A.1 Top 20 Threatened Major Land Resource Areas in the U.S. (as ranked by market value of agricultural production, development pressure and land quality)
RankMajor Land Resource AreaState(s)Score
1Sacramento and San Joaquin ValleysCA1120
2Northern PiedmontMD, NJ, PA, VA537
3Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Drift PlainIL, WI514
4Texas Blackland Prairie TX504
5Willamette and Puget Sound ValleysOR, WA445
6Florida Everglades and Associated AreasFL439
7Eastern Ohio Till PlainOH363
8Lower Rio Grande PlainTX336
9Mid-Atlantic Costal PlainDE, MD280
10New England and Eastern New York Upland, Southern PartCT, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI267
11Ontario Plain and Finger Lakes RegionNY252
12Nashville BasinTN224
13Central Snake River PlainsID193
14Southwestern Michigan Fruit and Truck BeltMI185
15Central California Coastal ValleysCA184
16Columbia BasinWA141
17Imperial ValleyCA136
18Long Island-Cape Cod Coastal LowlandMA, NY, RI136
19Connecticut ValleyCT, MA119
20Western Michigan Fruit and Truck BeltMI, WI92
SUMMARY: The country's 181 geographic regions known as Major Land Resource Areas were analyzed and ranked based on an overall score considering:
1) market value of agricultural production,
2) development pressure and
3) land quality.
The resultant list of top 20 threatened MLRAs - ranging in size from 2,300 to 20,090 square miles - collectively represent only 7 percent of the nation's land, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, but account for 21 percent of the nation's prime or unique farmland lost to urban development. Furthermore, these 20 MLRAs alone are responsible for 51 percent of the United States' fruit production, 39 percent of vegetable production, 28 percent of dairy production, 9 percent of meat production and 6 percent of grain production.

Source:Top 20 Threatened Major Land Resource Areas in the US at Environmental Frontlines


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last updated 16 Apr 2002