At the beginning of the European settlement, about 425,000,000 hectares of the United States were forested. In 1997, about 300,000,000 hectares of the United States were forested. What percent decrease does this represent? Steps:

1) Subtract starting value from final value.

2) Divide the number from #1 by the starting value

3) multiply by 100 and add a % sign. Write answer as a positive percent.

What is my percent decrease from above?