Bureau/Division/Agency
Forest Services
Document Type
Text
Exact Creation Date
10-2026
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and Maine Forest Service, "Maine Forestry Best Management Practices (BMP) Use and Effectiveness—Data Summary 2024-2025" (2026). Forest Service Documents. 335.
https://digitalmaine.com/for_docs/335
File Size
3.0 MB
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Rights Statement
No Copyright - United States. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
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Description
Executive Summary
The Maine Forest Service (MFS) has conducted statewide monitoring of Best Management Practices (BMPs) on timber harvesting operations since 2000. The objective of this ongoing effort is to assess the use and effectiveness of BMPs in Maine. The Maine BMP monitoring effort helps to identify any potential issues, track progress and measure outcomes. Through BMP monitoring, MFS and the forestry community can assess the implementation and effectiveness of specific BMPs, identify areas for improvement of BMPs and of BMP training, and ensure that Maine is meeting the objective of BMPs to protect water quality in Maine’s streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
Maine’s BMP monitoring relies on sampling timber harvest operations selected from Forest Operations Notifications (FONs). Landowners are required to notify the MFS using a FON before harvesting takes place per MRSA Title 12 §8883-B. Approximately 3,000 FONs are filed in Maine each year. Over 5,000 two-year FONs may be active at any given time. Harvest areas are randomly drawn from these notifications. This report presents an analysis of data collected from 165 timber harvesting sites over two field seasons, in roughly equal numbers, from 2024 and 2025. MFS operates this monitoring effort during the snow-free portions of each year and produces this report every two years.
This report finds a slight increase in overall sedimentation at crossing structures since the 2022-2023 report. When sedimentation was observed it was most often due to inadequate application of initial BMPs at a crossing structure during installation and close out. Sedimentation at crossing structures has been a focus area of improvement since preliminary findings in 2016. Based on these results, as well as results reported in 2021, MFS and partners launched a BMP training program; Fundamental BMPs to Protect Water Quality on Haul Roads and Skid Trails, emphasizing BMP implementation using a systems approach. MFS has hosted 5 such trainings statewide during spring and fall seasons of 2024-2025. MFS plans to enhance BMP trainings in 2026 with a new training program, Fundamental BMPs for Extreme Weather Events.
The new trainings will emphasize design and installation of crossing structures and associated BMPs with extreme weather in mind. They will include installation of adequate BMPs during installation and closeout of crossing structures, as well as appropriate structure sizing.
Finally, MFS provides annual training for MFS District Foresters to maintain and improve BMP monitoring procedures, with an emphasis on objectivity and consistency of field assessments. MFS employs a quality control process involving re-sampling of a subset of sites by a QA/QC team, made up of the MFS Water Resources Specialist and Field Team Leader, to improve consistency in the use of the protocol and interpretation of field observations.