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How to Prevent Silvicultural Nonpoint Source Pollution
Best Management Practices
Methods and procedures that prevent or reduce pollution are known as
best management practices (BMP's). The following list of best management
practices reduce forestry-related nonpoint source pollution.
Sediment
- Preharvest Planning: Identify sensitive areas such as wetlands,
erosion-prone areas, and threatened or endangered aquatic species habitat
areas. Time the activity for the season or moisture conditions when
the least impact to the environment will occur. Locate roads, landings,
and skid trails outside of streamside management zones and previously
identified sensitive areas. Size, site, and design temporary and permanent
stream crossings to prevent failure and minimize the number of crossings.
- Road Construction and Reconstruction: Use suitable materials
to surface roads planned for all-weather use by truck traffic. Design
road systems to avoid high erosion or sensitive areas. Ensure that the
design of the road prism and the road surface drainage are appropriate
to the terrain and that the road surface design is consistent with road
drainage structures.
- Road Management: Properly maintain permanent stream crossings
and approaches to reduce the likelihood that stream overflow will divert
onto the road. Inspect roads to determine the need for structural maintenance.
Close and stabilize temporary spur roads and seasonal roads after harvesting
to control and direct water away from the roadway. Revegetate to control
erosion and stabilize banks and road surfaces. Remove all temporary
stream crossings.
- Site Preparation and Forest Regeneration: Suspend operations
during wet periods if equipment begins to cause excessive soil disturbance.
Do not conduct mechanical site preparation and mechanical tree planting
in streamside management zones.
- Fire Management: All bladed firelines for prescribed fire and
wildfire should be plowed on contour or stabilized with water bars or
other appropriate techniques if needed to control excessive sedimentation
or erosion of the fireline.
- Revegetation of Disturbed Areas: Revegetate disturbed areas
using seedlings or planting promptly after completion of the earth-disturbing
activity.
Thermal Change
- Streamside Management Zones: Establish and maintain a streamside
management zone adjacent to surface waters which is sufficiently wide
and includes a sufficient number of canopy species of trees to provide
bank stability and buffer against detrimental changes in the temperature
regime of the the water body.
Pesticides
- Chemical Management: Prescribe the type and amount of pesticides
appropriate for the insect, fungus, or herb-like species. Conduct applications
by skilled and, where required, licensed operators according to the
registered use, giving special consideration to impacts on nearby surface
waters.
Chemical and Organic Wastes
- Timber Harvesting: Locate landings outside of streamside management
zones. Protect stream channels and significant short term drainage from
logging debris and slash material. Use appropriate areas to store, drain,
and dispense petroleum. Recycle or properly dispose of all waste materials.
More Information
The following projects can serve as a starting point for more information.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) has worked closely
with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF)'s Office
of Forestry, the Kisatchie National Forest, the Louisiana Forestry Association
(LFA), and the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Forestry, Wildlife
and Fisheries to implement education
programs, incorporating videos, brochures, workshops and BMP training
sessions, in areas where forestry activities were identified as contributing
to water quality impairments.
The LSU School of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries has created a website
to promote forestry BMP's and the workshops.
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