Why were Forestry BMPs developed?
Forestry BMPs were developed 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 pollutionto the extent feasible.” In addition, Section 319 of the 1987 Water Quality Act required that each state develop and implement a program to reduce nonpoint source pollution to the “maximum extent practicable.” To adhere to the legislation, Wisconsin developed its Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality Program which officially began in 1995.
