Working forests cover nearly two-thirds of the land area in the state, and they serve as the ecological backdrop for Georgia’s most pristine landscapes — providing critical value such as habitat for wildlife, clean air to breathe and, importantly, clean and cool water.

Thanks to a longstanding partnership between the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) and forest product manufacturers and loggers across the state, Georgia’s forestry community is very intentional in protecting the state’s valuable water resource through the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for forestry operations.

Many of Georgia’s 44,000 miles of perennial streams, 24,000 miles of intermittent streams, and 600 miles of ditches and canals begin in or flow through forested land, making forests one of the most significant factors contributing to water quality and quantity. Forests filter and purify the rainfall, thereby ensuring availability of clean water to millions of Georgians. In fact, water produced by these forest streams is much less expensive to treat at municipal water treatment plants than stream water flowing from land used for other purposes.

“Many communities across the state are dependent on surface water for their drinking water, and millions of dollars are invested annually in treating that water,” said Scott Thackston, GFC water quality program coordinator. “Well-managed forests and forestry operations that are following BMPs contribute a lot to reducing the cost of water treatment.”

A Statewide Effort

Since 1977, Georgia EPD has partnered with GFC to develop, educate, implement, and monitor the use of BMPs, which are focused on minimizing erosion and stream sedimentation that could potentially result from forestry operations, such as harvesting, road construction, stream crossings, and other forestry practices. Developed by GFC and approved by EPD, the BMP manual provides specific, scientific guidelines for loggers and landowners when conducting forest operations near wetlands and streams of different sizes and/or flow characteristics.

GFC’s Water Quality Program, managed by Thackston and supported by GFC foresters spread across the state, is highly focused on educating a broad group of stakeholders about BMPs to ensure that they are implemented correctly,
and so the public has a base level of knowledge about the program and its benefits. Over the years, GFC has built an
outreach network consisting of government agencies, forestry organizations, environmental/conservation NGOs, and
others. In addition, this educational effort is critical to ensuring that all forestry operations conducted in the state are in
compliance with BMPs.

The Industry’s Role in Sustainability

In Georgia, approximately 28 of the largest forest product manufacturers (or wood-using facilities) are voluntarily certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s (SFI) Fiber Sourcing Standard. Through this standard, each manufacturer must show that the raw material in their supply chain comes from legal and responsible sources, whether the actual forested land is certified or not.

As a result, these SFI mills require loggers who deliver forest products to their facilities to be Master Timber Harvester (MTH) trained. MTH training is an intensive educational process that includes instruction in water quality protection and BMPs among other wood sourcing guidelines. The program is offered by the Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business at the University of Georgia and the Georgia SFI Implementation Committee, in cooperation with the GFC, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Department of Public Safety and the Southeastern Wood Producers Association.

With more than 1,580 MTH-trained loggers across the state, BMP implementation on forested land near these primary
wood-using facilities has increased tremendously over time. In fact, according to a 2018 study from the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the average BMP compliance rate of survey sites within the wood baskets of certified mills was higher by about 2 percent relative to surveyed sites located outside of the wood basket of uncertified mills over a period of 14 years (2002 to 2015).

“We acknowledge that a high rate of forestry BMP implementation is not an absolute, but rather a robust, indicator
of forest sustainability,” said Dr. Puneet Dwivedi, the primary author of the study from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Monitoring Compliance and Implementation 

Due in large part to the broad educational network and MTH training, statewide BMP implementation is currently at 93.2 percent. Every two years, GFC conducts a BMP Implementation Survey that evaluates the implementation of practices such as streamside management zones (SMZs), stream crossings, forest roads, special management areas, harvesting (outside SMZs), mechanical site prep, chemical site prep, firebreaks/burning, tree planting, and equipment servicing.

GFC conducts this survey under an agreement with EPD and through an understanding with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers. Under the same agreement, GFC also investigates and mediates forestry water quality and wetland complaints.

Threats to Water Quality 

Georgia’s population is projected to increase to 14.7 million by 2030, making it the eighth most populous state, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. This poses a huge threat to water quality and quantity for the state as forestlands could be converted to urban and suburban uses. The addition of impervious surfaces in landscapes that were formerly forested or used for agriculture results in increased stormwater runoff as well as changes to drainage patterns.

“We’ve known for a long time that maintaining well-managed forests equals a clean and healthy water supply,” Thackston said. “That is why BMPs are so important. It allows the landowner to maintain the land as a working forest,
providing periodic income to sustain the landowner while continuing to provide rich environmental benefits such as clean water.”

As Georgia continues to grow, it will be in the best interest of all citizens to support the concept of well-managed
forests, which provide benefits that impact our daily lives. 
Matt Hestad is the Executive Director of Communications and Strategy for the Georgia Forestry Association.