What is a BMP? BMPs are Best Management Practices. Basically, BMPs in forestry could be anything from carrying out good forestry management activities to preventing soil from eroding on the timber harvest area.

Good forest management is a must if a landowner wants to increase the health of their forest, create good wildlife habitat, and make money on a long term basis. Good forest management advice or services are available from foresters. A forester can help landowners decide on what type of harvest their forest needs. An improper cut can cost the landowner money on future timber sales and can also cause problems around permanent creeks. If interested in contacting foresters in Missouri, consider the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association http://www.missouriforesters.com/ or the Missouri Department of Conservation http://www.mdc.mo.gov/forest/ .

During public surveys conducted around the state, water quality continues to be one of the highest concerns of Missouri citizens. Soil erosion is not a problem in timber harvest operations if soil protection measures are taken. Most of all erosion on a timber harvest comes from logging roads and skid trails. Roads and skid trails do not cover much of the area in a timber harvest compared to total harvesting area. Some simple erosion measures that can reduce erosion are water-bars, turnouts, culverts, filter-strips around permanent creeks, and tree-tops.

Water bars can prevent most of the erosion on roads. A well constructed water bar is about knee high, constructed on a 30 degree angle down slope, and the structure is wider than the actual road itself. One common problem is that people do not construct enough water bars and when water bars are installed they are not constructed properly. If enough water bars are constructed there should not be any gully erosion between water bars and there should not be much sediment at the end of each structure.

Turnouts, culverts and tree-tops help divert water of off roads. Turnouts and culverts should have a filter strip before the water enters the drainages. This filter strip helps trap sediment and keeps the water as clean as possible. Tree tops placed in the road or skid trail can help divert water from the area. The problem with tree tops is that they will eventually rot and if a skid trail or road was located in an area where water was difficult to divert, erosion could again become a problem.

Filter strips around permanent creeks are areas of trees or vegetation along the edge of the stream. This buffer or filter helps trap sediment before it enters the stream. It also helps keep water temperature constant which is vital for aquatic life.

The act of installing BMPs on timber harvest areas to prevent erosion takes time which is money to timber harvesters. The estimated BMPs implementation cost for loggers is about $42/acre for extremely steep areas, $37/acre for hilly areas, and $12/acre for flat to rolling areas. Both the landowner and the timber harvester are responsible for this activity and should share responsibility. One thing for certain BMPs are a must and a proper timber harvest is not complete without caring for the future of the land that produced the trees that were harvested. Without soil we would have no trees. See the Missouri Watershed Protection Practice booklet for more information about methods to protect watersheds during timber harvests; this book can be found at http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/documents/441.pdf .

Article by: John Tuttle-Forestry Field Program Supervisor- Forest Products - MDC

Top of the Ozarks RC&D Forestry Committee http://www.morcd.org/totorcd/

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