Logging Sediment Control Act and Forestry Best Management Practices in West Virginia: A Review

Transcription

1 Logging Sediment Control Act and Forestry Best Management Practices in West Virginia: A Review Jingxin Wang, Joe McNeel, and Steve Milauskas, West Virginia University Division of Forestry, Morgantown, WV ABSTRACT: Best management practices (BMP) for controlling soil erosion and sedimentation are the operational guidelines for logging in the state of West Virginia, which have been revised in 1989, 1995, 1996, 2001, and The West Virginia legislature passed the Logging Sediment Control Act (LSCA) in This Act specifically mandates logger licensing, logger certification, harvesting operation notification, and enforcement capability for activities causing erosion and sedimentation on logging sites. Since the first BMP assessment conducted in 1981, the West Virginia Division of Forestry has periodically evaluated compliance with BMP. The evaluations have taken place in 1986, 1991, and 1996 respectively. The state LSCA, BMP, and compliance evaluations were reviewed, and the results indicate a trend of increasing compliance with BMP in West Virginia. North. J. Appl. For. 21(2): Key Words: Forestry BMP, logging sediment, compliance assessment, timber harvesting, forest operations. Best management practices (BMP) are developed to prevent or reduce the adverse impacts of forestry activities on water quality while permitting the intended forest management activities to occur (Phillips et al. 2000). Forestry water quality research has tended to concentrate on the impacts of forest operations on erosion and sedimentation and most studies have been conducted via paired watershed studies (Aust 1994a). Aust (1994b) reviewed the potential impacts of timber harvesting on wetland soils. Results have indicated that compacted and rutted skid trails slow internal water movement in both moderately well-drained soils and poorly drained soils. The interactions between equipment, soil, and soil moisture are the primary determinants of site disturbance during timber harvesting operations (Reisinger and Aust 1990). Operational guidelines of BMP are essential and have been adopted in all states to protect water quality and other resources (Mattson et al. 2000). The state BMP guidelines, however, vary in several major areas, including wetland types, BMP manual detail, streamside management zones (SMZs), harvesting operations, regeneration systems, and road construction (Aust 1994a). Many field studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of BMP and compliance with them. Seventy-eight NOTE: Jingxin Wang can be reached at (304) ext. 2481; Fax: (304) ; jxwang@wvu.edu. The authors would like to thank Dr. Andy Egan for his comments on the early draft of this manuscript and Bob Smith and John Rowe with West Virginia Division of Forestry for providing the state BMP publications. Copyright 2004 by the Society of American Foresters. timber harvesting operations were investigated for acceptable management practice (AMP) compliance in Vermont (Brynn and Clausen 1991). They found that AMP compliance was over 90% for protective strip maintenance and stream avoidance, but soil erosion control practices on haul roads and skid trails commonly failed to meet the AMP recommendations. The compliance rates were 41% on haul roads, 70% on skid roads, and 80% on landings, respectively. Briggs et al. (1998) evaluated BMP compliance based on 120 randomly selected logging sites in Maine. The compliance levels were: haul roads, 68%; stream crossing, 58%; skid roads/trails, 67%; landings, 77%; and SMZs, 66%. They also found that the compliance levels in Maine were similar to those reported in Vermont and Minnesota. Schuler and Briggs (2000) assessed 42 forestry BMP to determine the extent of voluntary application and their effectiveness in New York State. They found that the overall application of suggested BMP was 78% for haul roads, 87% for landings, 59% for skid trails, and 73% for SMZs. Several studies have been conducted in the South to examine the effectiveness of state BMP or national forest water and quality standards and guidelines. Twelve of 13 southern states have measured BMP implementation but have used unique approaches to selecting sample sites and conducting on-site evaluations, resulting in different expressions of results (Prud homme and Greis 2002). In West Virginia, BMP guidelines have been revised five times since they were first initiated in the early 1970s. Compliance with state BMP has been evaluated four times NJAF 21(2)

2 since The Logging Sediment Control Act (LSCA) has been applied to regulate the logging operations in the state for 10 years. This article reviews the West Virginia LSCA applications and BMP and demonstrates what the major noncompliance problems are with the LSCA and how the other regulations or programs can improve compliance with the BMP. Logging Sediment Control Act and BMP Logging Sediment Control Act The West Virginia LSCA was passed in 1992 in response to public concerns about timber harvesting operations in West Virginia. The intent of the LSCA was to improve general logging practices, thereby reducing erosion and stream sediment. The LSCA was issued to target people and companies involved in harvesting timber or buying logs for resale. The West Virginia Division of Forestry (WVDOF) was designated by the West Virginia State legislature as the agency responsible for carrying out the mandates and provisions of LSCA, and conducting supervision and enforcement of BMP. There are 14 sections in this Act. Sections 19-1B-4 and 19-1B-6 require loggers to obtain a timbering license and provide operation notification and on-site job posting within 3 days of starting the harvesting operations. Reclamation of the job is to be completed within 7 days of the completion date of the logging job. Section 19-1B-7 of the Act also requires that each logging job be supervised by a certified logger. To be a certified logger in West Virginia, an individual needs to have successfully completed training classes in first-aid, BMP, and logging safety. Section 19-1B-5 of LSCA especially authorizes WVDOF field foresters to issue compliance orders if a logging practice has the potential to cause or contribute to soil erosion or water pollution. The WVDOF has to follow up with enforcement on not only logging activities, but also the previously mentioned requirements. The WVDOF had received notifications on more than 15,800 logging operations between 1992 and There were 5,400 investigations made during this period of time, either as a result of a compliant or randomly, which resulted Table 1. Annual LSCA statistics in West Virginia from 1998 to in 1,950 compliance orders. Compliance orders were issued for less serious violations of the LSCA. These problems were either corrected immediately or the operator was given from 1 to 10 days to correct the situation. There had been 835 suspension orders issued to more serious violations. The education or training of loggers is a responsibility of WVDOF set forth in the LSCA. According to WVDOF, they had trained more than 9,500 loggers as of Dec. 31, Since 1998, the reporting formats have been changed to some extent on LSCA yearly statistics. The WVDOF received 3,454 notifications of logging operations in 1998 and the yearly registered logging jobs dropped to 2,908 in 2001 (Table 1). The total logging jobs investigated was between 2,368 in 2000 and 3,237 in 2001 while the complaints received from the public varied from 971 in 1998 to 552 in Of the total yearly harvesting operations investigated, the LSCA compliance level increased from 62% in 1998 to 72% in The WVDOF issued a total of 2,459 compliance orders and 1,505 suspension orders respectively between 1998 and The total number of corrective actions or orders taken by the WVDOF decreased from 1,315 in 1998 to 1,100 in Based on a total of 10,745 inspections and investigations out of 12,864 notifications, the West Virginia LSCA statistics by nature from 1998 to 2001 indicated which noncompliance problems occurred (Table 2). These problems can be generally categorized into two groups: (1) problems related to LSCA administrative procedures such as No license and No certified logger ; and (2) pollution control BMP including Muddy water, Operating in stream, and others. No notification, No license, Job not reclaimed, and Skid/haul road were the major problems for the noncompliance. No notification topped the list of the cited problems and ranged from 16 to 19% of the total from 1998 to No license was cited as another major problem and varied from 11% of the total in 1998 to 16% of the total in Job not reclaimed was the third most commonly cited problem, at 18% in 1998 and 12% of the total in 2001, respectively, while problems on skid/haul roads averaged from 8 to 13% during this period of time. Year Notifications received 3,454 3,298 3,204 3,237 Complaints received Harvesting operations investigated In compliance 1,686 (62%) 1,515 (63%) 1,541 (65%) 2,342 (72%) Out of compliance 1,048 (38%) 891 (37%) 827 (35%) 895 (28%) Total 2,734 2,406 2,368 3,237 WVDOF actions Corrective actions Compliance orders Suspension orders Total 1,315 1,261 1,208 1, NJAF 21(2) 2004

3 Table 2. Statistics of West Virginia LSCA by nature of noncompliance problems, Problem No. a % No. % No. % No. % LSCA administrative procedures No license No certified logger No notification No sign Job not reclaimed Pollution control BMPs Muddy water Operating in stream Skid/haul road Country/state road Tops in stream Other a Number of inspections. These top four problems accounted for more than 50% of the total LSCA-cited problems. BMP in West Virginia In 1972, a joint committee was established by the West Virginia Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, the West Virginia Sawmill Association, and the Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc. (WVDOF 1986). This committee developed forest practice standards that included some BMP guidelines (Anonymous 1972) and were reviewed by a 25-person review board in West Virginia and subsequently endorsed. In response to the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972, West Virginia passed its own Water Pollution Control Act in 1974 and a state 208 silvicultural technical action committee completed a silvicultural water quality management plan for West Virginia in 1979 (Sherman 1985). A voluntary or nonregulatory approach to controlling nonpoint sources of pollution was chosen on as the best way to achieve the goals of the plan; thus, the program was implemented by the WVDOF through a Voluntary Compliance Committee (VCC). The VCC is the guiding organization of West Virginia s silvicultural water quality plan (Whipkey and Glover 1987). The West Virginia Forestry Association (WVFA), in cooperation with WVDOF, set up a system to monitor and respond to complaints received on logging operations in In the early 1980s, WVDOF used several methods to educate loggers in the use of BMP, including offering workshops, field demonstrations, and by distributing BMP guideline booklets. The current WVDOF BMP guidelines address all facets of BMP requirements included in the LSCA, including SMZs, truck haul roads, skid roads, log landings, and others. The West Virginia BMP committee reviews BMP guidelines every 3 years or less for possible revision. Since 1972, the biggest changes to BMP have been related to filter strips. In addition to seeding and mulching requirements, the filter strip now is termed as the streamside management zone (SMZ). An SMZ is defined as a vegetated land adjacent to perennial, intermittent and ephemeral streams and ponds or lakes requiring special attention during forestry operations (WVDOF 1997, 2001, 2002). The shade strip is part of the SMZ and is defined as a no-cut or light-cut area that provides adequate shading of perennial or intermittent streams so as to stabilize and preserve the biological value of the stream in the current BMP guidelines. SMZ width was previously determined from percent of slope between road and watercourse (Trimble and Starz 1957), but now the minimum SMZ width for a perennial or intermittent stream is defined simply as 100 ft on perennial and intermittent streams and 25 ft on ephemeral streams so as to make things simpler for loggers. However, additional precautions such as graveling truck roads and seeding and mulching all fill slopes immediately after construction are required in current West Virginia BMP guidelines. Since the 1995 version, the LSCA summary section has been included in West Virginia BMP guidelines. The 2002 BMP guidelines especially added a new part in the LSCA summary section, which emphasize that the WVDOF may also issue citations to any person who knowingly or willingly commits the LSCA violations (WVDOF 2002). Methodology and Overall Compliance The WVDOF has evaluated statewide BMP compliance four times since they were first incorporated into logging operations in the state. The first assessment was conducted in 1981, and 16 BMP were evaluated on 101 logging sites with a checklist (Paff 1981). During the fall and winter of 1986, the WVDOF evaluated BMP compliance for the second time (Whipkey and Glover 1987). A total of 106 logging operations were selected randomly from a WVDOF database of 350 loggers and then were stratified into three geographic regions (Figure 1) and two production size classes. A checklist was developed to enable WVDOF foresters to conduct the evaluation, and they also were trained to ensure consistent checking procedures (Whipkey and Glover 1987). The second evaluation was an expanded and intensified version of the first, and 26 BMPs were measured. The checklist used in the 1986 evaluation was similar to the one used in 1981; however, three new questions were added and four major NJAF 21(2)

4 Figure 1. Forest districts in West Virginia. changes were made, including altering questions to allow a better evaluation of BMP compliance, the use of formulas to calculate percentage compliance, the addition of comments, and the checklist supplement (Whipkey and Glover 1987). The third evaluation was conducted during the fall of 1990, and 234 of 742 loggers were selected randomly for field assessment (Whipkey 1991). This evaluation focused on the effectiveness of BMP in protecting West Virginia s streams against siltation. The methodology used was the same one used for the second assessment and 26 BMPs were evaluated within six WVDOF forest districts (Figure 1, Table 3). The compliance rate of 60% in district 5 was 11 to 22% lower that these in other districts. Otherwise, the overall compliance rate was generally consistent among districts. The fourth statewide BMP compliance evaluation occurred from May 1995 to Nov The evaluation and sampling protocols of the 1996 assessment were adopted from previous ones (Egan et al. 1998). However, some changes were made due to the modification of West Virginia BMP guidelines in 1995, and harvested sites, rather than loggers, were randomly selected from lists of retired operations in six WVDOF forest districts. Twenty BMPs were assessed on both nonindustrial private forest (nonindustrial private forestland (NIPF)) and industrial sites. Some practices especially related to SMZ, such as were roads or landings constructed outside SMZs? were first measured during this investigation. Overall BMP compliance rate in West Virginia generally has increased over time (Table 4). The reduction from 75 to 63% from 1991 to 1996 was due largely to differences between the BMP measured and modification of BMP guidelines. For example, were the roads or landings mulched after harvesting? was first evaluated in 1996 survey. The relatively lower compliance rates were presented with 52% on the landings, 19% on skid trails, and 22% on haul roads (Tables 5 7), which resulted in the lower overall compliance rate of 63% in BMP Compliance on Log Landings Log landings are defined in the state BMP guidelines as areas where logs are assembled, including landings at the end of skid and haul roads (WVDOF 2001). There are BMPs associated with landing location and construction. For example, an SMZ should be left between or along log landings where a body of water is present. The landing should be positioned on a dry site, or where water can be easily diverted away from the location. In both cases it should be constructed on a shallow slope of 2 3% for water drainage. Diverting water from approaching roads and diversion ditches on the uphill side of log landings are recommended to avoid directing water onto log landings. The level of compliance with BMP at the landings is generally higher than at other areas of the logging site because the landings are considered as headers and staging areas for a timber sale (Egan et al. 1998). This may also be due in part to the fact that it is the first thing the WVDOF inspectors usually check at the logging job. In some cases, it is the only place that the WVDOF examined when checking out a logging job. Noncompliance with the BMP at log landings usually had little to do with log landing construction. Rather, it usually meant a failure to follow the LSCA rules, such as no on-site job posting or the logger was not certified. Results indicated percent compliance on log landings increased for most practices from 1981 to 1996 (Table 5). The percentage of landings outside SMZs increased from 76% in 1987 to 78% in 1991 and to 79% in 1996, while drained landings increased from 75% in 1981 to 82% in 1987 and 1991, and to 86% in Both 1987 and 1991 BMP assessments measured whether the landings were located at least 25 ft away from streams and outside SMZs. The 1981 evaluation, however, did not measure the percentage of landings outside SMZs. This is why 86% of landings in 1981 were located at least 25 ft away from streams and were higher than these in 1987 and There were only Table 3. BMP compliance of 1991 by WVDOF forest districts (Source: Whipkey 1991). District No. of samples Trained loggers with BMPs (%) Registered logging ac (%) Average job size evaluated (ac) Compliance (%) NJAF 21(2) 2004

5 Table 4. Overall BMP compliance in West Virginia. Table 6. BMP compliance associated with skid roads. Evaluation year No. of loggers/ logging sites observed No. of BMPs measured Overall compliance (%) Table 5. BMP compliance on log landings. Practice Located outside SMZs Landing diversion of water At least 25 ft away from stream a Drained Smoothed Seeded Mulched 52 a Compliance (%) Were the landings located at least 25 ft away from stream? 56% of landings where water was diverted in 1981; this number increased to 85% in The results also showed that more landings were seeded and mulched over time. BMP Compliance on Skid Roads A skid road is defined in the West Virginia BMP guidelines as an unsurfaced trail or road, as narrow as safety will allow to be used for skidding harvested products (WVDOF 2001). Skid roads are the pathways by which to skid logs, tree lengths or other roundwood products from the stump to a common landing or concentration area. Skid roads should be laid out after the locations of log landings have been determined. Water control on skid roads is very important because they caused the most disturbances on logged areas in Appalachia (Kochenderfer 1977). Kochenderfer (1977) also found that 84% of the exposed mineral soil was in skid roads on the skidder-logged area in the region. Because skid roads can be major contributors to erosion they should be planned, placed, and retired properly to minimize the erosion. BMP compliance associated with skid roads is summarized in Table 6. The majority of skid roads were in compliance with guidelines. The percentage of all skid roads that had less than 20% grade increased from 69% in 1981 to 77% in Although the number of skid roads with water bars increased steadily from 38% of all skid roads in 1981 to 52% and to 58%, respectively, in 1987 and 1996, the BMP compliance on skid roads was still relatively low. The proper use of water bars on skid roads needs to be emphasized so as to improve the compliance level. The percentage of all retired skid roads that were smoothed decreased from 73% in 1987 to 61% in 1991 and increased to 78% in Similarly, the number of retired skid roads that had the berm removed dropped from 57% in 1987 to 53% in 1991, and then improved to 60% in The number of all retired skid roads that were seeded was 55% in 1996; prior to that they never exceeded 36%. Compliance (%) Practice Skid road grade less than 20% Constructed outside SMZs 87 Skid road at least 25 ft away from streams Cross drainage Presence of water bars Smoothed Berm removed Seeded Mulched 19 Table 7. roads. BMP compliance associated with the haul Compliance (%) Practice Haul road grade less than 15% Constructed outside SMZs 54 Stream crossing Cross drainage Presence of gravel Culverts clear of debris Ditches clear of debris Berms removed Smoothed Seeded 37 Mulched 22 The 1981, 1987, and 1991 surveys also included measurements of the distances between skid roads and streams. In each of those years, more than 80% of skid roads were at least 25 ft away from streams. In the 1996 survey, 19% of skid roads were mulched after retirement. BMP Compliance on Truck Haul Roads A truck haul road is defined as, a road system, temporary or permanent, used for transportation of wood products from the harvest site by truck (WVDOF 1997, 2001). The purpose of a truck haul road is to provide an efficient and safe transportation system to effectively protect the forest land and water quality when removing forest products from the harvest site, developing the forest for recreation, wildfire control, or other forest management activities. Haul roads are major contributors to erosion on logging sites. A haul road is a higher standard road than a skid road, but the purpose of BMP on haul roads is the same as on skid roads. Previous BMP compliance results show that 86% of haul roads in 1981 were constructed with a grade of 15% or less (Table 7). Since 1987, this number has increased from 79% in 1987 to 84% and to 85%, respectively, in 1991 and The percentage of haul roads that used constructed stream crossings has increased steadily from 47% in 1981 to 66% in 1987 and to 80% in However, the percentage of roads using cross-drainage dropped to 43% in 1996 compared to 49% in 1981 and 1987 and 50% in Eightyfour percent of haul roads were graveled in 1981, which was higher than all subsequent years; however, reasons for this decrease are not known. Haul roads were checked for clear culverts and ditches, berm removal, and smoothing only in NJAF 21(2)

6 1987 and Compliance with each of these practices increased. In 1996, 54% of haul roads were built outside of SMZs, and 37% and 22% of them were seeded and mulched, respectively. Summary and Discussion Since the inception of LSCA, WVDOF has received 28,664 notifications of logging operations. The LSCA compliance level presented a general increase trend from year to year. However, major noncompliance problems still remain on the top of the list, such as no notification, no license, and job not reclaimed that are related to LSCA administrative procedures. The WVDOF has issued a total of 2,340 suspension orders since According to the WVDOF estimation, it costs the average size logging crew at least $4,000 per day while under suspension. This could result in a total of $9,360,000 in lost income since The LSCA in West Virginia was amended during this past legislature session. The most important change affecting loggers is the new Section 19-1B-12a (Milauskas 2002). This section is labeled Criminal Penalties and gives law enforcement agencies along with the WVDOF the authority to issue citations. Although it does not have the power to place any individual under arrest, the WVDOF now has the authority to issue misdemeanor fines of $250 to $500 per day per violation. The 2002 BMP guidelines reflected the changes in the LSCA amendment. Both education programs and fines can hopefully improve the LSCA compliance problems. Best management practices have been implemented for about three decades in West Virginia. These BMP were periodically evaluated on selected loggers/logging sites. A checklist was the major method used to assess the use of prescribed BMP. About one-third of the active logging operations/loggers were randomly selected in each of the four previous statewide BMP evaluations. Results have shown an increased compliance with the BMP since The overall compliance with BMPs increased from 59% in 1981 to 71% in 1986 and 75% in The compliance rates were also balanced among WVDOF six forest districts. Because new BMP such as Were the landings or roads outside the SMZs or mulched? were measured for the first time during the evaluation of 1996, the overall compliance of BMP was 63%. For those BMP for which long-term comparisons could be made, however, there appeared to be significant increases in compliance in 1996 compared to previous evaluations (Egan et al. 1998). To compare the state BMP compliance, the methodology for future evaluation should be consistent with these used in previous assessments. The BMP compliance rates in West Virginia are similar to those reported in some other Northeastern states. For example, the overall BMP compliance rates were 64% in Vermont (Brynn and Clausen 1991), 71% in Maine (Briggs et al. 1998), and 74% in New York (Schuler and Briggs 2000). Increased BMP compliance could be related to the changes of the BMP guidelines, or the involvement of the LSCA. Meanwhile, some changes in the logging industry can be easily recognized in the state of West Virginia. The number of registered loggers has increased since 1980s while the average annual production of a logging firm has decreased (Whipkey 1991). Another significant change has been the logger affiliation. In 1986 most logging firms were logging contractors and company crews, but today the majority of loggers are independent contractors (Whipkey 1991). Since 1990, more mechanized logging using fellerbunchers and grapple skidders has been used in the state to achieve the higher productivity and greater safety. All the changes might contribute to the BMP compliance. Logging jobs on forest industry lands showed higher compliance with the BMP associated with skid roads, landings, and haul roads than those on nonindustrial private lands. This may be because large companies are trying to maintain good public images and their own foresters have more direct contacts with loggers on the jobs. The financial stability of the company also affects the BMP compliance on forest industry lands. BMP training programs should improve BMP compliance through the effect of evaluating training needs. The 1991 assessment by WVDOF forest districts showed the overall average BMP adoption rate was 20% lower in district 5 compared to the other five districts, but only 33% of the logging operators had received BMP training in district 5. In the other districts, 50 to 73% of loggers received training. According to a 2001 logger survey in West Virginia, along with logging safety issues and logging cost analysis, BMP-related programs, such as logging esthetics, road location and construction, and logging regulations, are on the top list of higher scoring educational and training needs (Milauskas 2001). Training should concentrate on careful harvest planning and layouts of forest roads and landings to minimize the impacts. The practices with low compliance rates such as the use of water bars also need to be emphasized in training programs. Roads and landings are considered the principal causes of the degradation of water quality associated with harvesting operations. The bulldozed road networks associated with wheeled skidder extraction in steep terrain traditionally have been spaced closely on Appalachian logging sites (Kochenderfer et al. 1997). Kochenderfer (1977) found that roads and landings occupied an average of 10.3% of harvested areas based on a sample of harvest operations in the state. Best management practices were effective in minimizing impacts to soil and water resources on a logged watershed in north-central West Virginia (Kochenderfer et al. 1997). Using a Delphi process, Egan et al. (1996) also identified issues of forest roads in West Virginia and indicated that among the most significant problems facing forest road construction were water management, lack of planning, and topography. Related issues included logger and forester training, adequacy of and compliance with BMP, road costs, and state and federal policies. Appropriate road and landing layouts need to be required in the state BMP guidelines and considered carefully during BMP implementation. 98 NJAF 21(2) 2004

7 For landowners and loggers, there are real cost concerns associated with implementation of BMPs in SMZs (Phillips et al. 2000). The lack of information about BMP benefits also makes it difficult to conduct complete economic analyses of their implementation in harvesting operations. BMP implementation costs are significant, with the median cost about $29.29 per harvested acre in the mountain region of Virginia (Shaffer 1998). Because Virginia and West Virginia have different BMP guidelines and policies, West Virginia should conduct its own BMP implementation cost study. Since the last statewide assessment, WVDOF has modified state BMP guidelines in 1996, 2001, and With the new standards, another statewide evaluation of BMP compliance in the near future seems logical. These will be the better indicators of compliance with the new SMZ guidelines as logging contractors become more aware of changes to these guidelines (Egan et al. 1998). Future assessment will focus on the practices such as notification, licenses, proper signing, and certified logger requirements as well as BMP designed to control and protect water quality. More attention also needs to be paid to quantitative BMP related research in the state. For example, (1) evaluating or quantifying the impacts of SMZ width on SMZ infiltration capability, stream temperature, and aquatic habitat; and (2) evaluating the trade-offs between environmental impacts and cost/production, including BMP implementation costs for alternative harvesting systems under different stand, terrain, harvest conditions. Until recently, these numbers have been determined empirically with no quantitative basis. SMZ width should consider costs and benefits. Literature Cited ANONYMOUS West Virginia forest practice standards. Charleston, WV. 52 p. AUST, W.M. 1994a. Best management practices for forested wetlands in the southern Appalachian region. Water Air Soil Poll. 77: AUST, W.M. 1994b. Timber harvesting considerations for site protection in southeastern forested wetlands. P in Proceedings of water management in forested wetlands. Tech. Pub. R8-TP-20, USDA For. Serv., Southern Region, Atlanta, GA. BRIGGS, R.D., J. CORMIER, AND A. KIMBALL Compliance with forestry best management practices in Maine. North. J. Appl. For. 15(2): BRYNN, D.J., AND J.C. CLAUSEN Postharvest assessment of Vermont s acceptable silvilculture management practices and water quality impacts. North. J. Appl. For. 8(4): EGAN, A.F., A. JENKINS, AND J. ROWE Forest roads in West Virginia, USA: Identifying issues and challenges. J. For. Eng. 8(1): EGAN, A.F., R.D. WHIPKEY, AND J.P. ROWE Compliance with forestry best management practices in West Virginia. North. J. Appl. For. 15(4): KOCHENDERFER, J.N Area in skidroads, truck roads, and landings in the central Appalachians. J. For. 75(8): KOCHENDERFER, J.N., P.J. EDWARDS, AND F. WOOD Hydrologic impacts of logging an Appalachian watershed using West Virginia s best management practices. North. J. Appl. For. 14(4): MATTSON, J., J. BAUMGRAS, C. BLINN, AND M. THOMPSON Harvesting options for riparian areas. P in Riparian management in forests of the continental eastern United States, Verry E., J. Hornbeck, and A. Dolloff (eds). Lewis Publishers, Washington, DC. MILAUSKAS, S West Virginia Loggers Newsletter. 1(2). Appalachian Hardwood Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. 4 p. MILAUSKAS, S West Virginia Loggers Newsletter. 2(2). Appalachian Hardwood Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. 4 p. PAFF, W Tabulation of the use of best management practices by loggers. West Virginia Div. of For., Charleston, WV. 1 p. PHILLIPS, M., L. SWIFT JR., AND C. BLINN Best management practices for riparian areas. P in Riparian management in forests of the continental eastern United States, Verry E., J. Hornbeck, and A. Dolloff (eds). Lewis Publishers, Washington, DC. PRUD HOMME, B.A., AND J.G. GREIS, AQUA-4: Best management practices in the South. Southern Forest Resource Assessment Draft Report, REISINGER, T.W., AND W.M. AUST Specialized equipment and techniques for logging wetlands. ASAE Paper American Society Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, MI. 12 p. SCHULER, J.L., AND R.D. BRIGGS Assessing application and effectiveness of forestry best management practices in New York. North. J. Appl. For. 17(4): SHAFFER, R Cost of implementing BMPs in Virginia. APA Technical Release, 98-R p. SHERMAN, R WV forestry volunteers for clean water. West Virginia Tree Farm News. No p. TRIMBLE, G.R., AND R.S. STARZ How far from a stream should a logging road be located? J. For. 55(5): WEST VIRGINIA DIVISION OF FORESTRY Forestry and water quality in West Virginia. Report VIII Silviculture 208 Program, Charleston, WV. 10 p. WEST VIRGINIA DIVISION OF FORESTRY Best management practices for controlling soil erosion and sedimentation from logging operations in West Virginia. WVDOF-TR-96-3 (March 1997), Charleston, WV. 29 p. WEST VIRGINIA DIVISION OF FORESTRY Best management practices for controlling soil erosion and sedimentation from logging operations in West Virginia. WVDOF-TR-96-3 (June 2001), Charleston, WV. 29 p. WEST VIRGINIA DIVISION OF FORESTRY Best management practices for controlling soil erosion and sedimentation from logging operations in West Virginia. WVDOF-TR-96-3 (August 2002), Charleston, WV. 29 p. WHIPKEY, R.D., AND R.P. GLOVER Report on use of best management practices on logging operations in West Virginia. West Virginia Div. of For., Charleston, WV. 43 p. WHIPKEY, R.D An evaluation of the use and effectiveness of best management practices to control nonpoint sediment from logging operations in West Virginia. West Virginia Div. of For. Pub. WVDOF 91-3, Charleston, WV. 45 p. NJAF 21(2)