Examples of Successful Forest Stewards:

Here are four examples of very successful Forest Steward Programs – One from each of the four DNR Forest Service Regions across the state of Maryland.

Western Region - Rock Lodge Trust – Continuing Forest Management in Garrett County Maryland: The Rock Lodge Trust owned by the Thomas Bloch family of Wheeling, WV is one of the largest private ownerships in Garrett County.  Stuart Bloch and his cousin Emma Harris are the trustees.  The family had a forest management plan prepared for the woodland portions of the property by the Maryland Forest Service in 1977 and has a cutting agreement with Wood Products, Inc. of Oakland, MD.  The forested 2400 acre property was placed in a Forest Conservation and Management Agreement in 1979 which insures, by means of a legal agreement, that proper and appropriate forest management will occur on the property and prevents conversion to other uses.

The property has been under continuous management since 1977.   Portions of the property have been strip mined, reclaimed and reforested.  Other portions of the property are wetland areas that are shown as “areas of special state concern” and these areas have been protected. All harvesting and other management activities have followed the forest stewardship plan.

Management activities on the property have been oriented towards the landowners’ goal of producing forest products and they have enhanced the area’s value for wildlife also.  Several areas on the property have been documented as “wintering areas” for deer.

Eastern Region - QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY/MARYLAND’S EASTERN SHORE: “Generations and a Heritage of Sound Forest Management”:The David K. Sharretts, et.al. Family has operated their Queen Anne’s County Maryland 85 acres of forestland under sound management via a Md. DNR- Forest Service “Forest Stewardship Plan” since January of 1982. These lands, found along the Chester River directly adjacent to Kent County, were inherited from parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roland Sharretts in 1979. Over the past 25 years Mr. David Sharretts and family have implemented their Forest Stewardship Plan by (1) converting wind-thrown Virginia pine to loblolly pine and Paulownia, (2) thinning the loblolly plantation planted by Roland Sharretts, (3) performing two single tree selection harvests in the deciduous mixed oak stand; once in 1987 and again more recently in 2001 and (4) performing a Crop Tree Release operation on the tulip poplar stand located adjacent the 1^st Virginia pine clear-cut/site conversion of 1983. The Sharretts Family et.al. maintain a wide hedgerow strip between the site conversion and adjacent meadow like fields that were once established with coveys of quail. The bulk of this 85 acre woodland falls within Maryland’s 1,000’ Critical Area Zone with its protected buffer mandating Md. DNR- Wildlife and Heritage comments and input prior to any of these site conversion forest practice activities. A 100’ no cut zone was maintained along the tidal side buffer prior to the clear-cut harvest. The Sharretts Family et.al. has maintained their American Tree Farm Status during this entire time including a nomination for Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year in 1983 where they were recognized for their contributions of sound forest practices on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  Tours and trainings have occurred on the Sharretts lands over the years with its diverse forest practice implementation. The Sharretts Family proudly displays their Tree Farm Sign as a message to others on following a Forest Stewardship Plan on their properties as well!

Southern Region - Southern Maryland  Showcase for Multiple Use Management: W. W. Bowie (Doodle to his friends) has managed to put together in one (1) parcel, 172 acres of woods, field and a large 10.8 acre manmade pond which has become a showplace for multiple use management.  He did this by acquiring bits and parcels of land over the years, along with inheriting a large portion of his father’s sawmill/farm.

In 1995, in conjunction with the Maryland Forest Service, a Forest Stewardship plan was written for Mr. Bowie’s Tree Farm. The primary objective of the plan is Forest products and the secondary objective is Fish & Wildlife. Doodles has kept busy with numerous acres of reforestation.  In so doing, he has taken advantage of numerous cost share programs and has continued to reap the benefits of timber production while continuing to improve the quality of the remaining forestland.  Monetary gain has not been his only reward.  An avid hunter and fisherman, Doodles has managed to improve the surrounding area for deer, turkey, squirrels, quail and rabbit.

Mr. Bowie now has a large hunt club to help manage the property and assist with the physical labor.

The list of multiple uses on his property reads like a list on a brochure for one of Maryland’s state forests, i.e. hunting, hiking, nature study, fishing, boating, 4 wheeler trails, picnic area and the harvesting of wood products.

Because of his dedication to forest management and his commitment to forest stewardship he was named Maryland’s “Tree Farmer of the Year”

Central Region - Harford County Forest Legacy-Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation: Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation, owned and operated by the Baltimore Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, consists of 1,600 acres of woodland located in a rapidly developing area of Harford County Maryland.  The property, which is located between Baltimore and Philadelphia, contains rare Serpentine Barren communities and the largest “old-growth” eastern hemlock stand east of the Appalachian Mountains.  The property contains numerous rare, threatened and endangered species, including the log perch, cerulean warbler, bald eagle and numerous species of forest interior dwelling birds. 

As a Tree Farm for more than 25 years, and with the help of a forest stewardship plan since 1994 the property owners work to manage timber resources while providing a recreational area for more than 25,000 Scout Campers annually.  In 2004, Broad Creek implemented a 70-acre timber sale in the center of their primary recreational use area.  The timber sale generated substantial income for the Boy Scouts while enhancing the forest health and recreational potential by removing scores of hazardous trees from the camping areas.

In 2004, the Executive Board of the Baltimore Area Council, BSA unanimously voted to place a Forest Legacy Easement on the property.  By doing so, the Boy Scouts will sell the development rights to the US Forest Service, through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources – Forest Service.  The Forest Legacy Easement will protect the property and prevent the conversion to non-forest uses.  The Boy Scouts have ensured that the forests of Broad Creek will remain in perpetuity, surviving for wildlife habitat, water quality, timber resources,  and as a recreational area for generations of Scout Campers to come.

For more information on the Maryland Forest Stewardship Program, Contact DNR , Email DNR
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