Housing growth, forests, and public lands in Northern Wisconsin form 1940 to 2000

Roger B. Hammer; Susan I. Stewart; Todd J. Hawbaker; Volker C. Radeloff

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.02.012

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Housing growth, forests, and public lands in Northern Wisconsin form 1940 to 2000

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Roger B. Hammer, Susan I. Stewart, Todd J. Hawbaker, Volker C. Radeloff

Year:

2009

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.02.012

Source:

Journal of Environmental Management. 90: 2690-2698.

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Abstract

Rural, forested areas throughout the United States are experiencing strong housing growth with potentially detrimental impacts on the environment. In this paper, we quantify housing growth in Northern Wisconsin over the last sixty years to determine if growth rates were higher near public lands, which may represent an important recreational amenity. We used data from the U.S. Census to produce decadal housing density estimates, "backcasts," from 1940 to 2000 for northern Wisconsin to examine "rural sprawl" in northern Wisconsin and its relationship to forested areas and public lands. We integrated housing density estimates with the 1992/1993 National Land Cover Dataset to examine the relationship between rural sprawl and land cover, especially forests.

Keywords

housing growth, rural sprawl, public lands, forest fragmentation

Citation

Hammer, Roger B.; Stewart, Susan I.; Hawbaker, Todd J.; Radeloff, Volker C. 2009. Housing growth, forests, and public lands in Northern Wisconsin form 1940 to 2000. Journal of Environmental Management. 90: 2690-2698.