Maryland Forest Conservation and DNR Forest Service Projects MANTA Noon Seminar

1. Maryland Forest Conservation and DNR Forest Service ProjectsMANTA Noon Seminar Anne Hairston-Strang, Ph.D. Robert Feldt, Jr. Steven W. Koehn, Director / State Forester Maryland DNR Forest Service November 18, 2008

2. Forest is the Natural Landcover of Maryland… Multiple Ecological Benefits • Nutrient reduction/uptake • Stream Bank stabilization • Wildlife habitat • Flood control • Erosion control • Water filtration • Air filtration

3. Forests Provide Economic Potential… Multiple Economic Benefits • Forest Industry is the fifth largest industry in the State • Largest in western Maryland • Second only behind poultry on the Shore • Employs approximately 14,000 • $2.4 billion value added to Maryland’s economy Anne Hairston-Strang – MD DNR Forest Service MD DNR Forest Service

4. Forests are Imperative to a Sustainable Society… Multiple Benefits to Society • Shade • Open Space • Quality of Life • Carbon Sequestration • Erosion Control • Recreation Tom Darden – MD DNR

5. Maryland’s Forests are Owned by…

6. Forests are Important to Maryland Families… Reasons for Owning: • Beauty/Scenery • Part of home or cabin • To protect nature • Privacy • Pass land on to heirs Important Concerns: • Trespassing or poaching • Insects or plant diseases • High property taxes • Development of nearby lands • Misuse of forest land Future Intentions of Maryland Forest Landowners This information is adapted from "Family Forest Owners of the United States, 2006" General Technical Report NRS-27. USDA Forest Service. 2006.

7. Clearly Forests are worth keeping around! Jack Perdue- DNR Forest Service

8. Threats to Maryland’s Forests

9. Insects and Disease Current threats: • Beech Bark Disease – Garrett County • Emerald Ash Borer – Prince George’s & Charles Counties • Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) – Statewide • Gypsy Moth – Western and Central MD Imminent Threats: • Sirex Wood Wasp (Sirex noctilio Fabricius) Central Pennsylvania and moving south. USDA Forest Service David Cappaert, Michigan State University, www.Bugwood.org David R.Lance, USDA APHIS

10. Weeds and Invasive Plants Britt Slattery – US FWS • Difficult to contain and erradicate. • Occupies space for tree regeneration. • Quickly over-takes native tree species. • Less preferred by native animal species as a food source. • Noxious weeds include: • Canada Thistle • Johnsongrass • Problem invasive weeds include: • Multiflora rose • Mile-a-minute • Honeysuckle Norman Rees – USDA ARS James Miller – US Forest Service David Kazyak – MD DNR

11. Deer Tom Darden – MD DNR David Kazyak – Baltimore County, DEPRM Riley Smith – MD DNR • Most problematic in a mixed landscape of agriculture/forest/residential parcels. • Over-population causes: • Browse of leaves and twigs • Damage to trunks with buck rub • Preference for desired species of tree regeneration

12. Primary Threat to Sustainable Forestry in Maryland

13. Development • The Greatest threat to Maryland’s forests • Permanent loss of the resource • Greater fragmentation effects • Augments the effects of other threats, i.e. Deer, Invasive plants, etc. • Small forest patches have less habitat value. • A Conservation Fund report finds 31% of forest most valuable to water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is at risk to development. • A 10% loss of forest cover could result in a >40% increase in Nitrogen discharge to the Bay – The Conservation Fund, 2006

14. More Forest Landowners…but Smaller Forests • From 1976 to 1998, a 29% increase in the number of owners • Increased fragmentation • Fewer workable parcels • 85% of forest landowners own 1-9 acre patches.

15. How do we ensure healthy forests for Maryland’s future? ? ? ?

16. Conserving Forests in MarylandA Strong Foundation • Forest Conservation Act • Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Law • Rural Legacy and Program Open Space • Donated Easements- Land Trusts • MD Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation • Forest Legacy ~27% of forest protected from development

17. Priority Actions • Ecosystem Markets for incentives to retain forest • Bay Bank - Carbon, water quality/supply, wetland, habitat… • Diversify & Develop Markets – Wood to Energy & Financing (LILAC, MARBIDCO) • Explore Greater Emphasis on Forest Protection • POS/Rural Legacy/MALPF Priorities • Authorize Local Land Conservation Bond and Tax Initiatives • Enhanced Tax Credits for Donated Easements (e.g. MET) • Integrate forests in local land use decisions • Include Transferable and Purchase of Development Rights programs • Emphasize forests in sensitive areas, land protection, and water resources elements of Co. Comprehensive Plans

18. Charles County Forest Assessment Ted Weber – MD DNR

19. Charles County Objectives • DNR Forest Service agreed to create a polygon shapefile for the Mattawoman Stream Valley. • Update/create a new Resource Protection Zone (RPZ) Polygon shapefile (used later in the models). • Perform a Strategic Forest Land Assessment style analysis on Charles County Forests for a number of conservation scenarios. • Utilized County GIS Data whenever possible.

20. Forest Assessment Objectives • Provide a Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS) analysis and prioritize patches for conservation. • Prioritize forest for conservation on development projects under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), and areas of non-forest for forest restoration/mitigation projects under FCA. • Locate forest for conservation in the Critical Area and prioritize for conservation, and identify non-forest areas in the Critical Area for restoration.

21. Forest Assessment Objectives • Identify forest essential to drinking water and well head protection and prioritize for conservation or augment non-forest areas • Identify and prioritize forest important to water quality for conservation, and areas of non-forest for forest restoration that have potential to improve water quality. • Use water quality rules and apply to the Port Tobacco River watershed for conservation and restoration to enhance WRAS. • Identify forest for conservation to assist targeting for Charles County’s 50% open space goal.

22. Layer Weight Input Layer (Map) Total Model Weight Slopes For Example: Slopes Layer Weight (8) + Total Model Weight (28) Landuse Weighted Layer Multiplier = 0.285714 + Depth to Water Table X 0.285714 + SPARROW Model Output Layer 10 Meters Overview of Model Processing

23. Each cell is processed and added to the cell below… Land use Steep Slopes Special Habitat Forest Blocks Rural Legacy Areas Other Data Layers …and the sum of the cells produces a final score—the output Model Output Overview of Model Processing

24. Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS) Habitat

25. Use WHS Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS) Habitat FIDS Layer; Advised county to download from DNR website.

26. Model 1: Conservation of Forest For Forest Conservation Act (FCA) Prioritization

27. Water Quality Protection Forest Sustainability Habitat Protection Forest Assessment for Forest Conservation Act (FCA): Conservation Potential

28. Resource Protection Zone (RPZ) Forest Conservation for FCA Charles County’s RPZ

29. Forest Conservation for FCA Stronghold Watersheds

30. Forest Conservation for FCA Hydric Soils

31. Forest Conservation for FCA MDE High Quality Waters

32. Forest Conservation for FCA Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA)

33. Forest Conservation for FCA Non-tidal Wetlands

34. Forest Conservation for FCA Green Infrastructure (Preference given to corridors)

35. Forest Conservation for FCA Large Forest Blocks

36. Forest Conservation for FCA Rural Legacy Areas

37. Forest Conservation for FCA Forest Legacy Areas of Need

38. Forest Conservation for FCA Priority Watersheds

39. Forest Conservation for FCA: Model Output Model Output

40. Model 2: Restoration of Forest for Forest Conservation Act (FCA): Restoration/Mitigation Potential

41. Water Quality Protection Forest Sustainability Habitat Protection Forest Assessment for Forest Conservation Act (FCA): Restoration/Mitigation Potential

42. Resource Protection Zone (RPZ) Forest Restoration for FCA Charles County’s RPZ

43. Forest Restoration for FCA Stronghold Watersheds

44. Forest Restoration for FCA Rural Legacy Areas

45. Forest Restoration for FCA Steep Slopes (0ver 15%)

46. Forest Restoration for FCA Adjacency to Green Infrastructure

47. Forest Restoration for FCA Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA)

48. Forest Restoration for FCA Adjacency to Large Forest Patches

49. Forest Restoration for FCA MDE High Quality Waters

50. Forest Restoration for FCA Adjacency to FIDS Adjacency to High Quality FIDS Habitat