Forestry Best Management Practices

Got clean water? Thank a family forest owner.
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Forested lands are essential for about two thirds of our drinking water. That’s why managing this land with water quality in mind is critical to protecting freshwater supplies today and for generations to come. Following the passage of the Clean Air Act in the 1970s, most states developed “Best Management Practices” (BMPs) to guide landowners and professionals in safeguarding water quality by controlling pollution and other threats arising from forestry activities.

There are eight major categories of BMPs, including:

  1. Pre-harvest planning
  2. Streamside management zones
  3. Forest wetlands protection
  4. Road construction and maintenance
  5. Timber harvesting
  6. Revegetation
  7. Fire management
  8. Forest chemical management

Learn more about Forestry Best Management Practices from the Environmental Protection Agency. To find your state’s Best Management Practices guidelines, visit the American Tree Farm System’s Woodland Resources page. 

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