When settlers started to arrive in Ohio at the beginning of the 19th century, they immediately began the process of clearing forests to provide land for homesteads and farms. Despite the immense labor involved, Ohio witnessed widespread clearing in a very short amount of time. With the increasing establishment of local industries and urban centers, a rapid influx of people increased Ohio’s population from 45,000 in 1800 to nearly 2,000,000 in 1850. Nearly three-quarters of the state’s forests had been cleared by 1880. The rate of clearing decreased towards the end of the century as the public became more aware of the deleterious effects of denudation and permanent soil degradation, and efforts to preserve and restore the state’s forest resources finally gained momentum.
