Excerpts: The Nation's land use has shifted slightly from agricultural to non-agricultural over the past several decades. Nearly one of every two acres—47 percent of all land—was in agricultural uses in 1982, the most recent estimate available. In comparison, about 52 percent was in agricultural uses in 1910 and 49 percent in 1950 including Alaska and Hawaii which became States in 1959. Land-use changes will continue as economic conditions for competing uses of land vary and as governmental programs and policies affecting land-use decisions are altered. Conversions to urban and other nonagricultural uses will continue. Legislation to protect and preserve agricultural land will discourage and, in some situations, prohibit such conversions. Legislation to expand park systems, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas is likely.