100 Years of Fighting Forest Fires in Maryland by William Offutt Johnson
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T H E Glades Star — Published by — THE GARRETT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The Garrett County Historical Society Salutes 100 Years of Fighting Forest Fires in Maryland by William Offutt Johnson Reprinted by: The Foundation for Maryland Conservation History, Inc. Fig. 1 THE GLADES STAR 1 September 2011, June and September 2012 The Garrett County Historical Society Salutes 100 Years of Fighting Forest Fires in Maryland by William Offutt Johnson With valuable contributions from the Maryland Forest Service, Will Williams, Education Specialist, Retired and Monte Mitchell, State Forest Fire Supervisor. Technical Assistance provided by Francis “Champ” Zumbrun and Joan Johnson his is the third part of “A Salute land from 1911 to 1915 is as follows: Tto 100 Years of Forestry and State Parks in Maryland.” Part 1, Year Amount of Damage “Conserving Forests,” appeared in (in 1916 dollars) the June 2006 Glades Star and Part 1911 .........................$225,801 2, the “Evolution of State Parks” was 1912 .............................48,212 published in the September 2006 is- 1913 ............................42,443 sue. Part 3, “Fighting Forests Fires,” 1914 ...........................129,844 completes the State Forest and Park 1915 ..........................108,966 Centennial Series. State Forester Besley continued, These centennial histories on “The damage caused by forest fires forestry and state parks in Maryland is not fully appreciated. This is one are dedicated to all the men and reason why so many are allowed women of Western Maryland’s State to occur, and that many which do Forests and Parks District 1 (aka the occur are given little attention by Western Region) who, for more than property owners. Not only do fires 100 years, have gone beyond the call damage fences and merchantable fighting wild fires, improving park timber, whose value is more clearly lands and reforesting the mountains recognized, but fires also destroy on and valleys to provide wood, water, the ground the seed which nature wildlife, cleaner air, scenic views, has provided for the perpetuation natural and historic heritage preserva- of the forest. The accumulated leaf tion, and recreation to Marylanders litter and partly decomposed organic and our out-of-state guests. We hope matter, so important in conserving these articles do justice describing the soil moisture and adding fertility to natural resource legacy that has been the soil, are completely destroyed, the Fig. 2 established. ground becoming dry and hard. The small Fire, when controlled, is one of our of unnecessary waste in the removal of seedlings are consumed, and where the fire most valuable phenomenas, but just let timber. Not only has an immense quan- is not intense enough to quickly destroy the it get away from us, and it will reek and tity of young growth been unnecessarily young growth, the bark is burned through pour down economic loss, destruction and destroyed, due to careless methods, but a on one side, exposing the living wood to death. Regardless of the location—city, study of the subject has shown that about decay. The tree may continue to grow, suburb or countryside—the ravages of half of the usable part of the tree is either but the decay also increases, stunting its fire out of control render damages beyond left in the woods or wasted in sawing. Not growth and reducing its timber value to calculation. only is there a large amount of unnecessary a great extent, frequently to the point of Fire causes more damage than meets waste, which improved methods would making it practically worthless. It is these the eye ... find it profitable to use, but this large fire-scars on the young trees and also on The following was printed in “The amount of debris left in the woods adds older ones which produce the decay ul- Forests of Maryland” in 1916 written by immeasurably to the fire risk. Records show timately resulting in hollowed trees and Maryland’s first State Forester Fred W. that forest fires almost invariably follow many other defects. Besley. lumbering operations. “A woodland that is repeatedly burned “There has also been a large amount “Fires: The forest fire damage in Mary- over by fires constantly deteriorates in 2 THE GLADES STAR quality, and the production is greatly re- ABUSE AND DESTRUCTIVE duced or ceases entirely. Fire protection is HABITS HAD TO GIVE WAY TO SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY the first requisite for improved conditions CONSERVATION PRACTICES. in woodlots; without it there can be no Such were the permanent improvement. Since, however, conditions in 1906 90% of the forest fires are the result of confronting State carelessness, the situation will improve as Forester Fred Bes- rapidly as people are educated to the nature ley. The results of and extent of the damage caused by forest his State Inventory fires.” Fred Besley truly believed in the published in 1916 basic principle that “conservation begins revealed the poten- with education.” tial forest lands in MARYLAND COLONISTS AND THEIR SUCCESSORS, CLEAR Maryland covered WHAT THEY THOUGHT WERE INEXHAUSTIBLE FORESTS... 2,228,046 acres of For more than 270 years following woodland, represent- the establishment of Lord Baltimore’s ing 35% of Mary- Maryland colony, there was no organized land’s original for- method to perpetuate and sustain forests. ested lands. However, The great pre-colonial forests covering because of numerous 95% of the State declined from clearing, fires, over cutting and timbering and burning to make space no effort to re-plant for settlements and agriculture. Further, trees and protect for- Fig. 3 people paid little or no attention to fires est lands from more started by natural causes that burned for fires, livestock grazing, insect infestation, attention of an incredible coalition of forest weeks and sometimes months out of con- and/or disease had made much of this and park conservation advocates to take trol. By the early 1900s the forests of this potential woodland unproductive and un- action to re-grow the forests of Maryland. state and the soil they grow in had become marketable. This crisis dovetailed at a time The goal was to renew forest lands into an seriously depleted. A similar condition was when development in Maryland demanded ongoing sustainable contributor of wood, found in many states east of the Mississippi lumber and forest byproducts be imported wood byproducts, water, wildlife and rec- River where it was estimated that only from other states and countries to meet the reation. Woodlands of beauty, green buffers 30% forest cover remained in 1907 in the need of growth and urbanization. to urban growth, and purifiers of air for the eastern United States. This phenomenal forest famine got the growing Maryland population. Parts 1 and 2 of the Centen- nial series detailed how brothers John and Robert Garrett gave land in Garrett County for the first state forest, providing a bill creating a state forest and park department pass in the Maryland General Assembly. These articles further account how State Senator McCulloch Brown of Garrett County wrote and introduced the forestry and state park bill and how Senate President Colonel Joseph B. Seth of Talbot County enthusiasti- cally supported Senator Brown’s bill; and how the first U.S. Chief Forester, Gifford Pinchot, gave Senator Brown wording for his forestry legislation and later recommended, to Gover- nor Edwin Warfield, one of his top foresters, Fred Besley, to be Maryland’s first State Forester. Also noted was the influence of Fig. 4. Fig. 5. THE GLADES STAR 3 the prominent State Geologist, William unteers to fight fires and carry his message Bullock Clark, who had promoted forestry to the public. His continuous horse and programs in Maryland prior to the 1906 buggy travels around the state to pre- legislation. Following shortly after- pare a comprehensive forest inven- wards was the good efforts of State tory (the first such study produced Senator Carville D. Benson and the by any state in the U.S.) put him Baltimore Municipal Arts Society in contact with prominent lo- and the Frederick Law Olmstead cal community leaders who Architects, sons of the New York were impressed with him City’s Central Park famous and interested in advancing planner, who recommended his program for the good of suburban state parks buffering the State. It was these men Baltimore City. to whom Besley appealed to Their actions were most their civic duty and recom- timely and dramatic and coupled mended their names to the with the indefatigable Fred Besley Governor to be commissioned leading his staff of three and with as Forest Wardens. a starting budget of only $2,000 When the Forestry Act was annually, Maryland began to practice amended in 1910, it gave wardens the art and science of managed forestry the powers of constables so far as ar- and providing state parks. Right from the resting and prosecuting persons for all beginning Mr. Besley recognized that if violations of any of the forest laws or of the he was to make any improvements in the Fig. 6. First logo of the Maryland State Board laws, rules, or regulations enacted or to be forests of Maryland, control of forest fires of Forestry was used in early publications. enacted for the protection of the State for- had to be one of the highest priorities in his Maryland where it remained until 1941, estry reservations. Soon 300 such dedicated campaign. Other top initiatives included when the Department of Forests and Parks and upstanding citizens were appointed as a county by county inventory of all forest was established and placed under the State Forest Wardens statewide. Most of their lands of 5 acres or more, establishing a Board of Natural Resources. work was volunteer; however, Maryland’s state forest tree nursery, improving the state Under the three agencies mentioned first Forestry Act provided the Forest War- owned demonstration forests at Patapsco above, between 1906 and 1970 a dynamic dens a small compensation of $20 per year Park, Swallow Falls and Fort Frederick foundation was laid for forestry and state for services rendered and expenses incurred Forest Reserves, and building a staff and park programs, and the evolution of Mary- during the execution of their duties.