Montana's Forestry BMP Program - 20 Years of Continuous Improvement

摘要

Montana adopted voluntary Best Management Practices (BMPs) for forestry in 1989. Two years later, the state passed the Streamside Management Zone (SMZ) Act, which regulated timber harvest and equipment operation near streams. Detailed rules were developed for implementing the SMZ Act, which became effective in March 1993. Montana has consistently implemented this blended program of voluntary BMPs and regulatory SMZs since. Beginning in 1990 and repeated biennially since, Montana has used interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder teams to evaluate compliance with BMPs and the SMZ Law, as well as effectiveness of practices at controlling erosion and sediment delivery to streams. Statewide BMP implementation rates averaged 78% in 1990 and improved to 97% by2010, with much of the increase occurring in the first ten years of the program. Instances of observed site "impacts" have declined from an average of eight per site in 1990 to less than one in 2010. This paper describes Montana's forestry water qualityprogram, and the lessons learned over the past 20 years.