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Water Quality
Best Management Practices To Protect Water
Quality
As a private woodland owner, you can take pride in owning forestland
in the United States. You are one of more than ten million Americans
who own approximately 50% of the commercial forestland in America.
The forest industry owns 13% of the forests and the remaining
29% is managed by the U.S. Forest service and other government
agencies.
Wood products from U.S. forest are the nation's
most valued agricultural commodity. Plus, the forestry sector
is one of the top ten industrial employers in 46 of the 50
states.
Your forest not only provides wood products but also provides
other values for society and for you personally. Wildlife
habitat, clean air and water, recreational opportunities,
other ecological functions, and aesthetic values are just
a few examples. Walking through your forest, you can see,
feel, hear and smell the forest bounty.
Forestry practices contribute only a very small part to the
nation's overall water quality problems, but they can have
significant local impact. What's more, they can be avoided
through the use of "Best Management Practices" or
BMP's.
Examples of best management practices to protect water quality
include:
Erosion control measures on roads and skid trails
Leaving vegitated buffer strips along streams
Guidelines for stream crossings
Recommended practices for harvesting and site preparation
for reforestation
Guidelines for pesticide use
Control of waste disposal on forest lands
Each state handles BMP's differently, If you would like more
information on BMP's feel free to contact one of our knowledgeable
foresters with your questions.
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