The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-05-03
MARYLAND CAN BOAST
OF FORESTRY PROGRESS
No State Has Made Greater Ad-
vancement in the Care of Its
Forests Than This State

AS conclusion TO crest PrOtec
ton Week, proclaimed by President
Harding for last week, Maryland is
in no position to either point with
pride or view with alarm, according
to the particular phase of the State
forestry situation to which the tax
payer directs his attention.
In these days of nationwide con-
Germ for the future of the timber sup
ply, it is inevitable that there should
be comparison of the achievements of
the individual States. In this reckon
ing Maryland's progress rs pitted
against that of other Eastern States
of more or less similar topography.
Any contrast with Oregon, Montana
or the state of Washington is out of
the question, for in the western coun-
try the attacks on the forest re-
sources may be counted in years,
while in Maryland and elsewhere
along the Eastern seabord the cutting
Of timber is to be reckoned in centu-
rieS.
Material for comparison with such
states as New Jersey, Massachusetts
and New York is now at hand. 1t has
been compiled through the efforts of
the conservatiOnists of the National
Lumber Manufacturers Association.
The data is freshly collected as a re-
suit of nationwide QUESTIONABLE
| recently sent to the authorities of
the individual states. It's up-to-
dateness is attested by the fact that
the reply from Maryland was sent in
by State Forester, F. w. Besley.
under date of April IL.
In the matter of State forests,
Maryland suffers by comparison with
both Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Mr. Besley's figures show that this
state owns six state forests, of a com
bined acreage of $500 acres, while
New Jersey, with a similar number
of state forests, has an acreage of
1884, with an additional 666 acres
in two state parks. The contrast
with Massachusetts is even greater.
There the state forests cover an area
of 10000 acres, and this is being in
creased at the annual rate of from
10000 to $1,000 acres each year.
New York state owns 100000 acres
of forest lands.
! When it comes to the matter of
general forest progress, aside from
the question of state ownership.
Maryland needs no apology. Pas
sages from Mr.. Besley's statement
along this line are distinctly worth
while. The forester says:
Under the head of fire protection,
which is provided by law, consider
able advancement has been made
within the past year, notably in the
division of the state into districts.
over each of which is a district forest
warden, who supervises the work of
the forest wardens in his district.
Another definite advance has been
made by the erection of additional
steel observation towers, now cover
ing the important timber areas of
the state; and further progress is
found in the form of strict enforce
ment of the law requiring those res
ponsible for setting fires to pay the
cost of eXtinguishing them.
"The system inaugurated several
years ago by the Forest Department
OF not only giving advice to private
owners in the handling of their wood
lands, but actually marking timber
for cutting, making estimates and
assisting in the selling of timber
where forestry is to be put into prac-
tlce, has met with unqualified success.
resulting sin placing hundreds of
thousands of acres of woodland, inpri-
vate ownership, under a system of
forest management, each tract serv-
ing as a demonstration of practical
forestry in the community in which
it is located.
"A State forest nursery, established
in 1914, has from the first met with
popular favor, and Notwithstanding
three extensions in area since that
time, it is unable to supply the de-
mand for stock for forest and road
side tree planting. The trees are fur
nished at cost. There are approx
mately 100000 acres of privately
owned land in the State in need of
forest planting, in addition to many
thousands of acres of cut-over and
burned land that is not restocked in
a satisfactory way.
"The primary purpose of the State
forests is timber production, but they
are ais deserving as protection forests,
as all of them are on the headwaters
of important streams. In the past
few years there has been marked
increase in their use for recreation;
one in particular, 10 miles from Bal
timore, is visited each summer by
thousands of campers. The other
State forests, i'm the Western part of