Best Management Practices (BMPs)

America’s working forests are a critical natural resource that provides significant environmental, recreational and economic benefits. The success in good forest management is seen in recognizing the importance of water quality. Two-thirds of the nation’s drinking water comes from forests.

The commitment that landowners make every day to protect water quality through the use of forestry best management practices (BMPs) has resulted in an impressive record of environmental protection for forest landowners.

Forests play an important role in the health of our environment and our economy. Private forest landowners are among the strongest advocates for maintaining healthy and sustainable forests and ensuring water quality. To protect water quality, best management practice (BMP) programs were developed and have served to manage forestry activities for more than three decades.  Individual states have invested substantial resources to develop effective BMP programs.

Starting from a core set of principles, BMPs are shaped by a diverse group of stakeholders and tailored to address local landscape conditions. The flexibility of this approach allows for the adoption of new practices as the latest scientific research becomes available. The most recent data shows a 90 percent level of proper BMP application by private forest landowners in almost every region of the United States.

It doesn’t end there. More and more state forestry commission assessments point to the additional benefits of good forestry, such as biodiversity benefits (habitat for wildlife;endangered species), recreation (hunting clubs,fishing), air quality and carbon sequestration.