BMP Field Manual

Wisconsin's Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality identify and explain guidelines for landowners, loggers and land managers to protect water quality.

This manual is in response to federal legislation. Section 208 of the 1977 Clean Water Act required each state to develop plans and procedures to control "silviculturally related nonpoint sources of pollution...to the extent feasible." Section 319 of the 1987 Water Quality Act requires each state to develop and implement a program to reduce nonpoint source pollution to the "maximum extent practicable."

Funding for preparation and printing of this manual was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Lumberjack Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This manual was developed by the Definitions Committee as part of Wisconsin's Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality program. The committee was made up of representatives from county, state and federal government agencies, University of Wisconsin Extension, logging companies, paper manufacturing companies, and environmental, conservation and recreational organizations.

For information about BMPs and their application, contact your local DNR forester at offices listed in Sources for Help. You are also encouraged to attend forestry BMP education and training workshops coordinated by the Wisconsin DNR Division of Forestry. For more information, call the Division of Forestry at (608) 267-7494.

Note: Throughout this manual, suggestions are made to contact the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources or other sources for help. See Sources for Help for addresses and telephone numbers of relevant contacts.

Best management practices in the html version of the manual are indicated by the "•" symbol. Best Management Practices are indicated by a "" in the pdf version of the manual.