Working Forests and Timber Utilization


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Maryland's 2.4 million acres of forestland produce more timber volume each year than is removed by harvest. Annual growth has exceeded removals consistently for decades. The trees are getting larger, older, and more valuable. Yet the mills and markets needed to process that timber have been contracting for thirty years.

That gap matters beyond the economics of any individual sawmill. A viable timber market gives private forest landowners a financial reason to keep their land in forest. Without one, the economic pressure to sell for development increases. Most of Maryland's forestland is privately owned, and most of it will remain forest or be converted based on the decisions of individual landowners responding to market signals. Active timber harvest, done to the standards Maryland requires, is one of the primary tools available for keeping private land forested, managing forest composition, and generating the revenue that makes long-term stewardship economically viable.

The Maryland Forest Service supports working forests through technical assistance to landowners, BMP oversight on active harvest sites, the Maryland Master Logger certification program, and forest stewardship planning that connects landowners to timber markets. In fiscal year 2025, MFS conducted technical reviews on active harvest sites covering more than 13,000 acres and completed direct technical services to 1,947 forest landowners managing 85,513 acres.

The forest products industry in Maryland directly supports approximately 13,000 jobs and contributes over $3.8 billion in total economic output statewide. The industry is not a single entity — it operates across four distinct timbersheds, each with different forest types, ownership patterns, mill capacity, and market conditions.

A detailed comparison of Maryland's four timbersheds — including timber resource data, key products, industry conditions, and MFS role — is available as a printable reference (PDF)​.

​Maryland's Four Timbersheds


Select a region to expand.​



Garrett, Allegany, and Washington counties support Maryland's Appalachian hardwood resource — white oak, red oak, maple, yellow poplar, and black cherry recognized internationally as premier material for fine furniture and cabinetry. The closure of the Verso Luke paper mill eliminated nearly one million tons of annual pulpwood demand, and much of the timber harvested in this region now travels to mills in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio for primary processing. Despite declining harvests, growing stock volume increased 23 percent between 1986 and 2018, with trees 13 inches or larger up 69 percent. Three state forests — Savage River, Green Ridge, and Potomac-Garrett — contribute 123,247 acres of FSC and SFI certified timberland to the regional supply.

​ ​
​Firms
101
Employees
1,317
Revenue
$303.6 million​​
Timberland​
570,​759 acres
Private Forest Landowners
3,167


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Maryland's largest timbershed by acreage, the Eastern Shore supports the state's primary softwood resource. Loblolly pine dominates, with 671 million cubic feet of softwood growing stock, alongside hardwood volumes of soft maple, sweetgum, red oak, and yellow poplar. The region has lost an estimated 263 million board feet of milling capacity since 1983. Two pine sawmills now remain. Trees continue to mature and increase in diameter with limited market capacity to capture their value, leaving loggers and landowners with diminished economic incentive for active forest management.

 
​Firms
128
Employees
822
Revenue
$112.4 million​​
Timberland​
729,135 acres
Private Forest Landowners
4,786



Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore, Harford, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties contain 550,194 acres of timberland — predominantly hardwood — but conventional timber operations are heavily constrained by small parcel sizes, urbanization, and regulatory complexity. In 2018, less than one percent of the growing stock was harvested. Many mills now rely on arborists and urban land clearing as their primary log source. Baltimore City's Camp Small urban wood program and emerging mass timber and thermally modified wood manufacturing represent the region's most viable near-term opportunities.

 
​Firms
775​
Employees
6,727
Revenue
$1.77 billion​​
Timberland​
550,194 acres
Private Forest Landowners
5,722​

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Calvert, Charles, Prince George's, and St. Mary's counties support Maryland's smallest timbershed by revenue and employment. The forest resource is 89 percent hardwood, with yellow poplar, white oak, and sweetgum dominant alongside loblolly and shortleaf pine. Small and part-time sawmills predominate, with a significant Amish and Mennonite operator presence producing niche hardwood products for direct sale. Much of the timber value leaves the region before processing. Proximity to the Washington metropolitan area and a growing inventory of high-grade yellow poplar create opportunities for mass timber, branded regional wood products, and finish lumber markets.


​Firms
61
Employees
279
Revenue
$31.6 million​​
Timberland​
303,678​ acres
Private Forest Landowners
1,158​​


Regulations and Standards


​Timber harvest in Maryland is subject to several regulatory requirements designed to protect water quality, forest regeneration, and public safety.

Best Ma​nagement Practices for Forest Harvests establish the standard for protecting water quality during and after timber operations. MFS foresters conduct technical reviews on active harvest sites statewide. In fiscal year 2025, reviews covered more than 13,000 acres of active harvesting.

Maryland Master Logger Program​, administered through UMD Extension, certifies logging contractors working on public and private lands. Master Logger certification is required for all operators on Maryland State Forest timber sales.

Seed Tree Law requires that sufficient seed trees be retained following certain timber harvests to support natural regeneration.

Critical Area Regulations​ apply to timber harvests within 1,000 feet of tidal waters and wetlands. Landowners planning harvests in the Critical Area should contact their local MFS office before beginning any operations.



Contact Us

Dan Rider
​Programs Manager, Forest Stewardship & Utilization
Maryland Forest Service
Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave. E-1
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 260-8531​​

For county-specific assistance, contact your local Maryland Forest Service offic​e​.