources Planning Act Assessment, be sure to click here.
2023.Future of America’s Forest and Rangelands: Forest Service 2020 Resources Planning Act Assessment. http://dx.doi.org/10.2737/WO-GTR-102. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.