OBJECTIVE B - Management Action 5
Strengthen implementation of forestry best management practices through training, education, technical assistance and enforcement.
Explanation:
Proper use of forestry best management practices is critical for water quality protection in the APES region. Additional professional foresters would provide needed outreach and technical assistance to forestry operators and landowners regarding implementation of BMPs. Enhanced enforcement would ensure proper use of forestry BMPs and help to eliminate improper forestry practices. Participation by loggers and landowners in education programs, such as the Professional Loggers Program, is vital to the expanding goals of the forest products industry. Forestry workshops create an opportunity for landowners to learn about forestry management and the use of acceptable forestry BMPs.
Critical Steps:
- The General Assembly would be asked to authorize increased funding to the Division of Forest Resources (DFR) to hire five professional foresters, one for each district in the APES region, to provide outreach and technical assistance on forestry best management practices.
- The General Assembly would be asked to authorize increased funding to the Division of Land Resources (DLR) to hire two additional staff members to enforce the requirements of the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act as it relates to forestry requirements.
- DFR, the Forestry Association, and the Cooperative Forest Extension Service would continue to promote and conduct educational workshops, such as the Professional Loggers Program, to expand knowledge and encourage industry to continue promoting activities that ensure environmentally sound forestry practices. The intention of these educational workshops is to "pull together" the broad interest of the forest products industry while expanding upon the necessity for compliance with forestry performance standards. Previous workshops have focused on sediment control, wetland issues, wildlife considerations, preharvest planning, and critical habitat protection.
Evaluation Methods
To determine the rate of noncompliance, the DFR and the DLR would compile enforcement data through their inspection process to determine the number of sites penalized for not following best management practices or found in violation of the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act. A best management practice noncompliance rate would demonstrate the success of this action. The effectiveness of education workshops would also be reflected by this rate.
Costs and Economic Considerations
The DFR would require $250,000 to hire five professional foresters. The DLR would need $100,000 to hire two additional staff members for enforcement activities. Possible benefits may include more profitable logging operations if operators learn techniques that make their operations more economically efficient. As a result of best management practices being implemented, landowners may benefit from a decrease of soil loss and erosion on their property. The benefits to water quality from the implementation of forestry best management practices include decreased sediment pollution of estuarine waters as a result of BMP implementation, with a resulting decrease in damage to aquatic life, including ecologically, commercially, and recreationally valuable fish.
Funding Strategy
The hiring of additional staff members by DLR and DFR would require a $350,000 appropriation from the General Assembly.