{"id":33728,"date":"2021-05-12T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-12T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=33728"},"modified":"2024-12-15T03:53:15","modified_gmt":"2024-12-15T06:53:15","slug":"states-lost-most-tree-cover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/studies\/states-lost-most-tree-cover\/","title":{"rendered":"2021\u2019s States That Lost the Most Tree Cover"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trees are one of Mother Nature\u2019s greatest gifts. Beyond providing shade and curb appeal, trees produce oxygen, trap climate-changing carbon, and prevent floods.<\/p>

That\u2019s why it\u2019s always painful to lose even a single tree \u2014 let alone entire swaths of them, known as \u201ctree cover\u201d or \u201ctree canopy.\u201d Unfortunately, some states are losing more of these green giants \u2014 and losing them faster \u2014 than others.<\/p>

LawnStarter compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across eight key metrics over four time periods to determine where tree cover has shrunk the most over the years. Specifically, we looked at the latest annual rate of loss, as well as 1-, 5-, and 10-year comparisons.<\/p>

Check out our ranking below, followed by some highlights, lowlights, and insights from a panel of experts, and hug a tree on Love a Tree Day, May 16.<\/p>

Table of Contents<\/h3>
  1. State Rankings<\/a><\/li>
  2. Highlights and Lowlights<\/a><\/li>
  3. Ask the Experts<\/a><\/li>
  4. Methodology<\/a><\/li>
  5. Why This Study Matters<\/a><\/li> <\/ol>

    State Rankings <\/h2>

    See how each state and the District of Columbia fared in our ranking:<\/p> \n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
    OVERALL RANK<\/th>State<\/th>Overall Score<\/th>1-Year Loss Rank<\/th>1-Year Loss Difference Rank<\/th>5-Year Loss Difference Rank<\/th>10-Year Loss Difference Rank<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    1<\/td>California<\/td>100<\/td>1<\/td>1<\/td>1<\/td>1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    2<\/td>Oregon<\/td>63.81<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    3<\/td>Colorado<\/td>45.55<\/td>11<\/td>3<\/td>3<\/td>3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    4<\/td>South Carolina<\/td>38.09<\/td>4<\/td>36<\/td>41<\/td>12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    5<\/td>Maine<\/td>37.07<\/td>13<\/td>10<\/td>19<\/td>5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    6<\/td>Mississippi<\/td>34.91<\/td>6<\/td>39<\/td>43<\/td>40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    7<\/td>Louisiana<\/td>34.57<\/td>7<\/td>14<\/td>35<\/td>45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    8<\/td>North Carolina<\/td>33.22<\/td>8<\/td>40<\/td>44<\/td>38<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    9<\/td>Wisconsin<\/td>33.12<\/td>21<\/td>20<\/td>6<\/td>7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    10<\/td>Michigan<\/td>33.09<\/td>19<\/td>23<\/td>7<\/td>6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    11<\/td>Alabama<\/td>32.68<\/td>5<\/td>45<\/td>48<\/td>46<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    12<\/td>Arizona<\/td>32.41<\/td>16<\/td>4<\/td>4<\/td>51<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    13<\/td>Virginia<\/td>32.2<\/td>17<\/td>33<\/td>39<\/td>24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    14<\/td>Georgia<\/td>31.98<\/td>3<\/td>46<\/td>47<\/td>48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    15<\/td>Utah<\/td>31.6<\/td>20<\/td>42<\/td>5<\/td>43<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    16<\/td>Texas<\/td>30.97<\/td>12<\/td>7<\/td>37<\/td>49<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    17<\/td>Alaska<\/td>30.9<\/td>9<\/td>50<\/td>46<\/td>4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    18<\/td>Florida<\/td>30.33<\/td>10<\/td>49<\/td>40<\/td>42<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    19<\/td>Minnesota<\/td>30.23<\/td>22<\/td>35<\/td>25<\/td>34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    20<\/td>New Hampshire<\/td>30.13<\/td>24<\/td>31<\/td>28<\/td>9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    21<\/td>Arkansas<\/td>29.59<\/td>14<\/td>44<\/td>45<\/td>44<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    22<\/td>Massachusetts<\/td>29.34<\/td>30<\/td>11<\/td>18<\/td>13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    23<\/td>Tennessee<\/td>29.3<\/td>23<\/td>26<\/td>32<\/td>37<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    24<\/td>Maryland<\/td>29.27<\/td>32<\/td>9<\/td>17<\/td>16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    25<\/td>Iowa<\/td>29.23<\/td>41<\/td>6<\/td>8<\/td>18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    26<\/td>West Virginia<\/td>28.98<\/td>29<\/td>29<\/td>29<\/td>14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27<\/td>Delaware<\/td>28.88<\/td>27<\/td>38<\/td>31<\/td>11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    28<\/td>Missouri<\/td>28.71<\/td>31<\/td>12<\/td>21<\/td>33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    29<\/td>New York<\/td>28.57<\/td>40<\/td>22<\/td>10<\/td>21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    30<\/td>Pennsylvania<\/td>28.57<\/td>36<\/td>26<\/td>9<\/td>32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    31<\/td>Vermont<\/td>28.53<\/td>42<\/td>21<\/td>13<\/td>20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    32<\/td>Washington<\/td>28.5<\/td>15<\/td>43<\/td>50<\/td>8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    33<\/td>Ohio<\/td>28.19<\/td>38<\/td>8<\/td>26<\/td>28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    34<\/td>New Jersey<\/td>28.17<\/td>39<\/td>41<\/td>14<\/td>17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    35<\/td>Connecticut<\/td>27.98<\/td>44<\/td>19<\/td>22<\/td>22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    36<\/td>Kansas<\/td>27.96<\/td>46<\/td>13<\/td>16<\/td>25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    37<\/td>Illinois<\/td>27.88<\/td>48<\/td>15<\/td>15<\/td>27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    38<\/td>North Dakota<\/td>27.81<\/td>50<\/td>18<\/td>11<\/td>31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    39<\/td>Indiana<\/td>27.76<\/td>47<\/td>16<\/td>20<\/td>26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    40<\/td>Nevada<\/td>27.66<\/td>35<\/td>47<\/td>11<\/td>15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    41<\/td>District of Columbia<\/td>27.52<\/td>51<\/td>24<\/td>23<\/td>29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    42<\/td>Hawaii<\/td>27.37<\/td>45<\/td>30<\/td>30<\/td>23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    43<\/td>Oklahoma<\/td>27.32<\/td>25<\/td>37<\/td>36<\/td>41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    44<\/td>Nebraska<\/td>27.25<\/td>49<\/td>28<\/td>27<\/td>30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    45<\/td>Kentucky<\/td>27.24<\/td>37<\/td>17<\/td>34<\/td>35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    46<\/td>Montana<\/td>27.05<\/td>26<\/td>32<\/td>42<\/td>36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    47<\/td>Idaho<\/td>26.32<\/td>18<\/td>34<\/td>49<\/td>19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    48<\/td>New Mexico<\/td>24.4<\/td>43<\/td>25<\/td>24<\/td>50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    49<\/td>Wyoming<\/td>23.02<\/td>33<\/td>48<\/td>38<\/td>47<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    50<\/td>Rhode Island<\/td>22.68<\/td>34<\/td>5<\/td>51<\/td>10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    51<\/td>South Dakota<\/td>19.23<\/td>28<\/td>51<\/td>33<\/td>39<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
    \"state<\/figure>
    <\/div>