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Better Protected Land

EII Report on the Environment Photo of a landscape
Introduction Air Water Land Human Health Ecological Condition Working Together Appendices
In this chapter... Introduction Chemicals in the Landscape Land Use Limitations of Land Indicators Waste and Contaminated Lands For More Information Download this and other sections of the report


Better Protected Land

Introduction

The United States is a nation rich in land resources. The land provides the foundation on which communities are built, and from which food, shelter, and other essentials are obtained. Vast acreages not only provide habitat for hundreds of thousands of species, but also support agricultural activities, timber production, and mineral and energy extraction. In addition, diverse landscapes provide numerous opportunities for recreation and aesthetic enjoyment, including hiking, bird watching, gardening, camping, and skiing.

Much like air and water, land is a resource that must be carefully managed and protected. What happens on the land can affect not only land itself, but air and water as well, with potential consequences for human and ecological health. Protecting land resources means ensuring that lands meet current needs and support healthy communities and ecosystems. To this end, EPA’s land protection activities focus on the prevention, management, control, and cleanup of various substances that are released to or used on land, such as toxic chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, and wastes. Other government agencies, notably the U.S. Department of the Interior exit EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) exit EPA at the federal level, manage land for natural resource and conservation purposes. Additionally, cities and counties adopt and implement land use laws and regulations, overseen in some cases by the states.

This chapter examines critical questions about aspects of land use, chemical and waste applications, and land contamination: How much land is being used for various purposes? How has this use changed over time? How much waste is generated, how has this changed, and how is the waste managed or disposed of? What is the extent of land contamination? The answers help to set a baseline against which to measure the effects of land practices on the condition of human health and ecosystems. The chapter presents available national-level data on these questions, and identifies gaps where the data are limited.

Chapter 3: Better Protected Land

 

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