The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-03-19
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FORESTRY SOUND PUBLIC
INVESTMENT

That money spent for forestry in
Maryland represents sound public
investment that is certain to pay
dividends is strongly emphasized in
bulletin just isued by the Com
mission of State Forests and Parks.
entitled "Our Maryland Forests,
What They Mean To U.s..
Three hundred years of overcnt-
ting and fire damage, it points out,
have brought our timber stands to
a point where they are producing at
hardly more than one-third ca
pacity. In terms of growth per acre,
they pay us dividends of only about
2 per cent. Should we continue to
take from our forests each year
more than can be replaced by annual
growth, as we have done in the past
and are still doing, the small divi-
dens we now receive must eventual
ly vanish altogether. Under scien-
tific management, it is asserted, our
annual timber dividend can be step
ped up to at least 5 per cent, or
two and one-half times what our
forests produce at present. In terms
of stumpage, this would represent
an annual increase in value of ST.
$4,000.
Almost at the start, the Com
mission of State Forests and Parks
bluntly puts the question, as Mary
lands timber stand, conservatively
~, <.f ,ft my 90 a
$5O,OOO,OOO worth saving?" And
imediately thereafter second ques-
ton, eff in time this value can be
doubled, or even trebled, is it worth
while to take the steps necessary to
accomplish this?" The respective an
sewrs to these questions, the Com
mission thinks, will be found in the
facts and figures presented in it's
bulletin.
AS an indication of what we
might expect in the way of income
from our forests under scientific
methods, the fact is brought out
that, normally, only about rs per
cent of the lumber consumed each
year in Maryland is homegrown.
The remainder must, as matters
stand, be brought in from other
states. In an average year, as con-
trastetd with a homegrown lumber
cut of approximately 65,0OO,000
board feet, we bring in some 2O7,-
100000 board feet, for which we
pay as much as $4,5O0,000. to out
side lumber manufacturers. For
freight on such shipments we pay
approximately $3,O00,000 more, or
a grand yearly total of $500, 900.
the greater part of which ought to
stay at home.
Pm their woodlands, Maryland
farmers, the bulletin asserts, have
potential, though generally ne
elected source of steady income
right in their on back yards. On
29,360 of our farms, woodlands ag-
,gregate 1,142,236 acres, or little
more than half the States timbered
area. With proper management,
annual timbebr production on such
lands could be increased by at least
27O,O00,000 board feet, with
stumpage value of not less than
$1,37O,OO0. The Department of
State Forests and Parks, it is said,
stands ready to aid farmers in their
individual woodland problems. An
instance is cited of the owner of
88 acres of timber in Frederick
County who was offered $4,000. for
his stumpage. Before he disposed of
it, however, he had the trees marked
by a Department expert, who gave
him an estimate of its value. In
stead of $4,000, he sold his timber
for $4,000.
TIL Statewide system Of forest
fire protection now provided by the
Department of State Forests and
Parks, the bulletin explains, gives
assurance to the timber-land owner
who practices scientific forestry
that his timber crop will be intact
when the time comes to harvest it.
To meet effectively the increased
need for forest fire protection i'm
posed by the present emergency, as
a matter of national defense, the
Department of State Forests and
Parks, it is said, lacks sufficient
lookout towers, radio installations,
fire fighting tools and other equip
ment, and men.
In the matter of appropriations
for forestry, Maryland is shown to
lag behind other states with COM
parable forest areas. In proof of
this, there are cited current appro-
priations by New Jersey, Connecti-
cut, Massachusetts, Indiana, Ohio,
Illinois, and New Hampshire, with