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Best Management Practices
BMP Courtesy Checks
Join In, Make a Difference
What Are Silviculture Best Management Practices?
Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) are land management guidelines designed to help forest landowners conduct forestry activities near waterbodies and wetlands in a manner that is environmentally sound.
Avoid These Warning Signs
- Sediment (Streams, Lakes and Rivers)
- Organic Debris
(Logging Slash in Streams)
- Nutrients
(Timber Harvesting & Fertilization)
- Elevated Water Temperature
(No Shade)
- Chemicals
(Herbicide Application)
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The use of BMP's benefits the forest landowner and forestry in many ways.
- BMP's protect our natural water resources from degradation and sedimentation that can sometimes occur because of erosion during and immediately after forest operations.
- Silviculture BMP's maintains shelter and food for aquatic organisms and wildlife species.
- The use of BMP's during normal ongoing forestry operations exempts landowners from the costly process of acquiring permits; however, a permit is required for culvert placement, road construction when crossing streams and wetlands.
- Silviculture BMP's are required in all forestry operations adjacent to waterbodies and wetlands by federal, state and local authorities through reference or regulatory statute.
Set a Higher Standard, Use the BMP Manual
 Shading - Stability - Filtering |
Florida's Silviculture Best Management Practices Program is one of the South's first quasi-regulatory environmental protection programs addressing forestry activities. The program was established in the mid-seventies in response to mandates given each state under the 1972 Federal Clean Water Act. The Florida Division of Forestry has served as lead agency in the development, implementation, and monitoring of Silviculture BMP's statewide. Florida's first Silviculture BMP Manual was published in 1979, providing written forest management guidelines for landowners. A system of monitoring was also established and the Division conducted its first BMP Compliance Survey in 1981, showing 93% compliance on over 100 sites.
Don't Get Left Behind! Stay Informed With a BMP Courtesy Check
The Division of Forestry provides a voluntary silviculture BMP Courtesy Check. The on-site inspection will evaluate present or past (within a two year period) forestry operations such as timber harvesting, site preparation, forest roads, stream crossings, etc.
To obtain additional information about Florida's Silviculture Best Management Practices such as to. . .
- Request a BMP Courtesy Check.
- Request a free copy of Florida's Silviculture Best Management Practices Manual.
- Request information for forestry BMP Workshops for loggers, landowners, and natural resource managers. These one to two-day workshops are conducted throughout Florida and consist of a morning classroom session with a variety of speakers who have practical field experience in using BMPs.
Best Management Practices (BMP) Foresters
Protect Water Quality
Florida’s Silviculture BMP Program is one of the south’s first to address forest operation activities. The Division’s BMP Foresters are strategically located throughout the state to provide information, recommendations and technical assistance for proper BMP implementation prior to, during, and after forestry operations. 
Contact Us
To help keep forestry growing and Florida water resources clean, contact your nearest BMP Forester for assistance:
- Roy Lima (Tallahassee)
Telephone: 850/ 414-9934
Email: limar@doacs.state.fl.us
- Cathy Hardin (Bonifay)
Telephone: 850/ 547-7008
Email: hardins@doacs.state.fl
- Robin Holland (Ocala)
Telephone: 352/ 732-1273
Email: hollanr@doacs.state.fl.us
Division of Forestry
Hydrology Section
Telephone: 850/ 414-9934
Email: vowellj@doacs.state.fl.us or limar@doacs.state.fl.us
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