Maryland’s Wildlands, State Treasures  

“Wildlands” offer the highest level of protection to forest and other habitat; this legislative designation is Maryland’s only legal means to permanently safeguard an area. Wildlands are open to hunting, fishing, and nondestructive activities such as hiking and bird watching, but they are protected from logging and closed to roads and motor vehicles. Wildlands are valuable in providing an opportunity for people to reconnect with nature, and to provide quality habitat for many threatened and endangered species.

There are very few old growth forests left in the East. It is estimated that less than one percent of the forested areas east of the Mississippi can currently qualify as old growth forests. We are fortunate to have some remnants of these ancient forests in Maryland. Old growth forests, and the preservation of the endangered ecological communities contained within them, are important factors in the criteria used to determine which forests will be designated as Wildlands. 

Maryland's ancient forests were almost completely eliminated when they were logged and cleared in early 1900s. Given the rarity of old growth forests, and the sensitive nature of the ecological communities within them, it is important that the remaining areas of old growth be fully protected.  Any old growth forest found in Maryland should immediately be considered as a candidate for full protection.

Biologists are learning it is critical to protect significant stands of wild forest rather than just protect small preserves.  Many species require interaction with other species to disseminate their genes and to guarantee healthy communities.  When communities of plants or animals are isolated in small areas, they lose their ability to procreate and survive.  Large protected forests, connected to similar tracts of forests, are essential to the continued viability of many communities of plants and animals.   

The Appalachian Mountains support one of the most biologically diverse temperate forests in the world, and its streams and rivers are world renowned for their aquatic diversity, supporting vast numbers of fish, mussels, snails, and crayfish. Although the Appalachians appear healthy and stable to the casual observer, a careful look beneath the forest canopy reveals something different. Today, more than 50 species of plants and animals are formally listed as endangered or threatened, and many more are in decline. The spread of exotic species, habitat destruction, fragmentation of habitat, and air pollution threaten continual loss of species and their diversity.  Certain key species-such as native predators-which are very important to the balance of nature, are almost entirely absent.