1. The Maryland Forests Association and A Landowner’s Concerns

2. Maryland Forests Association  Membership –  Forest land owners  Foresters  Loggers  Mills  Hunt Clubs  individuals

3. Maryland Forests Association  Mission:  ‘To promote the maintenance of a healthy and productive forest landbase so as to enhance the economic, environmental, and social well-being of all who live in the state.’

4. Maryland Forests Association  Education –  Lobbying – legislature and agencies  Alliances with other organizations to achieve mission  Maryland Master Logger Program

5. Landowners’ Concerns  Or  Will growing trees be an asset or liability for our children?

6. Trends – MD Forest Areas  Timberlands Declining  Non- commercial Increasing  Overall- Forests Declining

7. MD Forest Landowners  Trend:  Landowners Increasing  Acreage per Owner dropping  Forest Fragmentation

8. Forest Dynamics  Age Structure Changing  Volume per area increasing  Composition changing

9. MD Forest Industry  Mills declining  Logger infrastructure Declining  Loss of Competition

10. Forest Land Economics  Lumber Price Flat  Maryland Timber Competes on World Market

11. Secondary Assets of Forests  Hunting Activities  Niche markets  Mushrooms. Ginsing…  Income variable

12. Non-Market Benefits of Forests Realized by the People of the State  Water Quality  Air Quality  Wildlife  Aesthetics

13. A Landowner’s Perspective

14. Concerns about Timberland’s Future  Critical Mass to Support FPI?  Lose of sustainable timber  Competitive Markets?  Infrastructure?  Regulations? Zoning? ESA?

15. Economics of Growing Trees  Plant seedlings, manage  Harvest after 45 years  Return on Capital ~ 1% per year  Wall Street > 3-5+% per year

16. Incentives for Forest Sustainability Return on benefits realized by the people  Right to Practice Forestry  Equity with Farms  Credit for Buffer timber taking  See Virginia tax credit  Tax relief  See Delaware Ag and Forests - zero tax

17. Incentives for Forest Sustainability  Easements – similar to Ag  Regulatory relief – similar to Ag