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- Title
IF A TREE FALLS IN A FOREST: THE SOUND OF THE MARYLAND FOREST CONSERVATION ACT IN THE STATE AND TWO OF ITS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING COUNTIES, FREDERICK AND WASHINGTON.
- Authors
Johnson, Alice Booher
- Abstract
The Maryland Forest Conservation Act ("Act")—a powerful regulatory tool during development—was enacted against the backdrop of depleting forest resources and the recognition of the interconnectedness of forests to the health of the Chesapeake Bay, an important economic and ecological resource for the state of Maryland. At the time of colonization, Maryland was about 90% forested. This forest coverage dropped to about 42% prior to the Act and has remained close to this percentage for the past several years. This forest maintenance is perhaps laudable in light of the tremendous development that has occurred in Maryland. This article looks at the effect of the Act in Maryland and in two of its rapidly developing counties, Frederick and Washington. While it is often emphasized that the Act was intended to minimize forest loss, its purpose has also been to protect and enhance forest resources during development. Some agricultural counties, such as Carroll and Queen Anne's, have done a particularly good job of not only preserving existing forest resources but also increasing forest coverage. Other counties, such as Anne Arundel, Charles, and Howard, have been liberal about clearing as much forest as allowed under the Act. In the state overall, the Act has mostly protected existing forest resources during development, although there is still net forest loss. Frederick and Washington, two agricultural counties adjacent to each other in the western area of Maryland, have not seemed to embrace the Act with equal fervor. While both counties have done a fairly good job of protecting existing forest resources, Frederick has been more innovative with the establishment of a forest banking program that ties requirements under the Act to enhancing riparian forests on farms. The potential benefits of such programs are tremendous, including the improvement of the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
- Subjects
FREDERICK (Md.); WASHINGTON (D.C.); MARYLAND; FORESTS &; forestry; REAL estate development
- Publication
University of Baltimore Journal of Environmental Law, 2010, Vol 18, Issue 1, p55
- ISSN
1062-6212
- Publication type
Article