Forest Stewardship Plan
Cedarville State Forest is managed under a sustainable, multiple-use forest stewardship approach. The Maryland Forest Service oversees forest management on the property, while the Maryland Park Service manages recreation. The Maryland Fisheries Service also manages the Manning Fish Hatchery in the southwest portion of the forest.
The Forest Stewardship Plan is intended to guide long-term management of the forest and support the continued health, productivity, and sustainability of the property.
Management Objectives
Cedarville State Forest is managed primarily for forest products, forest health, public recreation, wildlife habitat, soil erosion control, water quality improvement, and natural heritage. These uses are managed together so the forest can continue to serve ecological, recreational, and working-forest functions over time.
The plan identifies Forest Products as the primary stewardship objective, with Natural Heritage and Recreation as secondary objectives. That balance reflects Cedarville’s role as both a working state forest and a heavily used public recreation area in Southern Maryland.
Forest Resources
Cedarville State Forest contains approximately 3,866 acres, including about 3,789 wooded acres. The forest includes a mix of management zones, riparian habitat buffers, campground areas, open fields, pond acreage, marsh, residential acreage, and the Manning Fish Hatchery.
The forest contains three main forest types:
- Upland hardwood forest, including red oak, white oak, hickory, and red maple
- Bottomland hardwood forest, including tulip poplar, sweetgum, and blackgum
- Pine forest, including naturally occurring Virginia pine and planted loblolly pine
Forest management activities are guided by stand conditions, forest health, water resources, wildlife habitat, public use, and site-specific recommendations in the stewardship plan. The plan divides the property into compartments and forest stands to support long-term planning and implementation.
Natural Heritage and Water Resources
Cedarville State Forest lies at the headwaters of Zekiah Swamp and includes important wetlands, streams, riparian buffers, and forested headwater areas. Protecting these areas is a major part of forest management because they support water quality, wildlife habitat, and downstream aquatic resources.
The stewardship plan includes recommendations to avoid disturbance to non-tidal wetlands, retain buffers along streams and wetlands, avoid stream crossings with equipment where possible, protect steep slopes, retain dead and downed woody material, retain snags for wildlife, and control invasive vines that can interfere with forest regeneration.
Forest management at Cedarville is intended to maintain the long-term health and sustainability of the forest while protecting sensitive natural resources and supporting compatible public use.
