Maine Forestry Best Management Practices (BMP) Use and Effectiveness—Data Summary 2006 - 2007

The 2006-2007 Maine Forest Service (MFS) report on the use and effectiveness of forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) presents the second and third years of data collection and analysis utilizing “Best Management Practices Implementation Monitoring rotocol,” an original project of the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters’ Water Resources Committee. Introduced in the 2005 BMP report, this protocol assesses the overall effectiveness of the suite of BMPs used rather than monitoring the simple nstallation of prescribed, individual practices, which do not necessarily guarantee success in protecting water quality. The findings present an analysis of approximately sixteen months of data collected between May 2006 and December 2007. The objective of this ongoing effort is to assess the use and effectiveness of BMPs in Maine. MFS uses BMP monitoring to focus educational utreach efforts to loggers, foresters, and landowners and identify trends for targeting technical assistance. As BMPs are voluntary measures to protect water quality, MFS does not use BMP monitoring to assess compliance with nor enforce laws and rules. When onitoring staff observe concerns or minor issues during BMP monitoring, MFS works closely with the landowner in a non-regulatory manner to seek corrective measures. Education and intervention usually result in quick corrective action, thereby avoiding lengthy egulatory processes that may prolong erosion problems and result in greater negative environmental impacts