Inspecting for Water Quality

In Virginia, loggers are required to protect water quality during a timber harvest. The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) created Best Management Practices (BMPs) as guidelines for proper timber harvesting. To ensure voluntary compliance with these guidelines, the VDOF began conducting Best Management Practice Field Audits in 1993. The field audits provide a useful tool in gauging the status of Virginia's water resource. Summary reports of the field audits are available below in PDF format.

Best Management Practice (BMP) Effort, Implementation, and Effectiveness Field Audit

The field audit serves three purposes:

1. to identify current levels of effort in attempting to use BMPs, whether or not BMPs meet technical specifications,
2. to identify current levels of BMP implementation as compared to the technical BMP implementation standards documented in the VDOF BMP handbook.
3. to identify effectiveness levels for BMPs that have been implemented to VDOF standards.

• Read the Audit Reports.

Forest Reference Streams

• Learn how the Virginia Department of Forestry is pioneering the use of these undisturbed waterways.

Last modified: Monday, 10-Mar-2008 19:32:05 UTC