Texas Suburbanization, 1940-2030
This map shows suburbanization trends in East Texas, including the urban areas of Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, and Austin. According to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), suburbanization will result in more than 12 million acres of southern U.S. forest being cleared or impacted between 1992 and 2020. Unless there are changes in the pattern of development that now favors low density housing, strip malls, and exurban road construction, the USFS estimates that from 2020 to 2040, suburban growth will lead to another 19 million acres of forest loss. In total, this loss is approximately 31 million acres, an area about the size of North Carolina. Using the maps on http://www.SeeSouthernForests.org, users can now examine the spread of suburbanization in the South.
