Cropland erosion rates remained stable between 2007 and 2010 despite extreme weather events and specialty crop acreage has surged, the Agriculture Department's Natural Resources Conservation Service said in a report today.

“We expected to see an increase in the erosion, but our numbers told a different story,” said Patrick Flanagan, national statistician for NRCS.

National Resources Inventory data also show that between 2007 and 2010:

• Fruit, nut and flower production acreage surged from 124.8 million to almost 273.8 million.
• Cropland acres increased by 2 million acres, this following a steady decline over the previous 25 years.
• Pastureland increased by 847,000 acres.
• Developed land increased by 2 percent from 111.1 million to 113.3 million acres.
• Palustrine wetlands slightly increased. These include swamps or marshes, and estuarine wetlands.
• Acres enrolled in NRCS programs grew from about 17 million acres in 2007 to about 40 million in 2010.

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service — 2010 National Resources Inventory — Summary Report