September BMP Q&A

By: Shane Harrington, BMP Forester (Ret.), Texas Forest Service

Q:   I am a landowner here in East Texas and I like to use aerial photographs to help me manage my property.  Aerial photographs help me determine and maintain access roads, boundary lines, and aid in planning harvest operations.  I have problems finding good quality and up-to-date photographs of East Texas.  I heard that the Texas Forest Service takes aerial photographs of East Texas and can provide landowners with copies.  Is this correct and if so how can I obtain a copy of my property?

A:   This is a great question and, yes, the Texas Forest Service has continued to take aerial photographs of East Texas since 1979.  These photographs are taken during the winter months after hardwood trees have dropped their leaves usually, December through the first part of March.  By taking photographs during the winter months ground features are  more recognizable and delineating pine and hardwood stands is easier. 

All Texas Forest Service District offices in East Texas maintain a set of 9x9 photographs covering the district.  Texas Forest Service personnel use these photographs for forest management work, forest fire control, southern pine beetle aerial surveys and ground detection, and other uses.  Each photograph has a scale of 1:15,840 (one inch on the photo equals 1,320 feet on the ground) and covers approximately 3,200 acres or five square miles.

Aerial photographs are a useful tool for any forest management activity.  These photographs can be used in conjunction with soil survey maps, USGS topographical maps, and on the ground reconnaissance to plan and execute any forest management activity.  Photos can aid in determining property and harvest boundaries, locating appropriate places to install access roads, marking streamside management zones, and protecting other sensitive areas that may be located on the property.

If you are a landowner and are interested in getting a bird’s eye view of your property visit your local Texas Forest Service District Office.  Personnel in these offices can assist you in finding the best photograph that covers your property or place of interest.  An order form for aerial photographs can be found online as well at http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/water and by clicking on the Forest Management tab located on the left side of the screen.  Here you will find a link to the order form.  Complete this form and mail it to the address listed on the order form.

Inquiries regarding aerial photographs should be directed to your local Texas Forest Service District Office but if you have questions regarding BMPs, please contact me by calling (936) 639-8180.   

* This article was published in the September 2005 issue of the Texas Logger

BMP Trivia Question

Waterbars intercept and/or divert side ditch and surface runoff from roads, firebreaks, and trails, (which may or may not have vehicular traffic) to minimize erosion and provide conditions suitable for natural or artificial re-vegetation. According to the BMP handbook what is the proper spacing for waterbars on a road that had a slope of 15%?


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BMP Informer - August 2005

August Issue of the BMP Informer Now Available

• Timber Sale Contract Basics
• BMP Guidelines and Vendor Information
• Improving My Land Streamside Management Zones
• Want to See Examples of BMPs at Work?
• Who Can Answer My BMP Questions?
• BMP Training Workshop Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary
• Looking for a Good Logging Contractor?

July BMP Q&A

By: Shane Harrington, BMP Forester (Ret.), Texas Forest Service

Q:  I heard that the Texas Forest Service has recently released a revised version of the BMP Handbook, is this true?  If so, how can I get a copy of the revised handbook? 

A:  The Texas Forest Service along with the Texas Forestry Association’s BMP Task Force recently evaluated and made revisions to the current BMP guidelines.  These revisions were made in an effort to continue to improve and enhance the ability of forest landowners, loggers, and other forestry professionals to effectively protect water quality before, during, and after silvicultural operations.

           

BMPs were developed in 1989, and have undergone three major revisions over the past 15 years.  It is important to review and update these guidelines periodically to ensure that they are still effective in protecting water quality.  BMPs prevent almost 12,000 tons of dirt from entering East Texas streams annually and over 96,000 tons of dirt from eroding off East Texas forestlands.  This is enough dirt to cover a football field, endzone to endzone, 30 feet high.

To make the new books distinguishable from past versions the color was changed from light blue to dark blue.  Also new terms were added to the glossary, statistical data was updated, and some guidelines were clarified.  

Two sections were added to the handbook that address stream classification and basal area.  The “Stream Classification” section, found under the Recommended Specifications for Streamside Management Zones (SMZs), lists characteristics that can be used in the field to distinguish between perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams.  This is important because ephemeral streams do not require leaving an SMZ along both sides.  The other section, entitled “How to Calculate Basal Area” and located in the Appendix, was added to aid loggers, foresters, and landowners in properly calculating basal area to ensure that 50 square feet of basal area is left inside SMZs.  This section gives step-by-step instructions on how to calculate basal area. 

A summary of all revisions made to the BMP guidelines has been placed at the beginning of the new BMP Handbook.  By reviewing all of the revisions and familiarizing yourself with the changes you can ensure that BMPs are being implemented properly.  To obtain a copy of the new BMP Handbook, please visit the Texas Forest Service website at http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/water or contact the Texas Forest Service BMP Project Office at (936) 639-8180.  If you have any questions about BMPs or any of the revisions made to the BMP Handbook please contact Shane Harrington at the TFS BMP Project Office. 

* This article was published in the July 2005 issue of the Texas Logger

 

June BMP Q&A

By: Shane Harrington, BMP Forester (Ret.), Texas Forest Service

Q:   I am considering selling some of my timber but I have never done anything like this before.  I want to have a timber sale contract drawn up and wanted to make sure that best management practices (BMP’s) are included.  Are there any specific BMP’s that I should include in the contract or just say that all BMP’s should be followed?

A:  I am glad to hear that you are taking the time to have a timber sale contract drawn up before conducting your timber sale.  Timber sale contracts are important because they provide a set of guidelines for the sale to operate under but most importantly they protect the interest of both the buyer and seller.  There are many things to consider and to include when writing a timber sale contract and that is why is it is important to have a professional forester help you with this versus doing it yourself.  Although some things are specific to a specific sale and may not apply to yours, BMP’s should always be included in any timber sale contract.

Including BMP’s in your timber sale contract helps ensure that all guidelines and recommendations for Texas Forestry BMP’s will be followed and water quality will be protected. Some landowners simply put a clause in their contract stating that all Texas Forestry BMP’s will be followed during the harvest operation while others find it necessary to spell out specific BMP’s that should be implemented.

Specific guidelines that may need to be spelled out may include defining “wet weather”.  The definition of wet weather differs from person to person so it is good to include a statement defining wet weather and when work should be halted due to wet weather.  Conducting a harvest operation when it is too wet can lead to excessive rutting which changes the natural drainage, channels water increasing erosion and sedimentation, and lowers site productivity.  The Texas Forest Service recommends that rutting not exceed six inches in depth for a length of more than fifty feet.

Other guidelines that you may want to include in your contract are where and how streams should be crossed and all roads should be revegetated upon the completion of the harvesting operation.  There may be certain areas along your stream that you do not want a logger disturbing by putting in a stream crossing so that would need to be included in your contract.  Also you would want to state that all temporary crossings should be removed and the stream banks and approaches restored and stabilized. 

The road systems implemented during harvest operations account for approximately 90% of all sedimentation that occurs during and after silvicultural operations.  Stating that all roads and skid trails should be stabilized by either revegetating or slashing, depending on your access needs, should be included in the contract.  The Texas Forest Service recommends that all skid trails and haul roads be properly stabilized by using water control structures such as waterbars, by revegetating or slashing, and/or reshaping the road.

Many important things go into writing a timber sale contract and conducting a successful timber sale and that is why it is recommended that you seek assistance from a professional forester.  Also another good way to ensure that BMP’s are used during your operation is to choose a Pro-Logger who has been trained in implementing BMP’s.  If you have any questions regarding timber sale contracts or BMP’s please call me at (936) 639-8180.  

* This article was published in the June 2005 issue of the Texas Logger

BMP Trivia Question

"Point Sources" of water pollution are those that can be traced back to a specific entry point or location (i.e., a pipe), and are generally man-made. In forestry we more commonly deal with "Nonpoint Sources" of pollution. What is the definition for nonpoint source pollution according to the glossary in the BMP handbook?


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April BMP Q&A

By: Shane Harrington, BMP Forester (Ret.), Texas Forest Service

Q: Do BMPs apply to land conversion operations?  I am a landowner here in East Texas and I am considering converting my land from timber to pastureland.  So do I still need to implement BMPs during and after this harvest job?

A:  Today more and more timberland is being converted for other uses such as pastureland, residential expansion, and the list goes on and on.  The Texas Forest Service (TFS) encourages the use of BMPs before, during, and after any silvicultural (forestry) operation.  However, the BMP Bluebook only offers guidelines and recommendations for protecting water quality during forestry operations and not during land conversions.  Although the Bluebook does not address land conversion operations, there are many reasons why you would want to follow many of the forestry BMPs.

Land conversion, just like forestry operations, has the potential to negatively impact water quality if done improperly.  For this reason, I would recommend leaving a streamside management zone (SMZ) along both sides of any perennial or intermittent streams that may be running through the area that is being converted to pasture.  The SMZ should follow the guidelines specified in the Bluebook and extend out 50 feet on both sides of the stream and retain a minimum of 50 square feet of basal area per acre. 

It is important to remember that SMZs play an important role in filtering the runoff before it enters the stream.  The fact that you are clearing the land will only increase the amount of water flow across the area thus increasing the chance of sediment or other types of nonpoint source pollution entering the stream.  SMZs also provide valuable habitat for many different species of wildlife and since this is being converted to pasture, the SMZ may also serve as a good shady spot for livestock if you will have any grazing in this pasture.  Not only does the SMZ provide shade for livestock but also for the steam, keeping the water temperature cool and the root systems of the trees aid in stabilizing streambanks keeping them from washing away.

The TFS would also recommend the use of water control structures such as waterbars, rolling dips, broad based dips, wing ditches, etc. on any road or skid trail left after the harvest job.  Chances are that most if not all of the roads and skid trails used during the operation will be seeded and become part of the pasture.  Until the seed has established itself water control structures should be used in order to prevent any dirt from moving off the road and possibly into the stream.  Also by using these water control structures you are keeping your topsoil in place which is beneficial in producing a healthy pasture.

While forestry BMPs are not designed or expected to be implemented during land conversions, you can see that BMPs are very broad based and it makes sense to consider implementing some of these practices.  Also, you may want to contact your local NRCS office to see if there are other agricultural BMPs that need to be followed that are more specific to pastureland.  Whether you are conducting a forestry operation, land conversion, or some other operation remember that everyone plays a role in protecting the water quality of our lakes, rivers, and streams.  Take time to review all aspects of your operation and things that can be done to minimize the impact on the surrounding environment.

If you have any questions regarding BMPs please call me at (936) 639-8180.  Also if you need a copy of the newly revised BMP Bluebook please visit or call your local TFS office or you can view it online at http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/water.  

* This article was published in the April 2005 issue of the Texas Logger