2018 Maryland Big Tree Program Report

 

In 2018, the MBTP volunteers measured, re-measured, or deleted 332 trees.  There were 294 trees either re-measured or new and 38 trees were reported deceased.   We were unable to obtain permission forms to re-measure 8 trees and they will be moved to the “Inactive” file.  There are currently 2017 active trees (measured in the last 10 years) on the Maryland database, 443 deceased trees & 637 inactive trees (trees not re-measured in the last 10 years for various reasons).   It is the goal of the MBTP to measure/re-measure/delete 200 of the registered trees each year.

The MBTP was funded by grants from the Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Committee, the Anne Arundel County Forestry Board, and several other MD Forestry Boards that provided reimbursement to their members, or in-kind donations. 

 

Highlights

 

  The web site, www.mdbigtrees.com, continues to be an important source of new big tree referrals, with most of the new trees being referred automatically from the web site nomination form.  The designer of this web site went out of business in 2014, but we were extremely fortunate that a volunteer was able to lease a new hosting site and migrate the web site to this new site.  In 2017 a campaign was started to raise funds for a new website and Ken McCathran volunteered to prepare the specifications for the solicitation of bids.  As of the end of 2018, we had raised $1,135.00 with donations from 12 0f the 24 Forestry Boards and Ken had developed the specifications.  We are awaiting the issuing of the RFP.

 

  Since 2010, the MBTP was managed by the Cecil County Forestry Board.  In 2016 a new State-wide committee was formed from members of the Maryland Association of Forest Conservancy District Boards.

 

The Committee met on 9/28/18 and re-drafted a policy statement on how to measure circumference on multi-trunked trees, and a revision of the rules regarding permission forms for right-of-way trees.  The new policy on ROW only applies to trees in Baltimore City and trees on county ROW in Montgomery County.  

 

 

  Five State Champion trees have died this year; three native species, and two non-native species:

 

Pignut Hickory                        Talbot County                                                 325 points – native

Norway Spruce                       Harford County                                              272 points – non-native

Virginia Pine                           Baltimore County                                           210 points – native

Sour Cherry                             Calvert County                                               202 points – non-native

Red Pine                                  Montgomery County                                      164 points - native                                                                                                     

 

   Twenty-four new State Champions were crowned in 2018.  These were newly discovered trees—not formerly measured trees that replaced dead champions.

 

Siberian Elm – co-champ        Queen Anne’s County                                    320 points – non-native

Tree of Heaven                       Anne Arundel County                                    314 points – non native invasive

Boxelder                                 Frederick County                                            312 points – native

Slippery Elm                           Kent County                                                   306 points – native

Pignut Hickory                        Queen Anne’s County                                    244 points – native

Katsura Tree                            Montgomery County                                      232 points – non-native

London Planetree                    Baltimore City                                                231 points – non-native

Sugarberry                               Frederick County                                            231 points – native

Black Maple – co-champ        Prince George’s County                                 195 points – native

Virginia Pine                           Anne Arundel County                                    192 points – native

Callary Pear – “Bradford”      Montgomery County                                      181 points – non-native invasive

Pumpkin Ash                          Caroline County                                             167 points – native

Silver Linden                          Baltimore County                                           163 points – non-native

Slash Pine                               Montgomery County                                      152 points – native

Common Pear                         Calvert County                                               151 points - native     

Sour Cherry                             Baltimore City                                                147 points – non-native

Laurel Oak                              Queen Anne’s County                                    138 points – native

Red Pine                                  Baltimore City                                                110 points - native

Umbrella Magnolia - co          Prince George’s County                                 107 points – native

Umbrella Magnolia - co          Carroll County                                                106 points – native

Japanese Black Pine                Baltimore County                                             99 points – non-native

Shrub Althea                           Baltimore City                                                  54 points – non-native

Mountain Laurel                     Anne Arundel County                                      48 points – native

Rhododendron hybrid            Montgomery County                                        34 points – non-native

 

Maryland is unique in having 14 white oaks 350 points or greater.  We re-measured 6 of them in 2018.

 

Cecil County Oak – 406 points, up from 392 points in 2008 – remains Maryland State Champion

Calvert County Oak – 399 points, up from 386 points in 2008 – some tip dieback, looks good

Harford County Oak – 396 points, up from 379 points in 2008 – no health issues noted

#2 Cecil County Oak – 385 points, up from 379 points in 2008 – huge cavity in trunk

Prince George’s Oak – 365 points, up from 329 points in 2008 – greatest increase in points

#2 Calvert Oak            - 363 points, down from 369 points in 2008 – drop of 20 feet in height

 

The Cecil Oak is now #2 on the all-time list, well behind the Wye Oak at 506 points

           

No Maryland Bicentennial Trees were “discovered” and measured this year.

 

There were 5 media accounts regarding Maryland Big Trees in 2018:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkntHR0juZR.  “Towson University on Instagram – We Like Big Trees…”

https://www.myeasternshoremd.com/qa/spotlight/four-state-champion - “Four State Champion Trees Found in County”

https://www.stardem.com/spotlight.  “Champion Trees Measured in Talbot County”

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/environment/stumped-by.... “Stumped By Giants: Woman Determines State’s…”

www.wypr.org/post/ancient-pollen-and-trees-unusual-size.  Joli McCathran’s radio interview.

naturalmidatlantic.blogspot.com/...elk-neck-state-forest-planting.html.  Article mentions the eastern red cedar at the Arboretum.