Forestry
Best Management Practices in Forest Management
Introduction • What are the impacts of forest management activities?
• What forest management practices conserve my water quality?
• How can forested riparian areas protect my farm's water quality?
• Summary
Introduction
Some farm practices can result in relatively high environmental risks, while
others present low risk or virtually no risk at all. The natural resources on
your farm can be protected by employing best management practices (B M Ps) that
deal with the broad range of management choices available in today's
agriculture and forestry. Water quality and quantity, soil quality, pesticide
and nutrient use, wildlife habitat, forestry and waste management are all
natural resources management issues that must be addressed as a part of the farm
or forest operation. Avoidance of these issues can affect the quality of the
soil and water resource broadly, while also risking public health of you and
your family.
Non-point sources of water pollution were included in Section 319 of the
Water Quality Act passed by the United States Congress in 1987. The primary
purpose of the Act is to improve water quality and control non-point source
pollution. Non-point source pollution can include soil erosion, surface runoff
from agricultural and forestry practices.
Overall forest management is a very minor contributor to stream sedimentation
and water pollution. However, certain forest management activities including
road construction can impact water quality. Best Management Practices, (B M Ps)
are practical guidelines aimed at lessening non-point source pollution from
forest management activities, such as road construction, skid trails, and log
landings. In addition, Best Management Practices can be used to enhance the
overall environmental quality of a piece of property.
This fact sheet will address following questions: 1) what are the impacts of
forest management; 2) what forest management practices conserve my water
quality; and 3) how can forested riparian areas protect my farm's water
quality. This type of assessment can help guide landowners interested in
enrolling in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program.
What are the impacts of forest management activities?
As in other land management, forest management is an orderly plan for
reaching specific landownership objectives and goals. Forest management goals
can include ownership goals from income generation to watershed protection.
Unless forests are properly managed, many benefits from forest land can be lost.
Poor management not only harms the trees but also result in erosion, poor water
quality, resource degradation, lowered timber value, loss of recreational
opportunities, and loss of wildlife habitat, all of which can reduce the future
value of the forest land. The intensity of forest management depends primarily
on the interests and objectives of the landowner and the natural capabilities of
the land. The following questions should be taken into consideration when
applying forest management practices.
- What impact will managing the timber have on the rest of my property?
- If I want to harvest, Best Management Practices can I use?
- Can I use forest land to minimize affects of other land uses?
Timber harvesting is an important and often necessary part of the management
of a vigorous and healthy forest. Timber may be harvested for a variety of
economic or biological reasons. However, it is important to guard against
permanent or severe damage to the forest site when conducting a harvest.
The location of your forest stand can influence outcomes of forest management
practices. For example, if your forest land is located in a seasonal wetland
area, certain management practices including timber harvesting, should only be
applied when the site is dry. If your property is characterized by steep, rocky
slopes, forest management, especially harvesting can be more difficult. If your
forest land is located along a stream or river, certain management activities
can be modified to protect stream banks and overall water quality The first step
in assessing your forest land is therefore the physical location of the forest.
Forest management activities can potentially generate several forms of
non-point pollution. The following listed impacts focus on potential damage to
streams and other bodies of water.
Sediment is the primary pollutant arising from road construction, log
landings, and skid trails.
Debris from timber harvesting such as tree tops and limbs should be kept
out of the stream to minimize bank erosion and maintain stream flow.
Nutrients and chemicals from fertilizers, improperly applied herbicides
and pesticides, and from oils and fuels used in machinery can also wash into
streams. Excessive nutrients can reduce oxygen levels and chemicals can be toxic
to aquatic organisms and should therefore be kept out of water bodies.
Temperature levels with a stream or water body can also increase as a
result of clearing timber along stream banks. Raised water temperatures can
reduce oxygen levels and contribute to drying up ephemeral streams and water
holes.
What forest management practices conserve my water quality?
Most States have developed guidelines, commonly called best management
practices (B M Ps), that can help landowners, loggers, and forest contractors
minimize forest site damage and soil erosion. These B M Ps are voluntary and can
be modified for a landowner's specific site conditions.
Loggers, professional foresters, and other natural resource professionals are
the individuals most likely to implement B M Ps as part of a timber harvest or
other forest management activity conducted for a landowner. Landowners, however,
can require B M P implementation by including them as a provision of the timber
sale contract or other forest management contract.
The best way to mitigate from timber harvesting along stream banks is to
maintain some degree of forest cover and/or other ground cover along stream
sides. Forest cover along stream or river banks can actually mitigate against
water quality problems arising from livestock, crop, pasture, or forest
management. Maintaining trees on highly erodible steep slopes can protect a
landowner against soil erosion and water runoff problems.
Recommendations contained here provide an overview. More specific
recommendations can be found in the Arkansas Forestry Commission Best Management
Practices guidelines available by contacting the AFC at 501-296-1940. These
guidelines are also on-line at the Arkansas Forestry Commission.
Access roads and skid trails should be constructed using various methods to
minimize stream sedimentation. Common recommendations are:
Locate logging roads to compliment natural drainage. Plan road layout
in advance and keep skid trails and truck roads well away from streams and
drainages. Avoid locating roads on flat ridge tops or benches where water
will not drain. Research shows that the greatest percentage of soil
erosion from timber harvesting comes from improper road layout and
construction.
Construct logging roads to maximize self-drainage. Outslope roads or
construct ditches and drainage structures when necessary. Limit road
grades to less than 10 percent to avoid rutting caused by wheels slipping.
Install water turnouts and broad-based dips in the roadbed at strategic
locations to divert water into vegetative cover. Construct water bars on
skid trails and abandoned roads following harvest.
Maintain acceptable road grades on mountain sides by using switchbacks
to gain elevation.
Cross larger streams at right angles using a bridge or culvert(s). Ford
small streams at points where the disturbance to streambed or banks will
be minimized. DO NOT drive trucks or skidders up the stream bed.
Leave undisturbed filter or buffer strips of trees and vegetation on
both sides of all streams and major drainages. The width of these
recommended Streamside Management Zones (SMZ's) varies from state to
state although many recommend that SMZ's be at least 50 feet wide on
both sides. If necessary, high-value trees may be harvested from the
streamside management zone by careful logging techniques that minimize
soil disturbance. Directionally fell trees away from the stream and keep
heavy equipment out of the filter strip by using the cable and winch on
skidding equipment. Some states also recommend that at least 50 percent of
the overstory or mature trees should be maintained in the filter
strip.
Stabilize the soil on log landings and skid trails following harvest by
seeding with grass or legumes. Also, disk and seed any logging roads that
will not be properly converted and maintained as permanent forest
roads".
You can also protect your timberland from excessive logging damage by
investigating a prospective timber buyer/logger before making a timber sale.
Note the condition of the logging roads and skid trails. Have they been properly
constructed and stabilized to avoid soil erosion? Loading areas or log
landings should be free of oil cans and other trash. The land should be leveled
to the original contour and the soil stabilized. Loggers who measure up to those
standards are usually concerned about the condition of the forest land
harvested.
The physical entry and operation of the harvesting equipment necessary to
fell, skid, load, and haul timber will always impact the forest environment. The
negative effects of timber harvesting can be minimized, however, and your forest
management objectives reached when proper logging practices are followed. There
are many loggers throughout the South who conscientiously follow B M Ps as a
normal part of their timber harvesting operations. To ensure the long-term
productivity of their forest land, forest landowners should demand no less!
How can forested riparian areas protect my farm's water quality?
Maintaining a buffer strip along streams or streamside management zone can
minimize the negative effects of timber harvesting. Establishing SMZ's takes
some land out of production thereby reducing potential returns from forest
management. However, although standing timber is maintained in streamside
management zones, timber can be selectively harvested using low impact
harvesting methods outlined above. The long-term return from establishing
streamside management zones including enhancing wildlife habitat, soil and water
protection, and other associated values counters the potential costs of
maintaining these areas.
Other benefits are also derived from using buffer strips. Establishing filter
strips of trees along stream banks can control soil and bank erosion by slowing
runoff into the stream and increase water quality by filtering out potential
pollutants from fertilization or livestock waste from adjacent land.
Streamside management zones also provide crucial habitat for wildlife. One of
the key threats to wildlife is loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation.
Streamside management zones counter habitat fragmentation by providing a
corridor that provides protection, habitat, and food for a variety of wildlife
species. Maintaining streamside management zones can also enhance recreational
opportunities, promote forest health, and aesthetic values by creating a
diversity of plant cover.
Summary
Forest land can be managed for a variety of landowner objectives including
income generation and habitat protection. Forest land managed as part of a
larger farm or ranch can not only generate income but protect water and soil
quality and enhance wildlife habitat. Assistance ins available to landowners
through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program for enhancing the overall
environmental quality of their lands, farms, and ranches. Best forest management
practices and forest buffer strips are potential tools that landowners can use
to reach this goal.
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