# Forests and the Bay

When the colonist's first arrived 00 the shores of the
Chesapeake, they found a vast forest covering over
95% of the watershed. These forests served as a
continuous living Alter and regulator of the Bay's
environment. However, as the land was settled, the
paceof forest clearing accelerated Bythemld-1800's,
over half of this vital resource had been converted to
other uses.

Although the acreage of forest land has recovered some
from historic lows, less than 60% of the original forest
remains today. Twenty nine percent of the watershed
is nop used for apiculture, while 11-12% has been
developed forroads, homes, businesses, and other uses.
For the ficst time in neatly a century, the percent of-
forest lands in the watershed is declining, Although
some forest land is still cleared for agriculture, the
threat to today's forest comes primarily from whan
development and sprawl. Overthelast25 years, forests
were lost to urban expansion at ante of as much as 100
acres per day.

The Importance of Forests. As the natural land cover
of the Bay's watershed, forests provided a physical and
biological system which yielded clean waters and a
productive Bay, Extensive scientific findings show
clearly that forests are the most beneficial land cover
for maintaining clean water. However, it is unknown
how much forest we can lose without affecting die
ability of the watershed to maintain lis Bay's health
and resilience over the long term.

How mm forests help the Boy?

*	Filter nutrients and sediment
»Capture rainfall and regulate streantflow

*	Moderate stream and air temperatures
»Stabilize erodible mils

*	Create and maintain fish and wildlife
habitat

*	Preserve biodiversity

Quantity vs. Quality. Location and distribution of
forests may be as critical as total acreage. Unevenly
distributed* some watersheds in the Bay have lost over
85% of their forests whileothers have experienced little
or do losses. Fragmentation of forests into small uncon-
nected blocks is especially common in urban land-
scapes. Hiousands of miles of stream have been left
unprotectedby their nature riparian forest

Riparian Forests. For the Chesapeake Bay and its
inhabitants, forests located along streams, rivers, and
the Bay Itself are of utmost importance. Riparian
forests serve an importantroleln the circulatory system
of the watershed, the thousands of miles of river and
stream that link the watershed to the Bay. Riparian
forests are vital to controlling sediment and nutrient

Percent of
Watershed
Forested



1«50

1750

1*>0


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inputs from rainfall and runoff, providing habitat and
food tor fish and wildlife, cooling water temperatures,
increasing dissolved oxygen, and helping to maintain
the Integrity and constant energy flow of the aquatic
ecosystem. Nutrients carried off the land in agricultural
areas can be absorbed in large quantity by streamside
buffers of forest while providing excellent habitat for
fish, birds, mammals, and other species. These values
translate into a forests' contribution to a healthier Bay.

What are the issues? The Chesapeake ecosystem has
a tremendous ability to buffer and repair Itself when
faced with the impacts and stresses of man* s demand on
it's environment Forests are an integral part of Its
opacity for resilenee. Mitigation programs alone can
not make up for fo. est losses. Recognizing the value of
forests in the watershed, it is clear that conserving and
~ replanting forests, and using them to reduce pollution
will need to play an important role in restoring the Bay.

What is being done? Through (he Chesapeake Bay
Program, unique partnerships have been formed among
the various elements of the Bay region's forestry agen-
cies, forest managers, and interested citizen groups.
Since 1990, the USDA Forest Service has assigned a
Forestry program Coordinator to the Bay Program to
assist the EPA and Bay committees develop strategies
and projects which contribute to Bay restoration goals.
AForestry Work Group,formed as paitoftheNon point
Source Subcommittee, provides an effective vehicle to
raise and address issues related fo forests and the
practice of forestry in the watershed.

In addition, Bay Stale Foresters and local governments
have responded to the Chesapeake Bay Program with
the development and Implementation of numerous pro-
grams and projects. States have taken bold steps to
protect forests such as Maryland's passage of a Forest
Conservation Act This landmark legislation requires
the consideration of forest conservation in land use
planning. Aggressive urban forestry programs in Mary-
land and the District of Columbia are helping to en-
hance the urban environment through innovative edu-
cation, management and tree planting projects. Pro-
moting the reestabllshment of riparian forests has been
a particular focus of state programs and pilot projects.
Maryland's Treemendous" and Greenshores programs.
Pennsylvania's stream fencing program and pilot
projects In the Conodoguinet watershed, Virginia's
Preservation Act and DC's Anacostta project Is an
examples. Virginia has implemented an agresslve
model program to improve BMP implementation and

effectiveness during forest management and evaluate
the relationships of forests and water quality.

Forestry incentive programs in all of the Bay states have
resulted In the planting of millions of trees, the restora-
tion of nearly SO miles of riparian forest, development
of Forest Stewardship plans and enhancement projects
on thousands of acres of the Bay watershed, thousands
of hours of volunteer time and forest education, and
hundreds of individual local projects demonstrating the
valuable role of forests in the Bay watershed.

*

Forest Solutions

#

Protection

•	During urban expansion

•	Riparian forests

•	Forest inventory & analysis

•	Land, use planning

Restoration
Water quality
Habitat enhancement
Urban forests
Forests buffers
Local communities

Stewardship

•	Preserve land base

•	Best management practices

•	Land owner benefits

•	Education


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