Types and Sources of Nonpoint Source Pollution for Forestry Operations

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Best Management PracticesareBMPs
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Why We Are Here

• Define Nonpoint Source Pollution - NPS
• Define BMPs and why they exist
• Discuss what BMPs address
• Review legislation and regulations
• Learn how to implement BMPs

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Why We Are Here(continued)

• Summarize forest industrys initiatives
• Show successful impacts of BMPs
• Discuss forest certification
• Discuss emerging issues and the future

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BMPs Defined

• Cost effective measures taken during forestry
  activities to control water pollution
• Proven methods to lessen the potential water
  quality damage from land disturbing activities

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List of Nonpoint Source Pollution

• Sediments
• Temperature
• Organic Debris and Nutrients
• Altered Streamflow
• Chemicals/Fluids

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Water Quality vs. Site Productivity

• Both issues are important
• BMPs concern water quality
• Practices that adversely affect site productivity
  can affect water quality too

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Forestrys Contribution to Water Quality
Problems

• Less than 7 nationally
• Far less in many areas
• Local areas can pose problems

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BMPs When, Where and Why

• Gained prominence in the early 1970s
• BMPs exist for forestry, agriculture, urban
  development
• Nationally recognized need for improved water
  quality standards

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Forestry Activities That Warrant BMPs

• Timber Harvesting
• Road Construction and Use
• Site Preparation and Regeneration
• Prescribed Burning
• Application of Forest Chemicals

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BMP Website

• Address www.usabmp.net
• National coverage of forestry water quality
  situation
• Details BMPs by state
• Lists federal, state, and local organizations
  involved

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LawsandRegulations
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Laws and Regulations

• Fed Water Pollution Control Act - 1972
• Coastal Zone Management Act - 1972
• Clean Water Act 1987
• (amendment)
• Food Security Act 1985/1996 (Farm Bill)

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Evolution of Clean Water Act

• Section 404 program to regulate discharge of
  dredge and fill material
• Section 319 program to control water pollution
• Section 303 creation of TMDLs

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Highlights of Other Legislation

• Coastal Zone Management Act
• Swamp buster Provisions of Farm Bill

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Federal Agencies Involved

• Environmental Protection Agency
• Corps of Engineers
• Fish and Wildlife Service
• Natural Resource Conservation Service
• Others

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State Agency InvolvementA Georgia Case Study

• Environmental Protection Division of the
  Department of Natural Resources
• Georgia Forestry Commission
• Others

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How BMPs Effectiveness is Measured

• Baseline data
• Compliance audits
• Increased awareness by foresters, loggers and
  landowners

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Forestry Communitys Response

• AFPAs Sustainable Forestry Initiative
• Logger training
• Public outreach
• Forest landowner outreach
• Forestry associations involvement

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Forestry Communitys Response (continued)

• Tree Farm Program
• Forest Stewardship Council
• State-level educational programs

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American Forest Paper Association

• Sustainable
• Forestry
• Initiative

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Sustainable Forestry

• Sustainable forestry means managing our forests
  to meet the needs of the present without
  compromising the ability of future generations to
  meet their own needs by practicing a land
  stewardship ethic which integrates the
  reforestation, managing, growing, nurturing, and
  harvesting of trees for useful products with the
  conservation of soil, air and water quality,
  wildlife and fish habitat, and aesthetics.

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SFIObjectives and Performance Measures

• Broaden Practice of Sustainable
• Forestry
• 2. Forest Productivity

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SFIObjectives and Performance Measures

• 3. Protect Water Quality
• Meet or exceed existing laws BMPs
• Protect all perennial streams and lakes
• Involve experts
• Support research
• BMP training for employees and contractors

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SFIObjectives and Performance Measures

• Enhance Wildlife Habitat and Conserve
  Biodiversity
• 5. Minimize Impact on Visual Quality
• 6. Protect Special Sites
• 7. Promote Efficient Use of Forest Resources

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SFIObjectives and Performance Measures

• 8. Publicly Report Performance
• 9. Public and Forestry Community Participation
• 10. Promote Continual Improvement in Practices

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Third Party Audits

• Organization sets their own methods for SFI
• Implement practices and maintain records
• Accounting firm audits records and on-the-ground
  practices
• Reports findings
• Organization makes adjustments as needed

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Pollutants

• Sediments
• Increased Temperature
• Organic Debris
• Excessive Nutrients
• Altered Streamflow
• Chemicals/Fluids

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Forestry Operations

• Timber Harvesting
• Road Construction and Use
• Site Preparation
• Regeneration
• Prescribed Burning
• Application of Forest Chemicals

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sediments

• sediments are composed of mineral or organic
  material that has been eroded from the land and
  deposited into the stream

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sediments

• turbidity
• sedimentation and embedding
• eutrophication

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excessive sediments

• roads, skid trails, landings
• stream banks (altered flow)
• approaches to stream crossings
• fire lines and lanes
• intensive mechanical site preparation
• massive concentrated flow

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sediment production
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cumulative sediment
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turbidity

• turbidity is a measure of water cloudiness which
  is caused by sediments or other particles
  suspended in the water column

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turbidity
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thermal

• thermal pollution is an increase in temperature
  resulting in changes in aquatic populations

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thermal

• thermal tolerance / thresholds
• period of increased growth in stream organisms
• increases biological oxygen demand
• decreases dissolved oxygen concentrations

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thermal sources

• removal of overstory vegetation adjacent to the
  stream allows direct exposure to solar radiation
• particles in water column trap sunlight instead
  of reflecting it, increasing water temperature

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nutrients

• nutrients are elements needed for growth and
  sustenance, including
• nitrogen
• phosphorus
• calcium, among others.

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excessive nutrients

• excessive amounts of nutrients such as nitrogen
  and phosphorus can cause a rapid increase in
  algae
• waters with an overabundance of nutrients are
  called eutrophic

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sources of nutrients

• vegetation removal
• harvesting and site preparation
• sediments
• herbicides
• tops and harvesting slash

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Hubbard Brook (NH)
6.45 1.92 8.67
1.81 0.19 0.21
7.55 2.96 11.94
1.36 0.18 0.19
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nitrate
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organic debris

• residual logs
• tops and slash
• cut offs
• leaves

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organic debris

• slash left in the stream can
• alter stream flow
• cause bank cutting
• channel scouring during floods

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organic debris

• breakdown of slash and litter in a stream can
• increase in biological oxygen demand
• decrease the dissolved oxygen available to
  stream-dwelling organisms.

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altered streamflow

• amount of flow
• vegetation removal
• direction of flow
• logging and site preparation debris

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altered streamflow

• vegetation removal
• interception and transpiration decrease/streamflow
  increases
• swift currents increase bank cutting
• debris
• alters/creates new stream channel in high flows
• channel scouring

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chemicals / fluids

• forestry use pesticides
• cides
• herbi, insecti, fungi, rodenti, nemati
• vehicle fluids

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chemicals / fluids

• forestry use pesticides
• improper application
• storage/disposal
• vehicle fluids
• leaking vehicles (chronic, accidental)
• spills (changing fluids)

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How BMPs are Handled in Different States
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BMPsfor Roads, Skid Trailsand Landings
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Roads

• Forestrys major contributor to NPS
• Location and frequency
• Away from streams
• Off ridges
• Minimize length and width to meet needs
• Construction and road types
• Crown and ditch roads
• Broad-based dips
• Wetlands

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Roads (continued)

• Water crossings and drainage structures
• Soil stabilization
• Vegetation control
• Man-made materials and devices
• Use and closure

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Timber Harvesting

• Timing of timber harvest
• Limit activities in SMZs
• Skid trails
• Landings

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Skid Trails

• Frequency and location
• Proper use
• Stabilization methods and materials
• Seeding
• Water bars
• Logging slash

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Landings

• Location
• Drainage
• Use of slash material
• Use of vegetation material

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Site Preparation and Regeneration

• Limit where mechanical site prep is used
• Do not block natural drainages
• Minimize soil movement

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Chemicals

• Adapt application methods to site
• Apply during favorable atmospheric conditions
• Maintain integrity of SMZs
• Prevent leaks and spills
• Others

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StreamsideManagementZones
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• Areas directly adjacent to water bodies.
• Disturbance in riparian areas can lead to
  considerable nonpoint source pollution.
• SMZ guidelines have been developed to reduce
  pollutants in riparian zones.

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• riparian management zones
• riparian buffer zone
• special management areas
• streamside management areas (EPA)

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SMZs Provide

• protection from upslope activities
• maintains natural environment around waters
• provides proper inputs to aquatic habitats

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protection from upslope activities

• reduces runoff into streams
• traps sediments
• captures and holds nutrients

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maintains natural environment around waters

• climate
• biomass
• large woody debris
• age and species of standing biomass

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provides proper inputs to aquatic habitats

• sunlight - temperature
• food and nutrients in the proper form
• structure (logs, bottom, etc.)

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• SMZ
• video and photos

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Stream Types

• perennial
• regular waters, coldwater aquatic habitats, other
  special waters
• intermittent
• wet weather streams, flowing less than 90,
  flowing during wet season
• ephemeral channels

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• Stream Type
• video and photos

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Perennial
steep slope
gentle slope
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standing tree width
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residual tree cover
50 residual (ba, trees)
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disturbed ground
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disturbed ground
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State Guidelines

• width of standing tree zone
• based on slope percent
• perennial stream type
• amount of trees in zone (50)
• basal area
• standing overstory
• distance to disturbed ground
• slope steepness

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South Carolina
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Intermittent examples
Georgia 25 residual
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Intermittent examples
Florida residual stringer
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Intermittent examples
Kentucky no residual, exclusion
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State Guidelines

• Special Waters
• coldwater aquatic habitats, wild rivers, etc.
• Wetlands

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SMZ Use

• Timber Harvesting
• Road Construction
• Site Preparation
• Chemical Application
• Prescribed Burning
• Fire Lanes and Fire Lines

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Planning for BMP Implementation

• Assessing Operations
• Assessing Property

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Proper BMP Application

• written management plan
• BMP assessment and planning
• discuss with operator/forester
• BMP Plan
• contract
• follow up assessment

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BMPs

• Designed to be proactive not reactive or
  remedial.
• thus
• Planning is required to be effective.

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Pre-activity Planning

• identify and mark boundaries
• define sensitive areas
• locate operation control points
• timing of activity
• silvicultural and regeneration systems and
  techniques
• consider other watershed activities

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Maps and Walk Through

• topographic quad
• soil survey map
• aerial photographs
• FSA, NRCS, Forestry Agencies
• world wide web

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low resolution
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high resolution topographic quad
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Maps and Walk ThroughSite Assessment

• operation boundaries
• sensitive areas
• operation control points

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Photocopy - boundary designation
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sensitive area designation
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operational control points
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sinkholes
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intermittent streams
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ephemeral channels
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lowland features
slough
levee
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lowland features
wetland/ marsh
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define sensitive areas

• mark SMZ
• sinkholes
• identify wetlands
• cultural sites

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locate sensitive areas
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identify on ground

• mark SMZs clearly
• mark other sensitive areas
• discuss with contractors

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timing

• soil conditions
• wet soils
• wildlife considerations
• recreation/public use

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silviculture and harvesting

• harvesting
• road skid trail layout, landing location
• type of cut
• silvicultural
• site preparation technique
• type of chemical application

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roads, skid trails, landings

• highway access points
• landing location
• road and skid trail network
• position to reduce stream and channel crossing
• reduce grade and erosion
• plan for drainage and improved crossings

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ephemeral channels
intermittent
Perennial
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downhill skidding
skid trails
haul road
landing
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uphill skidding
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uphill skidding layout
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downhill skidding layout
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Silvicultural Operations
pollution potential
little no hazard
high potential
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Site preparation
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Chemical application
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Assessment Guides

• designed to assist landowners in evaluating
  operations and woodlands relative to pollution
  and BMP use

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Assessment Guides

• developed based on BMP criteria or guidelines

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Examples

• Forest-A-Syst
• Kentucky Forestry Water Quality Workbook
• Georgia Stream Buffer Initiative

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Georgia Stream Buffer Initiative

• Do you have a written forest management and
  timber harvesting plan?
• Have you gathered information resources like
  maps, aerial photos, etc. that can help in
  planning?
• Do you have any sensitive areas that require
  special management considerations?
• Do you know the water quality benefits of
  planning?

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Kentucky Forestry Water Quality Plan

• 1. As part of any timber harvesting and/or
  silvicultural operation, will you or the logger
  need to construct, use, and/or maintain roads,
  skid trails, and/or log landings on your
  property?
• Yes No
• If yes use BMP No. 1 and 5

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Kentucky Forestry Water Quality Plan

• BMP No. 1 Access Roads, Skid Trails, and
  Landings
• 9 required minimums
• 67 recommendations
• BMP No. 5 Logging Debris
• 5 required minimums

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• Has rutting been considered relative to the
  harvest period?
• Have landings been located to avoid skidding and
  hauling in streams?
• Have haul roads been planned were grade is
  minimized? (average lt15)
• Has road and landing drainage been planned for?
• Has the potential of slides been considered?

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• Will improved crossings be constructed?
• Where fords will be used are they planned at
  right angles to the stream?
• Are culverts sized appropriately? (based on
  drainage size)
• Will fill dirt from road construction and
  cutoffs/root wads be properly stabilized?
• Have SMZ guidelines been addressed?

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• Have plans been made to restrict traffic on
  retired areas?
• Have areas that need to be reshaped and
  revegetated after retirement been defined?

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Kentucky Water Quality Plan

• 2. In conjunction with your silvicultural
  operation, are there disturbed or otherwise bare
  areas (including roads, trails, and landings)
  that need to be revegetated to prevent and/or
  control soil erosion?

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• Have all sediment producing and erodible sites
  been identified?
• Have appropriate seed mixes including a temporary
  species and a permanent grass/legume mix been
  determined?
• time of year
• soil
• seed bed
• wildlife and erosion considerations
• Do seeding rates reflect time of year and seedbed
  conditions?
• Do the sites need lime, fertilizer or mulch?

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Kentucky Water Quality Plan

• 3. Does the area where the silvicultural
  operation is to occur contain perennial or
  intermittent streams or other bodies of water?
• 4. Does the boundary or tract where the
  silvicultural operation is to occur contain
  sinkholes?

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• Are there any specialty waters on in or adjacent
  to operational areas?
• Do felling plans include avoidance of tree tops
  in streams?
• Are SMZs clearly delineated?
• Are removals from SMZ clearly marked?
• Has slope been taken into account in SMZ
  delineation's?

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Kentucky Water Quality Plan

• 5. Will you conduct any silvicultural activities
  in areas classified as wetlands by the Natural
  Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or the U.S.
  Army Corps of Engineers?
• 6. Will you, an operator, or a vendor working for
  you engage in site preparation activities prior
  to, or as part of, reforestation practices on
  your property?

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Kentucky Water Quality Plan

• 7. Will you or a contractor working for you be
  applying pesticides, including herbicides or
  fertilizers, in connection with your
  silvicultural activities?
• 8. Do you allow livestock to have access to your
  forested areas or to forested areas in streamside
  corridors or around lakes or ponds?

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Kentucky Water Quality Plan

• 9. Will low water stream crossings be
  constructed, or will gravel, sediments, or
  logjams be removed from a stream?
• 10. Will you conduct a prescribed fire, or will
  you construct fire lines?

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Portion of Kentucky Forestry Water Quality Plan
Form
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Emerging Issues
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What Happens If We Dont Comply

• Fines and penalties
• State regulations Forest Practices Acts
• More federal legislation
• Loss of timber markets
• Continued damage to water quality

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TMDLs

• Total Maximum Daily Loads
• Existence of excessive amounts of NPS in selected
  streams
• Require permits and management plans

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• BMPs
• are now standard operating procedure
• changes will constantly be made to state and
  federal guidelines as research, operational, and
  economic information is obtained