Study Sheds Light on Rate and Impact of Forest Loss in the U.S.
Report reveals where forest loss is concentrated, sets a baseline for future analysis, and offers tools and guidance to
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NEW YORK, N.Y., Oct. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The urgent need to protect at-risk and critically important forestland in the U.S. is the subject of a new report commissioned by the Open Space Institute (OSI) and published by Clark University. The report reveals that nearly 10 million acres of forest in the contiguous United States were permanently lost between 1990 and 2017—roughly one football field every two minutes—allowing quantification of the impacts of development and industrial cropland expansion on forest loss. The report also delves into the extraordinary role forests play in providing climate benefits through carbon storage. The project is funded in part by a Doris Duke Foundation initiative aimed at unlocking forests as an essential climate solution.
The report, The U.S. Forest Monitor: Establishing a historical baseline for the drivers and climate impacts of permanent forest loss, was produced for the Forest Carbon Data Partnership (FCDP), a coalition led by OSI. The partnership makes data on forest loss and its carbon impacts freely available to help public agencies, land trusts, and other conservation organizations prioritize forest protection and climate investments where they can make the greatest difference. The 1990–2017 analysis provides a benchmark for measuring future changes in permanent forest loss. The FCDP is now analyzing data through 2024, with updated findings expected in 2027.
The recently released analysis estimates that forest loss during the study period had a combined climate impact of 2.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide. This includes emissions from stored forest carbon and the carbon those forests would otherwise have absorbed over the coming 50 years. The study counts forests permanently converted to development or cropland, not temporary clearing that may be followed by regrowth.
The report found that forest loss was concentrated in 11 states, which accounted for 70 percent of the total: Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Arkansas, Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Some counties lost as much as 40 percent of their forests, and 60 counties lost more than 10 percent. This concentration means forest protection can be targeted and strategic where it may have the greatest impact.
To help decision makers put these findings into practice, the report introduces the U.S. Forest Monitor (usforestmonitor.org), a free online platform that makes the FCDP’s data and research available through maps, tools, and practical guidance. Users can explore forest loss hotspots, compare trends across states and counties, understand related carbon and other benefits, and use the findings to prioritize land protection, inform policy and funding, and guide climate investments.
“Open access data on forest loss and its carbon implications is essential to advancing forests as a climate solution at the national, state, and local scales,” said Abigail Weinberg, vice president of science and conservation policy at OSI. “This report and the underlying dataset give agencies, land trusts, and other decision makers rigorous information to target forest protection and climate investments while safeguarding clean water and wildlife habitat.”
“Protecting and restoring forests, and improving how they’re managed, is integral to advancing climate and conservation goals in the United States,” said Sacha Spector, program director for the environment at the Doris Duke Foundation. “The U.S. Forest Monitor is in important new tool for tracking the loss of forests in the U.S. and pinpointing our response, so that we can get ahead of this challenge. OSI and the Forest Carbon Data Partnership are critical partners in that effort, and we’re pleased to work together to strengthen forests’ contribution to climate solutions.”
The research team behind the report was led by Christopher A. Williams, PhD, professor of geography and environmental science at Clark University’s School of Climate, Environment and Society and director of the George Perkins Marsh Institute. “The real value of this work is in what we can do with it going forward,” said Williams. “If we can see where permanent forest loss is happening, we can give decision makers the information they need to act before more forests are lost. The OSI-led partnership makes it possible to connect data with conservation on the ground.”
Under OSI’s leadership, the FCDP brings together Clark University, The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, Land Trust Alliance, and American Forests. The partnership combines applied research, policy analysis, data tools, and practitioner support to connect forest science with decisions about where to protect forests and how to strengthen conservation policy.
“America’s private forests filter nearly 30 percent of the nation’s drinking water, provide habitat for 60 percent of at-risk species and support 2.5 million jobs,” said Kelly Watkinson, the land and climate program director at the Land Trust Alliance. “The U.S. Forest Monitor toolkit will help land trusts to research and locate high-priority forest land with a single tool, which will be invaluable for planning and prioritization of future conservation projects that ensure that private forests remain forests.”
The report and partnership are funded in part by a $1 million grant from the Doris Duke Foundation through March 2028, as part of the foundation’s initiative to advance forests as an essential climate solution. Additional support has been provided by Causeway Future Foundation, Sugi Charitable Trust, White Cedar Fund, Jane’s Trust Foundation, J.M. Kaplan Fund, van Beuren Charitable Foundation, and individual contributors.
Explore the report and U.S. Forest Monitor at www.usforestmonitor.org.
About OSI
The Open Space Institute is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks and other protected areas more welcoming for all. Since 1974, OSI has partnered in the protection of more than 2.5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in the eastern United States. OSI’s work promotes clean air and water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens communities, and helps address the impacts of extreme weather. Learn more at www.openspaceinstitute.org
About the Doris Duke Foundation
The mission of the Doris Duke Foundation is to build a more creative, equitable, and sustainable future by investing in artists and the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research, child well-being, and greater mutual understanding among diverse communities. To learn more, visit www.dorisduke.org.
About Clark University, School of Climate, Environment, and Society
The School of Climate, Environment, and Society (CES) is Clark University’s global hub of research and learning designed to advance sustainable futures. Building on a century of expertise, CES delivers interdisciplinary training and drives real-world impact with partners across four focal areas. Rooted in community and connected across the world, CES prepares emerging leaders for careers by empowering them to think critically and across systems to address society’s greatest challenges. Visit www.clarku.edu/climate-environment-society to learn more.
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Jane Porter Open Space Institute 212-290-8200 x 1480 jporter@osiny.org
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