Population Growth Is Damaging the Environment in Oregon, New Study Finds

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Feb 04, 2020, 08:44 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Oregon has lost 420,000 acres of forests, pastures, and other open spaces to urban sprawl since 1982 -- an area about two-thirds the size of Rhode Island. That's among the key findings of a new environmental study published today by NumbersUSA.

"Urban sprawl, which is chiefly caused by rapid population growth, has devastated Oregon's natural landscapes and ecosystems," said Leon Kolankiewicz, an environmental planner and co-author of the study. "If such growth continues in Oregon and across the country, it'll have catastrophic and irreversible impacts on the environment -- and on Americans' health and quality of life."

The meticulously researched 114-page study, titled "Population Growth & Sprawl in Oregon," examines how a 55 percent increase in Oregon's population -- from 2.66 million in 1982 to 4.14 million in 2017 -- has affected everything from biodiversity to traffic congestion.

"We can't preserve natural habitats and open spaces without stabilizing population growth," said Eric Ruark, director of research at NumbersUSA and co-author of the study. "That's true for Oregon in particular and the United States as a whole."

The study, which is the latest in a series of state-focused reports, finds that Oregon has suffered:

Significant loss of biodiversity, including the near-extinction of 16 species of mammals, 8 species of birds, 4 species of reptiles, and 25 species of fish.
Increases in traffic, pollution, and school crowding.
A 16 percent decrease in viable cropland and 13 percent decrease in pastureland between 1982 and 2015.

Nationwide, developers have erased 19 million acres of forestland, 11 million acres of cropland, and 13 million acres of pasture and rangeland since 1982 to accommodate America's growing cities and towns.

"This is not a sustainable path, and it's not one that fully-informed Oregonians -- or Americans -- would choose," said Kolankiewicz.

A link to the full report can be found here. Additional studies on sprawl can be found at NumbersUSA.org.

To request an interview with Leon Kolankiewicz or Eric Ruark, authors of "Population Growth & Sprawl in Oregon," please contact Emma Hecker at 202-471-4228 ext. 119 or [email protected].

About NumbersUSA
NumbersUSA Education & Research Foundation educates opinion leaders, policymakers and the public on immigration legislation, policies and their consequences. We favor reductions in immigration numbers toward traditional levels that would allow present and future generations of Americans to enjoy a stabilizing U.S. population and a high degree of individual liberty, mobility, environmental quality, worker fairness and fiscal responsibility.

SOURCE NumbersUSA