Governor Ehrlich Announces Forestry Executive Orders
Governor Ehrlich, along with DNR Secretary Franks, and other prominent forestry stakeholders, met at JV Wells Lumber in early October to announce two Executive Orders that will protect the Chesapeake Bay and sustain a healthy and productive forest system for Maryland. (MFA President Kirk Rodgers can be seen standing on the Governor's left.)
We are grateful for the Governor's genuine interest in sound scientific forest management and I look forward with much anticipation and excitement as the forestry community in Maryland charts its course for the 21st Century. One of the most important legacies Maryland can bestow upon future generations is the sustainability of a healthy, productive forest system throughout our great State.
It is time for Maryland to evaluate its approach towards effecting forest landscape policy goals which measurably promote the expansion and connection of contiguous forests in the Bay watershed - consistent with the State's "Strategic Forest Lands Assessment" which describes the significant loss of the ecological, social and economic benefits of forests due to rapid urban development -- with an eye towards facilitating Maryland's compliance with the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement , geographically aligning conservation and management strategies with high ecological and economic resource values. Together we must explore creative and financially sensible ways to underwrite Maryland's future forest land conservation efforts which encompass both privately-owned and publicly-owned forest lands.
Governor Announces Forestry Executive OrdersEfforts protect the Chesapeake Bay and Sustain a healthy productive forest system
* EXECUTIVE ORDER 01.01.2004.21
Enhanced Forestry Management on the Department of Natural Resources-Owned Forest Lands
* EXECUTIVE ORDER 01.01.2004.53
Governor's Commission for Protecting the Chesapeake Bay through Sustainable Forestry (this is a pdf file that requires Adobe Reader to open)Quotes from stakeholders:
“Sustainable forests are critically important to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and local communities. Chesapeake Bay Foundation is please that the State is taking these steps to ensure greater protection and restoration of our forests.”
-- Bill Street, Director of Watershed Conservation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
“The Nature Conservancy supports the creation of the Governor’s Commission for Protecting the Chesapeake Bay through Sustainable Forestry and applauds Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. for encouraging third-party certification of state forests. The creation of this commission is a prudent step in maintaining the health of Maryland’s forests and exploring new ways to support the forest products industry.
The Nature Conservancy supports forest certification as a market-based tool to ensure and recognize sound management practices. The Nature Conservancy recognizes that in many circumstances, sustainably managed forests provide income for rural communities and are not mutually exclusive of conservation.
Despite the intense growth Maryland has experienced around the Washington and Baltimore areas, about 40 percent of the state or roughly 2.6 million acres is covered by forest. Still, we’ve lost tens of thousands of acres in the past two decades. Preserving Maryland’s forests protects the Chesapeake by filtering sediment and runoff, which otherwise would pollute the Bay, provides valuable habitat for wildlife and is important to the future of the state’s timber industry.”
-- Nat Williams, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Maryland/DC Chapter
“Maryland’s $2.2 billion dollar forest products industry is most grateful and appreciative for the continuing support of the Ehrlich Administration. Clearly, the Governor understands the importance of forestry as a premier resource-based industry, its environmental contribution to Bay, and its economic contribution to rural Maryland.”
-- Ed Yates, President, Association of Forest Industries
“The Ehrlich Administration understands the significance of a healthy Chesapeake Bay realized through sustainable forestry management practices and policies. We in Maryland's forestry community are confident the Governor's actions today will serve as a model worthy of emulation at the local government level and by other states in the Bay watershed region. Governor, thank you for your leadership.”
-- Gary G Allen, Chair, Partnership for Sustainable Forestry
“The forest industry in Maryland and its 130,000 private forest landowners are deeply grateful to Governor Ehrlich for his strong support to our sustainable management of the forest resources of the State. These two Executive Orders clearly demonstrate his understanding that healthy forests contribute to a healthy Chesapeake Bay as well as to a healthy rural economy.”
-- Kirk P. Rodgers, President of the Maryland Forests Association
posted October 26, 2004 by Karin Miller
