A forestry department was first organized in 1906 under the State
Board of Forestry. The present Department, associated with the Board
of Natural Resources was organized in 1941, and is the successor of the
first department. The Department of Forests and Parks administers
the tree marketing program under which woodland owners who plan
to dispose of their timber may secure a free marking service to yield
maximum return in saw timber and other forest products, with due
provision made for a sustained yield of successive timber crops. To
supplement the timber cropping program and provide adequate plant-
ing stock for reforestation, the State maintains a nursery with a
potential capacity of ten million trees. The Department also admin-
isters the Forest Conservancy Districts Act designed to ensure the
practice of forestry on privately owned woodlands throughout the
State (Code 1947 Supp., Art. 39A, secs. 52-64). The district foresters
of the Department serve as executive officers and secretaries of local
forestry boards set up under the Act. Another responsibility of the
Department is the protection from fire of 2,700,000 acres of public
and private woodland. To carry out this assignment, the Department
maintains a specially trained fire control force, which is supplemented
by 600-700 forest wardens commissioned by the Governor. The pro-
tection of approximately 3,000,000 trees along the State highways
is also a responsibility of the Department. A force of wardens is
employed to supervise tree trimming operations by the public utility
companies along their pole-line right of ways.

The Department administers ten State Forests with a total area
of 120,766 acres. These forests serve as demonstration areas in for-
estry management. Recreational areas have been developed in several
of them, notably, Herrington Manor on the Swallow Falls and New
Germany on the Savage River. Parallel to this is the administration
of twelve State Parks of scenic or historic interest totaling 7,897.5
acres. The State Forests and Parks and their areas are as follows:

STATE FORESTS

Name County Area
Swallow Falls Garrett 7,468
Savage River Garrett 52,672
Potomac Garrett 12,057
Mt. Nebo Garrett 1,791
Green Ridge Allegany 25,451
Cedarville Prince George's & Charles 3,510
Doncaster Charles 1,464
Pocomoke Worcester 12,377
Seth Demonstration Talbot 124
Elk Neck Cecil 3.762
State Forest Nursery Anne Arundel 100

STATE PARKS

Washington Monument Washington 96
Fort Tonolway Washington 20
Fort Frederick Washington 279
Gambrill Frederick 1,088
Gothland Frederick 101
Patapsco Howard 1,564
Wye Oak Talbot 1.5
Elk Neck Cecil 995
Sandy Point Anne Arundel 725
Dan's Mountain Allegany 100
Seneca Creek (projected) Montgomery 2,000
The Rocks (projected) Harford 928