Best management practices compliance monitoring approaches for forestry in the eastern United States

Many of the eastern states that have published best management practices (BMPs) or forest management guidelines have also developed compliance monitoring programs to assess the application of these BMPs or guidelines on public and private forest land. The approaches among these states to collecting on-site monitoring data (measuring compliance) and evaluating sites are variable. A survey of eastern states found that almost all southern states monitor application of BMPs, but proportionally fewer of the northern states have established compliance monitoring programs. The state forestry agencies provide the leadership for these programs in most of the eastern states. States that monitor tend to evaluate all public and private forest landowner categories located within their states. In general, northern states monitor a broader array of site resources (e.g., cultural resources, visual quality) as compared to southern states which focus on water quality and wetlands protection. However, northern states focus their monitoring on timber harvesting, forest road construction and maintenance as compared to southern states which tend to monitor a broader array of forest management activities (e.g., site preparation, reforestation). When selecting sites for monitoring, the most common approach is to select some sites from all landowner categories within the state. Many states do not specify any criteria to identify sites for monitoring so that all sites have an equal chance for selection. Some states do use specific criteria to filter sites for monitoring, most commonly size of forest management activity and proximity to water.     

Costs of forestry best management practices in the south: A review

In response to federal and state clean water laws, forestry best management practices (BMPs) have been developed and implemented to prevent nonpoint source water pollution. Ellefson and Miles (1985) found that estimated BMP costs in the Midwest could amount to more than half of the net returns on national forest timber sales. Henly et al. (1988) found that government costs to implement forest practice rules ranged from as little as $100,000 per year in Idaho and Nevada to more than $4 million annually in California. A review of studies in the South indicates that estimated BMP costs have increased over time. Lickwar et al. (1992) estimated Southeast average costs of $12.45 per acre, $2.34 per MBF, or 2.87% of gross stumpage values based on 1987 BMPs and prices. Woodman and Cubbage (1994) estimated Georgia average BMP costs of $24.33 per acre or $3.02 per MBF for forest industry lands and $41.65 per acre or $5.39 per MBF for NIPF lands. For Virginia, Shaffer et al. (1998) estimated median BMP costs of $18.90 per acre. These moderate cost increases could be attributed to a higher level of standards in the revision of each state BMP guidelines manual, as well as moderate price inflation. BMPs such as better road construction, water bars, culverts, and broad-based dips have been most expensive so far. To date streamside zones have not been very expensive because the rules allow most of the valuable residual tees to be harvested as long as heavy equipment does not operate near the streams. However, this limitation may become much more difficult and costly – as indicated by Kluender et al. (2000) – as fewer chainsaw fellers and cable skidders are available. Stricter BMPs, such as those already adopted to implement forest certification standards in the South or those used to protect salmon habitat in the West, could prompt more expensive southern BMPs for landowners and state agencies in the future.     

Programs assessing implementation and effectiveness of state forest practice rules and BMPs in the West

The major forest nonpoint source control programs in the West are largely regulatory, either under forest practices acts (California, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) or a streamside management act (Montana). These programs and the specific rules they enforce continue to undergo intensive scrutiny. Still, the questions are the same for these regulatory programs as for states that base nonpoint source control on voluntary BMPs (Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming). Are the rules or BMPs being applied, and are they effective in reducing nonpoint source pollution to levels that protect beneficial uses of water? The level of debate about forestry in the West has resulted in detailed monitoring and research to answer these questions. In the past, state agencies have assumed levels of BMP compliance based on the percent of operations without enforcement actions. These estimates are being replaced by statistically valid and reproducible monitoring of forest practices rules and BMP compliance levels. BMP effectiveness is being assessed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. This can involve field assessments, process-based research, and control watershed studies. Some trend monitoring is also beginning. With the regional implementation rate for forestry BMPs at about 94% and rising, it is likely that effectiveness testing will continue to be a priority and consume the majority of assessment resources for this region.     

Encouraging the application of sustainable timber harvesting practices: A review of policy tool use and effectiveness in the eastern United States

States use a variety of approaches to encourage landowners and loggers to apply ecologically-sustainable timber harvesting practices, the latter generically referred to as timber harvesting guidelines. A survey of 37 state forestry agency administrators in the eastern U.S. (defined as a contiguous region with the northwest and southwest borders being North Dakota and Texas, respectively) was conducted in 2000 to assess the extent and nature of state guideline programs and the various methods by which states encourage their use. The study found states in the eastern U.S. use a variety of policy tools to promote guideline use, with certain policy tools more common for certain target audiences (e.g., loggers) as well as the types of resources (e.g., wildlife habitat) addressed by the guidelines. Eighty-three percent of the programs directed at encouraging forest landowners in the eastern U.S. to use the timber harvesting practices identified in their state guidebooks are technical assistance, educational, or cost-share programs. Technical assistance and education programs are the most common policy tools used to assist loggers in applying sustainable harvesting practices. Technical assistance and cost-share programs consistently rank among the most effective policy tools for encouraging loggers and landowners to apply the guidelines. Comparing the level of program investment to perceived benefits, assistance programs and education programs rank most efficient landowner programs, whereas premium prices for products and preferential access to contracts are the two most efficient programs directed at loggers. The paper concludes with an assessment of emerging trends and additional information needs associated with encouraging the application of sustainable timber harvesting practices.     

A biological assessment of best management practice effectiveness during intensive silviculture and forest chemical application

A multi-year study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Florida's Best Management Practices (BMPs) for protecting aquatic ecosystems during intensive forestry operations and forest chemical applications. Five silviculture sites adjacent to stream systems were selected for study from major eco-regions of the state. Replicate stream bioassessments, using a multimetric approach (the Stream Condition Index), were conducted as part of a `before-after, control-impact' (BACI) study design. Bioassessment stations were established above and below the treatment area to determine pre-treatment reference and test conditions. Silviculture treatments of clearcut harvesting, intensive mechanical site preparation and machine planting were then completed, during which all applicable BMPs were adhered to. In addition, two sites received an herbicide application and one site was fertilized. Following the treatments, the sites were re-sampled at the same points both one year, and two years after the first bioassessment. No significant differences in the SCI were observed between the reference and test portions of the streams that could be attributed to the silviculture operations using BMPs. Hence, the study showed that BMPs provided protection to adjacent stream ecosystems, even during intensive silviculture and forest chemical applications.     

Best management practices to prevent cross-media transfers during soil cleanup

Cleanup activities often focus on the initial and final concentration levels of contaminants. What happens in-between, during implementation of treatment technologies, has raised major concerns by several environmental groups. To address this issue, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has undertaken the task of developing a guidance that would identify the potential for cross-media transfer during implementation of various soil treatment technologies and recommend best management practices (BMPs) to prevent or control these cross-media transfers. The soil treatment technologies have been grouped into seven major categories in this effort. This article provides some details of the seven soil treatment technology groups and the general BMPs recommended in the draft BMP guidance document. One case history of existing control practices is also presented in this article and compared with the recommended BMPs.     

Forestry best management practices for timber harvesting and site preparation in the eastern United States: An overview of water quality and productivity research during the past 20 years (1982–2002)

Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) were developed to protect water quality. In the eastern US, those BMPs were often expanded to include maintenance of site productivity. Generally, BMPs recommend the use of pre-harvest planning and careful design for construction of roads and other activities that expose bare soil, minimizing trafficking and areas of bare soil, maintaining streamside management zones, ensuring rapid revegetation following harvesting, minimizing soil disturbance, and ameliorating severe trafficking with site preparation. This review of peer-reviewed research from the past 20 years examined the effects of forest harvesting and site preparation on water quality and site productivity in the eastern US. The review was subdivided into areas having relatively similar physiography and land management (New England, Lake States, Appalachian Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Gulf Coastal Plain, and Ouachitas-Ozarks). In general, data from steeper physiographic regions indicated that forest harvesting and site preparation can increase erosion, sediment and nutrient losses to streams. However, the quantities introduced into streams tended to be relatively low, generally below the values that are considered acceptable for alternative land uses. Also most research indicated that water quality recovers within two to five years following forest operation disturbances, particularly if BMPs are employed. Research from the less mountainous and often more poorly drained Lake States and Coastal Plain regions indicated that soil compaction and rutting may or may not cause site productivity effects, depending on soil types, natural ameliorative properties and site preparation. Overall, the research supports the forestry BMPs recommended in the eastern states.     

Effectiveness of forestry streamside management zones in the sand-clay hills of Mississippi: early indications

During the past decade, compliance with initiatives to promote forestry best management practices (BMPs) has been monitored in most states of the southern U.S. and suggests an excellent level of acceptance throughout the region. However, effectiveness of these practices to protect water quality and aquatic habitat in streams that are potentially impacted by forest management activities has not been as thoroughly documented as the degree of compliance. The objective of this study was to determine effectiveness of streamside management zones (SMZs), a key element of BMPs designed for protection of water quality, aquatic habitat, and macroinvertebrate communities, in low-order streams within a region of north central Mississippi that is subjected to intensive forest management. Three SMZ treatments (undisturbed reference, clear-cut logging with an SMZ designated by forest managers, or clear-cut logging with no SMZ) were evaluated using a study with three replications of each treatment. Response metrics including water quality parameters, mineral soil exposure and net deposition/erosion within riparian zones, stream habitat indicators, and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities were comparable between streams receiving SMZs and undisturbed reference streams at all sampling intervals during the first year after treatment. Furthermore, significant elevation of streamwater temperature, decline in habitat stability rating, and increase in density of macroinvertebrates occurring in streams without an SMZ in comparison to reference streams provides additional evidence of SMZ effectiveness during the initial year after harvesting.     

Material and energy recovery in integrated waste management systems. An evaluation based on life cycle assessment

This paper reports the environmental results, integrated with those arising from mass and energy balances, of a research project on the comparative analysis of strategies for material and energy recovery from waste, funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. The project, involving the cooperation of five University research groups, was devoted to the optimisation of material and energy recovery activities within integrated municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. Four scenarios of separate collection (overall value of 35%, 50% without the collection of food waste, 50% including the collection of food waste, 65%) were defined for the implementation of energetic, environmental and economic balances. Two sizes of integrated MSW management system (IWMS) were considered: a metropolitan area, with a gross MSW production of 750,000 t/year and an average province, with a gross MSW production of 150,000 t/year. The environmental analysis was conducted using Life Cycle Assessment methodology (LCA), for both material and energy recovery activities. In order to avoid allocation we have used the technique of the expansion of the system boundaries. This means taking into consideration the impact on the environment related to the waste management activities in comparison with the avoided impacts related to the saving of raw materials and primary energy. Under the hypotheses of the study, both for the large and for the small IWMS, the energetic and environmental benefits are higher than the energetic and environmental impacts for all the scenarios analysed in terms of all the indicators considered: the scenario with 50% separate collection in a drop-off scheme excluding food waste shows the most promising perspectives, mainly arising from the highest collection (and recycling) of all the packaging materials, which is the activity giving the biggest energetic and environmental benefits. Main conclusions of the study in the general field of the assessment of the environmental performance of any integrated waste management scheme address the importance of properly defining, beyond the design value assumed for the separate collection as a whole, also the yields of each material recovered; particular significance is finally related to the amount of residues deriving from material recovery activities, resulting on average in the order of 20% of the collected materials.     

BMP compliance monitoring programs in the Eastern United States

An important aspect of a best management practices (BMP) program is providing credible information on the extent to which BMPs are being applied within the state. This paper, summarizing the responses of a survey to states about their BMP monitoring program, indicates nearly three of four states in the eastern U.S. have monitoring programs to determine if voluntary or mandatory forest practices are being applied. BMP compliance monitoring programs vary extensively among states in such areas as: the agency(s) responsible for undertaking the monitoring, the types of practices monitored, reasons for establishing the monitoring program, and the frequency and costs of compliance monitoring implementation. The survey found that information from compliance monitoring is used to modify forest practice rules or guidelines, redirect education and training programs, and inform policy makers and the general public of forest practice application rates. Major issues associated with implementing compliance monitoring programs as indicated by the survey include: specifying the types of information to be gathered, selecting harvest sites, accessing private property, determining monitoring responsibility, and reporting and using the information collected.     

Bioassessment of silvicultural impacts in streams and wetlands of the Eastern United States

Bioassessment is a useful tool to determine the impact of logging practices on the biological integrity of streams and wetlands. Measuring biota directly has an intuitive appeal for impact assessment, and biota can be superior indicators to physical or chemical characteristics because they can reflect cumulative impacts over time. Logging can affect stream and wetland biota by increasing sedimentation rates, altering hydrologic, thermal, and chemical regimes, and changing the base of food webs. Biotic impacts of logging on streams compared to wetlands probably differ, and in this paper we review some of those differences. In streams, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, algae, and macrophytes have been used as indicators of logging impacts. In wetlands, bioassessment is just beginning to be used, and plants and birds are the most promising indicator taxa. Various best management practices (BMPs) have been developed to reduce the impacts of logging on stream and wetland biota, and we review quantitative studies that have evaluated the efficacy of some of these techniques in streams and wetlands in the eastern United States. Remarkably few studies that address the overall efficacy of BMPs in limiting biotic changes in streams and wetlands after BMP implementation have been published in scientific journals, although some work exists in reports or is unpublished. We review these works, and compile conclusions about BMP efficacy for biota from this body of research.     

Evaluation of the potential of applying composting/bioremediation techniques to wastes generated within the construction industry

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the viability of reducing landfill requirements to satisfy EC Landfill Directive requirements by applying composting/bioremediation techniques to the construction and demolition (C&D) industry waste stream at laboratory scale. The experimental study was carried out in nine test rigs to examine different wood mixtures; untreated timber, creosote treated timber and chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated timber. Several experimental variables affecting the process were characterised and optimised. These include the best nitrogen additive and optimum moisture content required for composting. Poultry manure was found to be the best nitrogen additive. The optimum moisture content was decreased after the addition of poultry manure. The composting/bioremediation process was evaluated through monitoring the microbial activity, carbon dioxide emissions and toxicity examination of the composted product. A typical temperature profile suggested that untreated and CCA treated mix could be classified as hot composting whereas creosote treated mix could be classified as cold composting. The paper reports on the results obtained during this investigation.     

Effects of composted sewage sludge on microbial biomass, activity and pine seedlings in nursery forest

The investigation was carried out in a 2 year experiment to evaluate the benefits and hazards of the use of composted sewage sludge as a restoration agent for the soil of the nursery forest intended for growing Pinus sylvestris seedlings. The grey forest soil (Haplic Greyzem) was amended with compost at the 25, 50, 75, 100, 150 and 175 t ha(-1) application rates on a dry matter basis. The organic matter content increased with the increase in sludge amendment as well as the metal content. However, the concentrations of individual metals were below the current limits established for Russia and European countries. Sludge amendments enhanced the germination and decreased the mortality of the seedlings. The effects were more obvious for the soil with the highest sludge treatment. The beneficial effects on the biomass of seedlings and the height of the shoots as well as on the length of the roots of the pine seedlings were greater in plots with the highest rates of composted sludge. The application of composted sludge to soil was followed by an increase in microbial biomass and to a lesser extent in basal respiration. In the absence of any detrimental effect on microorganisms, this study lends support to using composted sewage sludge as the organo-mineral fertilizer for the soil of nursery forest.     

Effect of forest harvesting best management practices on coarse woody debris distribution in stream and riparian zones in three Appalachian watersheds

The distribution of coarse woody debris (CWD) was analyzed in three Appalachian watersheds in eastern Kentucky, eighteen years after harvest. The three watersheds included an unharvested control (Control), a second watershed with best management practices (BMPs) applied that included a 15.2 m unharvested zone near the stream (BMP watershed), and a third watershed that was harvested without strict BMPs with harvesting occurring up to the stream edge and slash left within the stream and riparian zones (No BMP watershed). We assessed the CWD occurring both within the riparian zone and stream in the three watersheds. Within both stream and riparian zones, the BMP and No BMP watersheds contained more CWD biomass than in the Control, however, the No BMP watershed CWD was in a more advanced state of decay than in either the BMP or Control watersheds. Nitrogen content in CWD was also greater in the No BMP watershed because of the more advanced state of the decay. The CWD present in the Control is the result of natural forest processes such as death and self-pruning. The CWD in the No BMP watershed is a result of the slash left behind after the harvest since little opportunity exists for new recruitment of CWD from the surrounding area. From our decay class data, it is apparent that at least some of the CWD in the BMP watershed has occurred since harvest, and, based on our biomass data, at a much greater rate of recruitment than in the Control watershed. We hypothesize that the harvest outside of the riparian zone in the BMP watershed may have led to greater windthrow and/or slumping than in the Control watershed. As such, our data suggest that riparian zones of 15.2 m may not be effective in maintaining the short-term integrity of the CWD pool within steep gradient Appalachian systems.     

An empirical investigation of construction and demolition waste generation rates in Shenzhen city, South China

The construction and demolition waste generation rates (C&D WGRs) is an important factor in decision-making and management of material waste in any construction site. The present study investigated WGRs by conducting on-site waste sorting and weighing in four ongoing construction projects in Shenzhen city of South China. The results revealed that WGRs ranged from 3.275 to 8.791 kg/m² and miscellaneous waste, timber for formwork and falsework, and concrete were the three largest components amongst the generated waste. Based on the WGRs derived from the research, the paper also discussed the main causes of waste in the construction industry and attempted to connect waste generation with specific construction practices. It was recommended that measures mainly including performing waste sorting at source, employing skilful workers, uploading and storing materials properly, promoting waste management capacity, replacing current timber formwork with metal formwork and launching an incentive reward program to encourage waste reduction could be potential solutions to reducing current WGRs in Shenzhen. Although these results were derived from a relatively small sample and so cannot justifiably be generalized, they do however add to the body of knowledge that is currently available for understanding the status of the art of C&D waste management in China.     

Investigating the Uncertainties in the Simple Mass Balance Equation for Acidity Critical Loads for Terrestrial Ecosystems in the United Kingdom

The Simple Mass Balance (SMB)equation has been developed and used as one ofthe principal methods for calculating criticalloads of acidity for forest ecosystems. Criticalloads have formed the basis for informing policyrelated to the control and abatement of emissionsof acidifying pollutants. The SMB equationrelies on a variety of assumptions and dataderived from a variety of sources. Each of thesecomponent constituents has a potential source oferror depending on the method(s) used for theirderivation and the value(s) assigned. The resultis the possibility of generating a range ofcritical load values for a single ecosystem. This paper summarises the SMB equation, examinesthe uncertainties in deriving input values andreviews other works on the key assumptions.     

Measuring externalities of waste transfer stations in Israel using hedonic pricing

This study estimates the economic value of externalities related to waste transfer stations in Israel. Most externalities are associated with local disamenities experienced by residents living in close proximity to transfer stations - including noise, odor, litter, vermin, visual intrusion and any associated perceived discomfort. Following the mapping of all active transfer stations in Israel, problematic sites near residential areas were identified. Four of these sites were selected for detailed examination. The study involved estimating the economic value of disamenities using the Hedonic Price Method, which examines the impact of disamenities on property values. The results indicate that the maximum spatial extent of the impact occurs about 2.8km away from a transfer station with an increase of about $5000 in housing price for each additionalkm away from the site. Alternatively, an increase of 1% in the average distance of a house from the local transfer station is associated with a 0.06% rise in the price of the average house. These figures, representing the relationship between changes in environmental quality and property prices, indicate that transfer stations create externalities that should be taken into account in location and clean-up policies for transfer stations as well as in potential compensation policies.     

NYSDEC's DER‐31/Green Remediation Policy Influences Tool Development and Global Program

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Division of Environmental Remediation (DER) issued a program policy focused on the overall sustainability of hazardous waste site cleanups on August 11, 2010. This DER‐31/Green Remediation program policy (DER‐31) was issued in accordance with 6 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) Part 375 Environmental Remediation Programs. DER‐31 represents one of the first government‐issued green and sustainable remediation (GSR) policies in the United States. Consistent with other DER policies, DER‐31's provisions are broadly considered to be an expectation/requirement. GSR experts from within AECOM's Remediation Services (RS) Practice Area developed and implemented a GSR program designed to comply with DER‐31 provisions and have now broadly incorporated GSR into our New York remediation projects. Lessons learned from this experience in New York have influenced AECOM's global GSR program and implementation procedures and prompted the development of a new GSR tool (GSRx^TM) for identifying and assessing GSR best management practices (BMPs), which has also been employed globally. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.