Study measures value of state forests' intangible benefits

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - A walk in the woods: priceless?

That's the value of the satisfaction one derives from a day trip to a Maryland state forest, according to a University of Maryland study released yesterday. By putting price tags on intangibles such as recreation and the simple knowledge that the trees exist, researchers hope to help the Department of Natural Resources make better decisions about logging and other uses of forested state land.

The $70,000, peer-reviewed study, funded largely by the university's Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, also examined the rate at which different forest types...