print     e-mail    go back

Losing Ground: At What Cost?

Looking for the most recent Losing Ground? See Losing Ground IV (released May 18, 2009).

November 10, 2003

Massachusetts continues to lose 40 acres per day to development

Mass Audubon report shows trend toward large house, large lot development statewide; habitat loss greatest in Southeast, Cape Cod and I-495 corridor; rare species habitat in Connecticut River Valley goes relatively unprotected.

Download a Copy of Losing Ground: At What Cost?

Low density, large lot residential development continues to consume forest and agricultural land in ecologically sensitive areas, according to a new Mass Audubon report, Losing Ground: At What Cost?, the latest edition in its Losing Ground series. The report is based on research into changes in land use and their impact on habitat, biodiversity, and ecosystem services in Massachusetts.

While the state has seen little or no growth in single-family housing starts, residential development represents a growing proportion of land consumption. The average living area for new homes increased 44 percent between 1970 and 2002, while average lot sizes increased 47 percent in the same period. Average lot sizes more than doubled in Plymouth, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, and Hampshire counties. Particularly inefficient land consumption involving a large number of acres per new housing unit or new permanent resident could be seen in a "sprawl frontier" running through Worcester County and north of the Cape Cod Canal.

"The type of development we are seeing is bad for wildlife habitat and bad for people who want affordable housing," says Laura Johnson, president of Mass Audubon. "Much of this development is concentrated in areas with rare species habitat or globally significant natural communities. It is proof that we can’t simply put land protection on the back burner while we wait for an economic recovery."

Visible development as reflected in land use data tells only part of the story, however. When parcel boundaries are considered, the true impact of development—including road building and fragmentation—is closer to 78 acres per day.

The report also measures the economic impact of habitat loss, and includes the first statewide attempt to measure the economic value of "ecosystem services" provided by undeveloped land–such as climate control, water filtration, and flood control. It also calls upon citizens in the Commonwealth to work with their state and local representatives to address the problems of sprawl and habitat loss.

Specific findings of the report, which drew upon thirty years of land use and open space data and tax assessor records, include the following.

• Over 202,000 acres, or 40 acres per day, were visibly converted to new development statewide between 1985 and 1999, equal to the entire land area bounded by Routes 128 and 95, north to Lynn and south to Quincy. Thirty-one acres of forest, 7 acres of agricultural land, and 2 acres of open space were developed each day during the period.
• Nearly nine of every ten acres lost went to residential development, with 65 percent used for low-density, large-lot construction
• When the total acreage of lots with new construction in the period was considered, the true impact of development was closer to 78 acres per day. This "hidden" development impact, including road building, fragmentation, and effect of runoff, pets and invasive species, is not reflected in land use data based on aerial photography.
• Barnstable, Falmouth, and Sandwich experienced the largest number of forested acres lost to residential development in the 1985 to 1999 period, with 20 communities, mostly on Cape Cod and in southeastern Massachusetts and the I-495 corridor, accounting for 23 percent of forest lost statewide.
• Dartmouth, Westford, and Franklin lost the greatest amount of agricultural land to residential development, with 20 cities and towns representing 24 percent of all agricultural land lost.
• While progress has been made in land protection in the recent past, 71 percent of the state’s wildlife habitat – defined as forest, wetlands, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and open land with habitat value – lacks permanent protection and is at risk of development.
• Of the land area of the state delineated as the minimum area needed to protect viable populations of rare terrestrial species, 61 percent lacks permanent protection and is at risk of development. Because delineation of rare species habitat carries no regulatory protection, many of these "core habitats" are subject to ongoing destruction, fragmentation, and encroachment by development. Only 23 percent of the riparian land area near aquatic rare species habitat is permanently protected.
• Permanent protection of undeveloped land makes economic, as well as ecological sense. In collaboration with the Gund Institute of the University of Vermont, the report finds that undeveloped land in Massachusetts provides over $6 billion in nonmarket ecosystem services annually, with 85 percent of this value provided by land left largely in its natural state. Conversely, the loss of forest and agricultural land in the 1985 to 1999 period resulted in a $200 million annual loss in ecosystem value.

"This edition of Losing Ground confirms that there is a closing window of opportunity to protect our most vulnerable wildlife habitat from the effects of poorly planned development," says Jack Clarke, director of advocacy at Mass Audubon. "This is the time for the governor, legislature, and environmental community to work together on smart growth and land protection for this and future generations."

For more information, contact Susannah Caffry at Mass Audubon’s press office: scaffry@massaudubon.org or 781-259-2135.

Download a Copy of Losing Ground: At What Cost?*
To learn more, and find out what you can do at the state and local level to address these issues, you can download a copy of the full-color summary report or accompanying technical notes:

*Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader; click here for more information

Summary Report

Download complete Summary Report (2.25 MB)
(Note: This is a very large file. If you experience difficulties downloading this file, you may wish to try downloading the individual chapters instead.)

Download individual chapters:

Executive Summary and Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Changes in Statewide Land Use
Chapter 3: Housing as a Driver of Land Use
Chapter 4: The State of Land Protection in Massachusetts
Chapter 5: Land Use Threats to Biodiversity in Massachusetts
Chapter 6: Accounting for the Economic Value of Ecosystem Services in Massachusetts
Chapter 7: Conclusions and Recommendations

Technical Notes
(includes additional data tables, detailed definitions and methodology and additional analysis)

Download complete Technical Notes (4.2 MB)

Printed Copies
The summary report and/or technical notes may also be requested through Mass Audubon’s Advocacy Department by sending an e-mail to advocacy@massaudubon.org or calling 781-259-2171.