Add to ORKGThe woodlands of Iowa have declined in area and public esteem. Iowa, at the time of settlement, was 19% forested. New immigrants and potential settlers east of the Mississippi River considered Iowa\u27s woodlands as essential to homesteading and paid premium prices for wooded property. By 1875 forest acreage was reduced from 6.7 million acres to 2.5 million acres (2.7 million to 1.01 million hectares). This acreage apparently did not change appreciably until the 1950\u27s. In the last twenty years to the present forest area has been reduced another million acres to 4% of Iowa\u27s land area. The current rate of removal of woodland is most severe in the least forested counties. The changes in public opinion respective to woodlands are discus...