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The Land Chapter of the 2004 Comprehensive Plan states the following:
Forest once covered more than 95% of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Today less than 60% remains. For the first time in one hundred years, the percentage of forestlands in the watershed is declining. Some forests are cleared for farming, but development is the greatest threat.
Forest cover is the most natural and least polluting land use, and forest cover adjacent to streams (riparian forests) is essential to preserving water quality. Forests absorb nitrogen in both surface and shallow groundwater, trap phosphorous-laden sediment, and remove other pollutants resulting from adjacent land uses and from atmospheric deposition. In addition to pollution prevention, forests provide important habitat for wildlife, induce groundwater recharge and minimize flooding. Riparian forests provide organic matter, such as leaf litter, which serves as the basis of the food chain for aquatic species. The riparian forest canopy provides shade, which is critical for moderating stream temperature, and the roots of the trees stabilize stream banks and protect against erosion. In addition to all of these other benefits, forests are a renewal resource that can play an important role in developing and maintaining a sustainable economy.
Forest interior (forest more than 100 meters from a forest edge) provides important habitat to many species. Many species of birds can only reproduce in forest interior habitats. These are known as forest interior dwelling birds and some examples are: scarlet tanager, barred owl, pileated woodpecker, and whippoorwill.
Forest covers 81,781 acres or 58% of land use in Calvert County. Forest interior represents 37% of forest cover or 22% of the County land area. Forty-four percent of the estimated forest interior habitat is currently protected, 56% is thus threatened by development.
A model was used to determine the impact of land use decisions on potential forest interior habitat in Calvert County. Regulatory approaches can only protect an additional 11% of forest interior habitat and, therefore, in addition to regulatory approaches, land preservation measures must be pursued to achieve a higher level of protection.
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