Ma r-y I and s F 0 t est S t.e ward s hip. Ed u cat 0 r
I
Vol. I, No.3
Fall, 1993
Maryland's Forests Today
Note: This is the second in a series of articles that
discuss the past, present, and future of Maryland's
forest resources and those who own them.
Maryland's forests cover 43 percent of the state or
2.7 million acres, however, this varies widely by
region. The least forested counties of Central Maryland and the upper Eastern Shore average between 24
and 35 percent forest. The more forested areas of the
state include the Western Maryland counties that
average 73 percent forest, the Southern Maryland
counties that average 56 percent forest and the lower
Eastern Shore counties that are 43 percent forest. The
forests of Maryland are diverse but can be grouped
into three zones: the Coastal Plain of the Eastern
Shore with its abundance of loblolly pine and mixed
pine!hardwood forests; the Piedmont Province of
Central Maryland which is predominantly oak and
oak/pine forests; and the Appalachian Province of
Western Maryland with its hardwood forest types.
Statewide, the most common forest type is oak/
hickory,
Most of Maryland's forests are capable ofproducing forest products and other benefits. These woodlands have regenerated from the extensive harvests at
the turn of the century and the return of abandoned
farms to forested cover. At present, most of the forests
are reaching maturity. In fact, most of the forests are
classified as sawtimber - trees having an average
diameter of 11
inches or more
Figure 1. Percent of forested land
(Figure 1).
by size of trees.
These maturing
forests have
increased 15
percent from
just 10 years
ago. A smaller
percentage of
10% Sapling
the forests are
classed as
19%
poletimber (5Pole timber
10" diameter)
USDA Forest Service - 1988
and seedling!
sapling (less
than 4" diameter). In fact, there is a shortage of the poletimber and
seedling/sapling types which are critical for forest
diversity and wildlife habitat.
While some forests are harvested for forest products, overall forest growth each year far exceeds tree
removals. An exception occurs in the loblolly pine
forests of the Coastal Plain, which have been cut at a
rate that exceeds their annual growth. In general,
future harvesting at present or higher levels can increase the diversity of forest habitats and benefit the
wildlife species that rely on them, without danger of
reducing the overall forest growing stock.
Contrary to popular perception, most ofMaryland's
continued on page 2
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
MARYLAND INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE
AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service
Maryland Tree Fann Committee
MarylandJDeleware Society of American Foresters
Maryland Forest Stewardship Committee
forested land
Figure 2. Ownership of forested land
is owned by
in
Maryland.
private nonindustrial
landowners
5 %- Forest Industry
(Figure 2).
5 % - State Forest
There are
H, - Other
approximately
1% - County &
Private 84%
Municipal
125,000
private forest
owners in the
state, 66
percent of
USDA Forest Service - 1988
whom own
less than 10
acres. The future stewardship of our forest resources depends
largely on the management decisions of these landowners.
A recent survey by the U.S. Forest Service revealed some
interesting information about Maryland's woodland owners.
Nearly 30 percent are retired and 20 percent are full- or parttime farmers, with the remainder a mix of blue- and whitecollar working people. On average, woodland owners are 45
years old or older, have at least a high school education, and
come from rural or farm backgrounds. Landowners who
acquired their land recently, however, are more likely to
come from urban or suburban backgrounds. Contrary to what
many people think, most forest owners are not wealthy. ill
fact, only 20 percent reported having annual incomes of
more than $50,000. Forestland owners acquired their
woodland for a variety of purposes including investment,
recreation, wildlife habitat, as part of their farm/residence,
aesthetic enjoyment, and timber production.
Obviously, there is diversity in the characteristics of
woodland owners in Maryland and in the objectives they
have for their forests. A national survey found that 75
percent of woodland owners had no stated management
objective for their land. This fact is discouraging because
setting objectives is an important step in becoming a good
forest steward. Future forest stewardship programs will focus
on providing woodland owners the educational prpgrams
and technical assistance needed to set objectives and make
good management decisions.
Your Family's Land: Legacy or
Memory?
Will Rodgers said it best:_ "Land - they don't make it
anymore." The transfer of land and other assets from one
generation to the next is a mainstay of how family and
land-use traditions are continued. In the past, when land
page 2
had nominal value for agriculture or forestry purposes, a
simple will made possible its transfer from one generation to the next with little concern for estate taxes.
Unfortunately, the situation has changed dramatically
in the last 20 years due to an increasing popUlation and
associated development. Land once valued at $200 an
acre is now worth $20,000 or more. For example, a 50acre property in a developing area once worth $10,000
could be valued now at $1 million, with a potential estate
tax of $153,000; due to the Internal Revenue Service
within nine months. The federal government provides a
tax credit so that assets up to $600,000 can be transferred
to heirs with no estate taxes; however, after that, the tax
quickly rises to 55 percent.
Changes that will lower federal estate taxes are
unlikely. Estate taxes bring in large amounts of government revenue. Simply stated: It is no longer possible to
pass land and other assets from one generation to the next
without an adequate estate plan. Remember, if you don't
plan your estate, the government will! The stories of heirs
inheriting family lands, only to be burdened with astronomical estate taxes, are becoming more common. The
result is usually the same: The land is sold or subdivided
to pay the taxes.
It doesn't have to happen this way. The Maryland
Cooperative Extension Service is sponsoring two workshops on estate planning to educate landowners; December 3 at Westminster and December 4 at Hagerstown.
These workshops will discuss the tools available to help
you plan your estate. Planning tools and concepts will be
applied through case study exercises based on common
estate situations. Finally, time will be spent on how and
where to get competent help. See "Upcoming Events" for
more information.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Rick is
developing a forest stewardship plan for his farm. Additionally, he has taken advantage of several landowner
assistance programs, including the Maryland Waterfowl
Habitat Restoration Program, the Conservation Reserve
Program, the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program, and
the Stewardship Incentive Program. Rick's farm is an
excellent example of how a conservation easement can
allow a landowner to continue to actively manage and
enjoy his land while preserving it for the future.
- contributed by Rick Abend, landowner and
Coverts Cooperator
The Forest Legacy Program
Planning for the Future
Rick Abend, a cooperator in the Maryland Coverts
Project, has managed and acquired additions to his 106acre farm in Dorchester County since 1972. Because of
his concerns about the future of the farm, Rick recently
donated a perpetual conservation easement on 91.2 acres
to the Eastern ShoreLand Conservancy and the Maryland
Environmental Trust.
Rick lives in Anne Arundel County in an old farm
house built in 1919 by his grandfather. He grew up
watching the property surrounding the farm house be sold
to developers and become the community of Arundel
Gardens. At a Coverts Project workshop, Rick learned
about conservation easements and how they could be used
to protect his Dorchester County farm from similar
development. According to Rick, "the easement on my
property let's me do everything I want - farming, forestry
and more." Rick also reserved one additional future
homesite on his property, an option most conservation
easements allow. Working with Rob Etgen, executive
director of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, to
develop the easement on his property, Rick learned that an
easement can be flexible and individual. While protecting
his land, Rick also is enjoying tax benefits: lower income
taxes, property taxes, and, eventually, estate taxes.
At present, Rick gives tours of his farm, "Abend
Hafen." Through these tours he explains how sound forest
management also can benefit wildlife. On a tour of this
farm, one would see the many wildlife management
projects he has completed, including nesting boxes for
songbirds, squirrels, and woodducks; a roadway planted in
clover for upland game; four shallow water impoundments
and a permanent pond; trees left standing for woodpeckers
and cavity nesters; and much more.
Many programs and strategies exist to keep farm and
forestland from being developed: planning and zoning
controls, land acquisition, the purchase of easements by
conservation organizations, and more. However, most of
these programs are not directed solely at forestland.
A new program available exclusively to woodland
owners to ensure their land is protected from development
is the Forest Legacy Program. Created in 1990 as part of
the Farm Bill, this program is designed to identify and
protect private forestland threatened by development. The
Forest Legacy Program allows a landowner to sell a
permanent conservation easement to the u.s. Forest
Service. Through this sale, a landowner gives up certain
rights - such as the right to develop the land - while
retaining ownership of the property and the right to
implement a variety of forest stewardship activities, such
as timber harvesting, and recreational activities. The Forest
Service will pay the owner the fair market value for the
easement.
Eligibility for the program will be determined by criteria
developed in conjunction with the state Forest Stewardship
Committee, however, priority will be given to lands that
have special recreational, cultural or scenic resources, or
have important value for wildlife habitat, riparian areas, or
other ecological considerations. All participants in the
program are required to
develop a forest stewardship
plan for their property. The
pilot Forest Legacy programs
will occur in the states of New
York, New Hampshire,
!
Vermont, Maine, and Washington with programs spreadI
.
ing to other states like MaryiFOREST
land soon.
IStewardshipl
i
I
I
With the
assistance
of Scott Daniels, a forester with the
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New Resources
Tree Crops For The Farm - This 48-minute video
discusses the production activities and economics of five
tree crops in the South. It is divided into stand-alone
segments for loblolly pine timber, white pine Christmas
trees, royal paulownia timber, and black walnut timber
and nuts. To order send a check for $20, payable to
Virginia Tech Treasurer, to: Dr. James E. Johnson, Dept.
of Forestry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0324.
(703) 231-7679.
Woodlot Management Series - A series of six
publications and four videos on woodlot management. All
videos are $15. Cost for publications are: How It Grows $2, Helping It Grow - $2, Building Roads - $1, Harvesting
and Renewing It - $3. Water in the Forest and Selling
Timber Products are available on video only. To order,
make a check or money order payable to West Virginia
University and send your order to: Timothy Pahl, West
Virginia University Extension Service, P.O. Box 6125,
Morgantown, WV 26506-6125.
and has spread throughout the state. Early symptoms include
spots that appear on the leaves in mid- to late May, drooping
gray leaves, sprouts on tbe trunk, and dead lower branches.
In forests, many of the native dogwoods are dead due to this
disease. The impact of the loss of this species, which provides an important wildlife food source with its red berries,
needs to be studied. The disease is difficult to control in a
forest but can be controlled on individual trees in yards.
Consult your local Cooperative Extension Service agent for
r~commendations on controlling the disease.
Seedlings Available
Orders are now being taken at the state nursery for
hardwood and pine seedlings. To order call: 1-800-8733763. Seedlings will be available in early spring.
Woodland Management Series - A new series of
publications designed to complement the Wildlife Management Series. Available now are Developing a Forest
Management Plan: The Key to Good Forest StewardshipFact Sheet # 625 and Where to Get Help - Fact Sheet #
624. To order these free of charge contact your County
Extension Office.
Disease Threatens Dogwoods
Discula anthracnose is a disease caused by a fungus
that can kill the flowering dogwood in forests and landscapes. This disease was detected in Maryland in 1983
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Maryland Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources
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