Forestry Best Management Practices - Monitoring

Forestry operations are not required to obtain Clean Water Act permits,because there is a “silvicultural exemption" given in that law, as long as best management practices (BMPs) are used to help control non-point source pollution. To help maintain this exemption, the Maine Forest Service (MFS) monitors and reports on the use and effectiveness of BMPs on harvest operations across the state. The MFS has conducted random, statewide monitoring of BMPs on timber harvesting operations since March 2000. Individual reports as well as the field monitoring protocol are available on this website.