1.3 million cubic feet short of the annual net 

 growth. The hardwood resource is not in danger 

 of depletion; its growing-stock removals equal 72 

 percent of its net growth. Sweetgum is the only 

 species that appears to be overcut statewide, and it 

 is the only species that showed a decline in volume 

 since 1963. 



Although the situation statewide appears en- 

 couraging, some species are being overcut in some 

 units. In general, softwoods are being removed 

 faster than they are growing in the Central and 

 Western units, while hardwood removals exceed 

 hardwood growth in the Southern and Western 

 units. The large amount of land clearing and loss 

 of commercial forest land to nonforest land uses is 

 perhaps the primary reason that removals exceed 

 growth in the Central and Southern units. The 

 volume of growing stock on land that has been 

 cleared or otherwise changed from commercial 

 forest land use during the period between in- 

 ventories is considered as timber removals. In the 



Western Unit timber is a more important com- 

 ponent of the local economy than it is in the less 

 timbered farm and urban areas to the east. There 

 are many small sawmills and a good-sized wood- 

 pulp mill in the area that require steady supplies of 

 raw material. Also, the annual net growth per acre 

 is low in this region, so it does not take too high a 

 level of removals before overcutting occurs. 



Another factor that must be considered in dis- 

 cussing growth and removals is the attitude of 

 private landowners about harvesting timber. The 

 objectives of some landowners preclude logging 

 on their property. If enough of these owners make 

 their timber unavailable, then overcutting may 

 occur more frequently on those lands that are 

 available and may cause serious problems in local 

 areas. This is the case in certain sections of 

 Maryland. The question of how much timber is 

 available will be dealt with in more detail in the 

 forthcoming ownership report. 



Table A.— Land area of Maryland by land classes and geographic units, 1976 



(In thousands of acres) 





Commercial 



Unproductive 



Productive- 



Total 



t 





Geographic 



forest 



forest 



reserved 



forest 



Nonforest 



All 



unit 



land 



land 



forest land 



land 



land 



land 



Central 



1,105.5 





113.7 



1,219.2 



2,596.5 



3,815.7 



Southern 



376.1 



0.6 



5.0 



381.7 



289.6 



671.3 



Lower Eastern Shore 



523.0 





3.1 



526.1 



621.4 



1,147.5 



Western 



518.1 





8.1 



526.2 



169.5 



695.7 



Total, all units 



2,522.7 



0.6 



129.9 



2,653.2 



3,677.0 



6,330.2 



Table 2.— Area of commercial forest land in Maryland, by ownership classes and geographic 



units, 1976 

 (In thousands of acres) 









Lower 







Ownership 



Central 



Southern 



Eastern 



Western 



Total 



class 







Shore 







Federal 



20.9 



3.7 





0.3 



24.9 



State 



38.7 



4.9 



27.8 



113.8 



185.2 



County and municipal 



30.4 







2.2 



32.6 



Total public 



90.0 



8.6 



27.8 



116.3 



242.7 



Forest industry 



16.9 



11.7 



97.7 



12.9 



139.2 



Farmer-owned 



478.3 



181.0 



225.9 



143.0 



1,028.2 



Miscellaneous private: 













Individual 



316.8 



125.9 



124.1 



167.8 



734.6 



Corporate 



135.0 



27.9 



29.2 



56.8 



248.9 



Other 



68.5 



21.0 



18.3 



21.3 



129.1 



Total private 



1,015.5 



367.5 



495.2 



401.8 



2,280.0 



All ownerships 



1,105.5 



376.1 



523.0 



518.1 



2,522.7 



Sampling error 



3 



3 



2 



2 



2 



(in percent) 













4 



