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Dry, windy conditions have increased fire risk across the state and fueled ongoing wildfires
This story map is designed to provide general information about prescribed fire and its use in restoring fire adapted species by focusing on a prescribed burn implemented by the Maryland DNR on the Dans Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Allegany County Maryland. Although wildfire is a feared occurrence, prescribed fire (RxFire) is a useful land management practice with many benefits.
Everything has a beginning, including a forest. These pictures track the early growth stages of Eastern Shore forests following regeneration harvests, commonly known as clearcuts. Please click here to view the presentation.
Maryland’s woods help to make our state the “land of pleasant living” by cleaning the air, naturally filtering drinking water, creating jobs and conserving wildlife. Your woods can also boost your property value, lower your energy bills and provide many other benefits to you each day.
Presents recent Maryland forest industry trends; production and receipts of industrial roundwood; and production of saw logs, veneer logs, pulpwood, and other products in 2008. Logging residue generated from timber harvest operations is reported, as well as wood and bark residue generated at primary wood-using mills and disposition of mill residues.
Maryland’s Forests 2008 displays the condition and status of forests in Maryland as obtained and reported by the U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (NRS-FIA) program. Previous inventories of Maryland’s forest resources were completed in 1950, 1964, 1976, 1986, and 1999. This report focuses on data collected from 2004 to 2008.
Forward by Steven W. Koehn, State Forester/Director, Maryland DNR Forest Service
Maryland's Forests 2008 (pdf 12 MB)
Maryland's Forests, 2008: Statistics, Methods, and Quality Assurance (pdf 1.26 MB) Includes information on sampling techniques, estimation procedures, tables of population estimates, raw data, data summarization tool and glossary.
The Pinchot Institute for Conservation, aided by a number of agencies, experts, and stakeholders, evaluated several social, economic, and environmental sustainability concerns regarding potential expansion of wood-based bioenergy markets in Maryland. The report explores biomass supply, utilization technologies, energy and natural resource policies, and the science behind biomass harvesting. To read this report and to learn more about biomass click here
The U.S. Forest Service's National Woodland Owner Survey (www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos) is conducted to improve our understanding of who owns the forests of the United States, why they own them, how they use them, and what they intend to do with them. This information is used by foresters, educators, and researchers to create programs, policies, and services that better meet the needs of forest owners and society. The family forest results below are a summary of the 78 owners from Maryland who participated between 2002 and 2006.
A Guide for Landowners, Land Managers and Forest Products Operators.
The Teacher's Guide has been written by Maryland elementary school educators who have been involved with Arbor Day at their schools. The development of the Guide is a cooperative effort between Maryland's Department of Natural Resources and the State Department of Education. We have tried to make the activities child-centered, fun and authentic, while keeping the use of activities flexible enough to meet your particular class or school needs.
Forests cover 41 percent of Maryland, or 2.6 million acres. This amount of forest cover is remarkable in a state that has seen tremendous population growth and economic development in recent years. There are three reasons for this high percentage of forested land.
Maryland’s family forests are faced with several challenges that threaten to degrade the ecological, economic, and recreational value of the land. If these valuable forestlands vanish we all lose!
Riparian forest buffers (RFBs) are one of the cornerstones of restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Chesapeake 2000 Agreement called for an expanded RFB goal, which was adopted in December 2003. This plan lays out a strategy for Maryland to contribute to the RFB goals for the overall Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The Department of Natural Resources, as well as the Department of Agriculture, has identified invasive insects and disease-causing organisms as major threats to our State's forest resources. Maryland's Emergency Response Plan for Invasive Forest Pests is intended to identify agency roles and a plan of action for early detection, rapid response, control, and management.
Riparian forest buffers (RFBs) are essential components of maintaining long-term stream and watershed health and resilience in the Chesapeake Bay region. RFBs also provide valuable ecological functions for wildlife habitat and biodiversity. This guide has been prepared as a resource to the many who wish to establish a forest buffer efficiently, effectively, and with a minimum of maintenance.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources - Forest Service received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct an assessment and analysis of forestry Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation in Maryland during the summer and fall of 1994.
Well managed forests offer many benefits. Many forest landowners are interested in promoting wildlife habitat and protecting basic environmental functions on their property. Most also need some income to support ownership costs. This paper identifies some management options for blending water quality protection and wildlife habitat goals with income producing wood products.
The Forest Conservation Act, which established standards for local authorities to enforce during development, is a means to protect not only forest and trees in developing areas but also any sensitive areas identified during the local planning or comprehensive land use plan adoption process
As a part of efforts to improve water quality and protect living resources, thousands of acres of hardwood trees have been planted to establish riparian forest buffers on former agricultural fields in Maryland and other states. The meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and pine vole (Microtus pinetorum) have impacted the survival and growth of some of these plantations. This paper addresses this concern and provides recommendations for use by foresters, landowners, and other land managers.
Different types of tree shelters are being increasingly used to protect newly planted seedlings from deer browse. This study provides information on the survival, height, and diameter growth of seedlings for three years after planting using five types of tree shelters and seven tree species.
The Town Creek Ecosystem Management Project was started as a pilot project in 1994 for the purpose of applying ecosystem management concepts in a mixed ownership watershed. The publication documents the organization of the project and the twelve guiding principles in use to manage an ever-changing watershed.
On August 28, 2003 a Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) inspector found emerald ash borer-infested trees at a single Prince George’s County nursery. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Systematic Entomology Laboratory in Beltsville, MD confirmed the identification of the emerald ash borer. Emerald ash borer (EAB) is a serious pest of quarantine significance.
Read about the history of our forests, its environmental and economic importance, its scientific management, and the challenges facing our continued stewardship.
Maryland faces many challenges in sustaining health, ecologically functional and economically viable forests in the face of rapid urban development. This report was printed October 2003.
A Survey of Licensed Tree Experts in Maryland
A Methodology for Assessing and Managing Biodiversity in Street Tree Populations: A Case Study
Maryland's Forest Conservation Act: A Process for Urban Greenspace Protection During the Development Process
Forest Health Monitoring Protocol Applied to Roadside Trees in Maryland
The Forest Conservation Management Agreement (FCMA) enables property owners with 5 or more contiguous acres to manage their forest land and freeze the assessed value of the forest land.
A summary of the 2014 Farm Bill and its program components such as EQIP, and Farm Bill Rules regarding changes to programs, as published on the Federal Register by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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