It has been estimated that in 1630, before widespread European settlement of the land occupied by the United States today, forests covered about 420 million hectares (ha), or 72% of the land area. By
1907, that share had declined substantially, but the changes varied
considerably across regions. Since 1907, the area of forest has risen in
the North but remained fairly steady in other regions. As of the
mid-2000s, forests covered approximately 280 million ha, 72% of what
existed in 1630. Forest area has remained relatively stable since the
mid-1950s, with fairly minor fluctuations; today�s forest area is nearly
the same as in 1953.