Forestry best management practices

Forestry best management practices

Water. Cool, clean, plentiful water. Idaho’s 93,000 miles of rivers and streams support many uses. In Idaho, as in all of the western United States, water rights, water quantity and water quality are at the center of many of our environmental challenges.

Forestry best management practices (BMPs) are those found to be the most effective means of preventing or reducing non-source pollution delivered to streams and rivers by forest practices. BMPs also protect water quality by providing:

• Shade, which keeps streams cool;
• Vegetation, which captures sediment before it can enter streams; and
• Large woody debris, which increases aquatic habitat.

This field guide was developed by University of Idaho Extension to educate forest landowners, managers and operators about Idaho Forest Practices Act (IFPA) rules that protect, maintain and enhance Idaho's forests and maintain high water quality. A free hard copy of this publication can be requested from any Idaho Department of Lands office.

This project was supported by the Renewable Resource Extension Act in partnership with UI Extension, University of Idaho College of Natural Resources and Idaho Department of Lands.

Find an Idaho Department of Lands adviser

Topic areas

Learn more about water quality, watersheds, working forests, timber harvesting and more.

How-to guides

Discover how to file a notification, construct a ford, install a culvert and more. View the following documents for guidance:

• File a notification of forest practice (pdf)
• Apply for a stream channel alteration permit (pdf)
• Locate a spring protection zone (pdf)
• Identify soil characteristics (pdf)
• Build a slash filter windrow (pdf)
• Construct a ford; install a permanent culvert (pdf)

Resources