2000 - 2010 - 2020 - 2030 - 2040 - 2050

The WRB Plan Trend 2050 future represents a straight-line projection of recent trends in mainstream zoning and landuse to the year 2050. To the extent that long range plans indicate an intention of development and management trends, they are incorporated into the plan trend future. Forestry (Northwest Forest Plan) and urban land uses (Metro 2040) provide examples of management and future growth plans which are incorporated into this scenario.

In the Plan Trend scenario, forestry and agriculture land uses cover the largest area in the WRB. Urban land uses have grown in areal extent relative to 1990 conditions with population growth accommodated by density increases in the Portland metropolitan area and the other large cities, including Eugene/ Springfield, Salem/Keizer, and Albany/Corvallis. Residential densities also increase in the smaller cities and increase slightly in rural residential areas. Although by 2050 the population has doubled relative to 1990, the areas within urban growth boundaries have grown by approximately 50,000 acres (78 sq mi,) from approximately 6 % of the WRB area to 6.8%.