Special Report No. 79-02: A Survey of State Assessment Procedures for Silvicultural Nonpoint Source Control Programs

Section 208 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (PL 92-5000) calls for the development of area-wide water quality management plans to include silviculturally related nonpoint discharges. The first stage of 208 planning is now nearing completion. The initial programs for controlling nonpoint sources are in place and the evaluation of the effectiveness of these programs is or will soon be initiated. During recent meetings with Advisory Groups from the Southern and West Coast companies assisting the Council staff in identifying research needs and program planning related to the impact of forest management practices on water quality and its utility, early on information needs of the industry were identified. Among these was a survey of state assessment procedures for silvicultural nonpoint source control programs. Dr. George G. Ice, Research Hydrologist, West Coast Regional Center, carried out this survey and prepared the attached special report as a part of the National Council and the National Forest Products Association cooperative study program. The survey covered 42 states, representing over 90% of the commercial forest land and timber stocking in the United States. Thirty-five of the state programs are reviewed in detail because of their silvicultural control programs. Of the 35 states, 8 consider their programs to be regulatory with management practice enforcement capability. The remaining 27 programs are based on voluntary compliance with BMP's or other guidelines. The contents of these latter programs and their administration are of particular interest to the industry.