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Maryland

Department of Economic &

Employment Development

 

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF

SAVAGE RIVER STATE FOREST

IN MARYLAND

 

Massoud Ahmadi, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

June 1991

Office of Research

Robert N. Schoeplein, Director

Maryland Department of Economic and Employment Development

J. Randall Evans, Secretary

217 East Redwood Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

 

(301) 333-6947

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THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF

SAVAGE RIVER STATE FOREST IN MARYLAND

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Savage River State Forest provides many forest-related benefits to the citizens of Maryland and the neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. These benefits include, but are not limited to, tourism, wildlife, the environment, and the timber industry. Maryland's quality of life is directly and indirectly affected by the Forest's resource planning process. As part of this process, the Department of Natural Resources periodically develops, renews and revises a resource plan in order to achieve a sustained yield of forest resource benefits for the citizens of Maryland. Therefore, estimation of the forest resource benefits and their associated economic impacts in Maryland is pertinent for program planning and policy analysis applications.

Our analysis of the forest-related benefits, i.e., timber sales and recreational use, indicate that the Savage River State Forest generates important economic linkages and benefits to other Maryland industries and institutions. These economic benefits are shown in summary tables I-III below.

 

Summary Table I

The Economic Impact of Savage River State Forest in FY 1990

(millions of 1991 dollars)

Category

Output

Jobs

Timber Operations

$6.82

156

Recreational Use

26.78

432

Total

$33.60

588

 

Summary Table II

The Economic Impact of Savage River Timber Operations in FY 1990

(millions of 1991 dollars)

Category

Output

Jobs

Logging Contractors

$0.71

14

Sawmills

6.11

142

Total

$6.82

156

 

Summary Table III

The Economic Impact of Savage River Recreational Visitations in FY 1990

(millions of 1991 dollars)

Category

Output

Jobs

Recreation

$4.93

80

Boating

2.08

34

Sightseeing

11.33

178

Fishing

3.66

61

Hunting

4.61

77

Camping

 0.17

 3

Total

$26.78

432