The Five Periods of Forestry and Resource Management in Maryland
Address by Francis Zumbrun, Forest Manager, Green Ridge State Forest
Green Ridge State Forest Tour for Maryland Forests Association
November 4, 2005

The history of forestry and resource management in Maryland over the last century can be divided into five periods:

• The Age of Forest Exploitation 1800s
• The Custodial Period 1900-1940
• The Sustained Yield Management Period 1940-1970
• The Multiple Use Management Period 1970-1990
• The Sustainable and Forest Health Period 1990-present

The following discussion uses the proverbial goose and egg analogy to discuss and illustrate changes in forest resource management philosophy over the past 100 years. The goose represents the forest, and the egg represents forest values derived from forest resource management (timber, recreation, water, wildlife).

The “Age of Forest Exploitation” preceded the Maryland 1906 Forestry Conservation Act.
In the 1800’s, the volume of cutting greatly exceeded growth. By the 1900’s, only 20% mature forest cover existed east of the Mississippi River. The public feared a timber shortage. Large, uncontrolled forest fires followed after the cutting.  By the early 1900’s, the forests of Maryland consisted primarily of stumps, seedling and saplings.  It was very unusual to see a large tree.  In Fred W. Besley’s early lantern-slides, there are many photographs showing people posing next to a large tree. To see a large tree was equivalent to seeing a bald eagle today—it was very special.  Because of Besley’s interests in large trees, the roots of the national Champion Big Tree program are planted in Maryland - it all started here. The goose was sick; during this period, forest health was poor.

The “Custodial” period followed the Age of Forest Exploitation.
This generally lasted between the years 1900-1940. During this time, the emphasis was on protecting Maryland’s forests. The forests were surveyed, inventoried and mapped for the first time. A State Tree Nursery was established and millions of trees were planted on Maryland’s abandoned agricultural fields.  Fire towers were constructed across the state to monitor outbreaks of wildfires. Forest wardens were trained in forest fire prevention and suppression. During the 1930’s and the Great Depression, President Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) came into existence. The State of Maryland actively acquired cutover and abused land for public use. The CCC constructed roads, fought fires, erected fire towers and planted millions of trees, improving the overall health of these newly acquired public lands. The health of the goose was slowly improving; Maryland’s forests were recovering from earlier abuse and mismanagement.

The “Sustained Yield Management” period occurred generally between the years 1940-1970.
This was the era of World War II and the arrival of the baby boomers. Forest harvests equaled annual growth. A great demand for wood products occurred during this intense period of economic growth. The population of the United States was quickly growing; the formerly rural society was quickly becoming urban.  The forester made management decisions independently, without public participation. The goose’s health had returned; the trees were now merchantable and forest management focused its attention on one egg—timber.

The “Multiple Use Management” period generally occurred between 1970-1990.
This period marks the beginning of an inter-disciplinary approach to forest resource management.  A variety of natural resource disciplines began providing the forest manager with management suggestions. The environmental era began with the beauty and preservation of Maryland’s natural resources being the primary concern. In 1969, Program Open Space was established and provided opportunities and funding to purchase additional forested public land. In 1971, wildland laws were enacted (Savage River State Forest was the first state forest with a wildland designation). Social values as well as economic values were considered in forest resource management plans. The management focus evolves from one egg (timber) to a basket of several eggs (timber, wildlife, water, soils, and recreation).

The “Ecosystem Management and Forest Sustainability” period generally began about 1990, and continues to the present time.
Today, ecological processes, biodiversity, and forest health are examined more closely.  Outputs like recreation and timber, for example, are a by-product of forest health and sustainable forest use. Annual growth in the forest now greatly exceeds harvests (note: on Maryland’s state forests, growth is more than four times the harvest). The majority of Maryland’s population is urban. Public participation now consists of interdisciplinary teams (Department of Natural Resource professionals), advisory committees (composed of citizens from a variety of backgrounds and interests), and the public, who attend informational meetings held in the community.  The forest manager on state forests writes long-range management plans with input from the public. Today, forests are examined on a much broader scale, expanding beyond property boundaries and watersheds, beyond political boundaries, and state and private ownerships.  At the same time, new generations of tools are being utilized to get the job done, including satellite imagery, computers, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

The focus is now on the goose (forests) and its health.  The eggs (forest products) are secondary to the health of the forest.

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Acknowledgements:
Francis "Champ" Zumbrun is the forest manager at Green Ridge State Forest. He has worked as a professional forester for DNR since 1978. He serves on the Forestry and Parks Centennial Committee. He is currently looking for an alidade to place in the Town Hill lookout fire tower at Green Ridge State Forest. If any one knows the location of an alidade, please contact him at fzumbrun@dnr.state.md.us.