The formative evaluation of a forestry Best Management Practices program in a municipal watershed

Abstract

Best Management Practices for water quality (BMPs) have been proven effective in reducing sedimentation from timber harvesting operations. Although most states in the country have BMP guidelines, many are non-regulatory, creating challenges for forest managers to ensure implementation. In surface watershed systems, BMP cost-sharing extension programs (BMP programs) are designed to encourage the implementation of BMPs. To assess the efficacy of a BMP program we examined the rates of BMP implementation on 45 properties harvested between 2013 and 2015: 22 harvests enrolled in a BMP program and 23 harvests not enrolled. We also compared our results to two previous studies completed in 2002 and 2011. Our results indicate BMP implementation was significantly better on properties participating in the BMP program. Also, BMP implementation scores improved for almost all categories evaluated when compared to the two previous studies. One BMP category with low implementation scores (even in 2018), was water diversion devices such as water bars. We suspect the BMP program is not sufficient to incentivize implementation given the time commitment for BMP implementation. Another factor at play here is that implementation may have been perceived as adequate to manage surface flow, but not optimal according to specifications dictated by the BMP field guide.