justnorth posted on July 24, 2007 14:19 :: 1478 Views
MADISON – Practices to protect water quality while harvesting timber were correctly applied over 94 percent of the time on federal and industrial timber sales in 2006, based on the results of a monitoring effort coordinated by the Department of Natural Resources Forestry Division.
In the fall of 2006, monitoring teams visited more than 60 timber sale sites across northern Wisconsin and did not observe any adverse impacts to water quality in nearly all instances where forestry Best Management Practices were correctly applied, according to Kristin Shy, a DNR forester who oversees the program.
“Best Management Practices, or BMPs, are actions that landowners, loggers and foresters can take to reduce or eliminate problems during timber harvests,” said Shy. “When logging first began in the state, vast tracts of cleared land contributed to excessive amounts of surface runoff, which in turn degraded water quality and destroyed fish habitat. Today, that pattern has been reversed as landowners commit to sustainably managing their woodlands.”
According to the 2006 BMP report, the correct application of BMPs rose from 91 percent in 1995 – 1997 (the baseline years) to more than 94 percent in 2006 for both federal and industrial timber sales. The 2006 report focused on industrial and federal timber sales, areas where statistically valid data had not been previously gathered..
The purpose of the Forestry BMP for Water Quality program, which began in 1995, is to address the problem of nonpoint source pollution and the possible impacts forestry-related activities (such as timber harvesting) can have on Wisconsin’s lakes, streams and wetlands. It is estimated that 3 to 5 percent of the state’s nonpoint pollution comes from forestry activities on Wisconsin’s 16 million acres of forest land.
Nonpoint source pollution occurs when runoff from rainfall or snowmelt moves across the ground, picking up and carrying pollutants into streams, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater. During timber harvests, skid trails – which are temporary trails along which felled trees or logs are dragged to a gathering point for further processing and loading and forest roads that cross or are near streams, lakes, or wetlands, have the potential to contribute to nonpoint source pollution.
As in previous years, monitoring teams did observe some impacts to water quality in 2006 when BMPs were not applied where needed. Examples included the lack of seed and mulch on disturbed areas and the failure to install diversion ditches to divert runoff away from roads and side ditches. Shy said it was important to note that there were only a couple of instances where major negative impacts were observed on timber sales where BMPs could have been applied, but were not.
Continued monitoring of BMP application and effectiveness, as well as education and training, is crucial to maintaining the voluntary nature of Wisconsin’s BMP Program say forestry officials. Wisconsin’s Forestry BMPs provide a practical, cost-effective method for landowners, loggers and foresters to protect water quality during forestry operations.
“We believe that a non-regulatory BMP Program, along with existing water quality regulations, can protect water quality during forestry operations,” says Paul DeLong, Wisconsin’s chief state forester. “Random monitoring of timber sales has documented the commitment of forest landowners to protecting Wisconsin’s lakes, streams and wetlands and that a voluntary program can be as or more effective than a regulatory program.”
The publication “Wisconsin’s Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality 2006 BMP Monitoring Report” (FR-291) is available online or from a DNR Service Center.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristin Shy (608) 266-9275.
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