# Symposium on Forestry

Best Management Practice
Effectiveness in the Eastern US

ABSTRACTS OF PRESENTATIONS

AND POSTERS

Skelton Conference Center Blacksburg, VA

May 12

- 15, 2014

Co

- sponsored by the
National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI), the Society of American Foresters,

and Virginia TechBMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 1 

### Symposium on Forestry Best Management Practice

Effectiveness in the Eastern US

Skelton Conference Center, Blacksburg, VA

May 12

- 15, 2014

Agenda

Monday

– May 12, 2014: Welcome Reception (Poster Presentations)

(6:00 pm to 9:00 pm)

Tuesday

– May 13, 2014: Oral Presentations and Poster Session

(8:00 am to 5:30 pm)

 19 Oral Presentations (20

- min each, 380 minutes)



### Wednesday

– May 14, 2014: Field Tour (all day)

 7:00 am Leave Blacksburg, travel to Reynolds Homestead

 Stop 1 9:45

- 10:00 Designed Roads with good BMPs Kris Brown, Clay Sawyers

 Stop 2 10:10

- 10.25 Legacy Roads with improvements Kris Brown

 Stop 3 10:45

- 11:20 Skid Trail BMPs Chad Bolding

 Stop 4a 11:35

- 11:40 Biomass Harvesting BMPs Scott Barrett

 Stop 4b 11:40

- 11:50 Fire line BMPs Mike Aust

 Stop 5 12:00

- 12:50 Box Lunch at RJR

 Stop 6: 1:05

- 1:15 History of Reynolds Homestead Clay Sawyers/Kyle Peer

 Stop 7:1:20

- 1:35 Low water crossing and approaches Clay Sawyers

 Stop 8 1:40

- 1:55 Road standards and sediment AJ Lang

 Stop 9 2:05

- 2:20 Legacy roads without improvements Kris Brown

 Stop 10a 2:45

- 3:00 SMZ BMPs Mike Aust

 Stop 10b 3:00

- 3:15 Stream approach BMPs Kris Brown

 Stop 10c 3:15

- 3:30 Bridge BMPs Brian Morris

 Stop 11 3:45

- 4:00 Culvert BMPs Brian Morris

 Stop 12a 4:10

- 4:15 Ford BMPs Brian Morris

 Stop 12b :4:15

- 4:45 Group Discussion

 5:00: Leave Reynolds Homest ead

 6:45 Arrive Conference Center



### Thursday

– May 15, 2015: Oral prese ntations continue (8:00am

– 12:1 0pm)

 Concurrent sessions

 20 Oral presentations ( 20

- min each, 400 minutes)

39 Oral presentations (20

- mins each): 780 minutes

1 3 Poster presentations2 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 

### TENTATIVE SESSION AGENDA

Tuesday (19 talks, 380 minutes)

8:00

– 8:40 Introduction and Opening Remarks

8:40

– 10:00 Session #1: SMZ Effectiveness and Wetland BMPs (4 talks)

Spatial and Temporal Frequency of Overland Flow from Piedmont Pine Plantations ( Rhett Jackson, University of Georgia)

Streamside Management Zones Compromised by Stream Crossings, Legacy Gullies, and

Over

- Harvest in the Piedmont ( A.J. Lang, Virginia Tech)

How Well Do Riparian Buffers and Best Management Practices Protect Water Reso urces of Small Streams: Results of a Seven

- Year Study in Maine ( Ethel Wilkerson, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences)

Influence of Variable Streamside Management Zone Configurations on Water Quality Following Harvest ( Christopher Barton, University o f Kentucky)

10:00

– 10:30 BREAK

10:30

– 11:50 Session #2: SMZ Effectiveness and Wetland BMPs (3 talks)

Streamside Management Zone Residual Values and Potential Management Options ( Bill Lakel, Virginia Division of Forestry )

Using Mat Logging BMPs to Improve Recovery of Forested Wetlands Following Harvesting ( Kimberly Bohn, University of Florida )

Long Term Effects of Wet Weather Harvesting in the Flatwoods ( Mike Aust, Virginia

Tech )

12:00

– 1:00 LUNCH

1:00

– 2:00 Session #3: BMPs, Biodiversity and Disturbance 1 (3 talks)

Assessment of Streamside Management Zone Efficacy for Conserving Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities Following Timber Harvest in Eastern Kentucky

Headwater Catchments ( Joshua K. Adkins, Transyl vania University )

Effects of Timber Harvest within Streamside Management Zones on Salamander Populations in Ephemeral Streams of Southeastern Kentucky ( Thomas Maigret, University of Kentucky )BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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The Effect of Microsite on Invasive Species Colonization Asso ciated with the Use of Timber Harvesting BMPs ( Kevin Devine, University of Kentucky )

2:00

– 3:00 Session #4: Watershed Scale Research 1 (3 talks)

Effectiveness of Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality Protection in

Four Headwater Catchmen ts in the Falls Lake Watershed ( Johnny Boggs, Biological
Scientist, USDA Forest Service )

The Florida Fertilization Project: Monitoring BMP Effectiveness with High Resolution

Data ( Daniel McLaughlin, University of Florida )

Assessing BMP Effectiveness for Woody Biomass Production for Bioenergy in

Groundwater

- Dominated Coastal Plain Watersheds ( Natalie Griffiths, Oak Ridge National Laboratory )

3:00

– 3:30 BREAK

3:30

– 5:30 Session #5: Roads, Skid Trails and Stream Crossings (6 talks)

Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Sediment Delivery From Reopened Legacy Roads at Forest Stream Crossings ( Kristopher Brown, Virginia Tech )

Effectiveness and Cost of Implementing Skid Trail BMPs ( Chad Bolding, Virginia Tech )

Effectiveness of Elevated Skid Trail Headwater Stream Crossings in the Cumberland

Plateau ( Christopher Reeves, University of Kentucky )

Virginia State

- wide Forest Road Stream Crossing Sediment Contribution ( Brian Morris, Virginia Tech )

Methods for Detecting and Resolving Passage Issues for Small, Non

- game Fish at Road

Stream Crossings (

Andy Dolloff, US Forest Service )

Recreational Stream Crossing Effects on Sediment Delivery and Macroinvertebrates in Southwestern Virginia, USA ( Kathryn R. Kidd, Virginia Tech )

Wednesday

– All Day Field Tour (7:00 am

– 6:45 pm)4 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014

Thursday

– C oncurrent sessions (20 Talks, 400 minutes)

8:00

– 10:00 Session #6: State and Federal BMP E ffectiveness and Implementation

Monitoring (6 talks)

State Forestry Agency Efforts to Monitor BMP Effectiveness: A Southern Perspective ( Hughes Simpson, Texas A&M Forest Service )

Forestry BMP Education & Training in the South ( Tom Gerow, North Carolina Division of Forestry )

Assessment of State Forestry Best Management Practices for the Eastern U.S. ( Richie Cristan, Virginia Tech )

Forest Harvesting in Tennessee: BMP Implementation Rates, Demographic Profiles and

Costs Associated with the Non

- Regulatory Program ( Wayne Clatterbuck, University of

Tennessee )

The Forest Service National BMP Program

– Assessing the First Year of Monitoring ( Pam Edwards, US Forest Service )

Forest Harvesting BMPs in the Chesapeake Bay ( Sally Claggett, US Forest Service )

8:00

– 9:00 Session #7a: Watershed Scale Research (3 talks)

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Forestry Best Management Practice Implementation in the Flat Creek Watershed ( Kristopher Brown, Virginia Tech)

Texas Alto Watershed Study

– Evaluating the Hydrologic Effects of Intensive

Silviculture with BMPs and Other Land Uses on Water Resources ( Matt McBroom, Stephen F. Austin State University)

Assessing BMP Effectiveness in the Pacific Northwest: Value of Collaborative, Integrated Research Programs ( Bob Bilby, Weyerhaeuser Company)

9:00

– 10:00 Session #7b: BMPs, Biodiversity and Disturbance 2 (3 talks)

The Role and Function of Streamside Management Zones for Biodiversity Conservation on Forested Landscapes ( Darren Miller, Weyerhaeuser Company )

Potential Effects of Forestry Operations and Associated BMPs on Stream and Riparian Species ( Mike Aust, Virginia Tech )

Use of Simple Suspended and Bed Sediment Metrics to Explain Biotic Index Variability and Relationships between Fish and Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Metrics in Georgia

Piedmont Streams ( Denise Carr oll, Georgia Southern University )BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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10:00

– 10:30 BREAK

10:30

– 11:50 Session #8: Innovative Approaches to Assessing BMP Effectiveness

(4 talks)

Road Sediment Models: Strengths and Necessary Improvements ( Bob Danehy, NCASI )

Nutrient Tracking Tool

– A User

- Friendly Tool for Calculating Nutrient Losses Under Various Agricultural and Forestry Management Practices ( Ali Saleh, Tarleton State University )

Can WEPP Estimate BMP Effectiveness from Experimental Forest Roads? ( Kevin McGuire, Virginia Tech )

A Ho listic Risk

- Based Approach for BMP Effectiveness at the Watershed Scale ( Rob
Slesak, Minnesota Forest Resources Council )

10:30

– 11:50 Session #9: Woody Biomass (4 talks)

Field Implementation and Effectiveness of Riparian Buffers in Forest Biofuel Opera tions ( Jami Nettles, Weyerhaeuser Company )

A Comparison of Best Management Practices (BMP) Implementation and Estimated Erosion Rates on Biomass and Conventional Harvesting Operations in the Piedmont of Virginia ( Scott Barrett, Virginia Tech )

Recommended Management Practices for Bioenergy Production ( Rebecca Efroymson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory )

Sustainability Standards and Best Management Practices: Integrating Paradigms for Enhanced, Sustainable Forest Management ( James McCubbins, University of Ill inois,

Urbana

- Champaign )6 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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### SESSION #1 (8:40

– 10:00 AM)

STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONE EFFECTIVENESS

AND WETLAND BMPs

Spatial and Temporal Frequency of Overland Flow from Piedmont Pine Plantations

Rhett Jackson, University of Georgia

Streamside Management Zones Compromised by Stream Crossings, Legacy Gullies,

and Over

- Harvest in the Pi edmont

A.J. Lang, Virginia Tech

How Well Do Riparian Buffers and Best Management Practices Protect Water

Resources of Small Streams : Results of a Seven

- Year Study in Maine

Ethel Wilkerson, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

Influence of Variable Streamside Management Zone Configurations on Water Quality Following Harvest

Christopher Barton, University of Kentucky

10:00

– 10:30 AM BREAK8 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL FREQUENCY OF OVERLAND FLOW

FROM PIEDMONT PINE PLANTATIONS

Presenter: Rhett Jackson, University of Georgia, Athens, GA ( rjackson@warnell.uga.edu )

Co

- Authors: Rhett Jackson and Joan Schneier, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Forest clearcutting and site preparation can increase the frequency of overland flow by expanding variable source areas and creating bare soils that produce Horton overland flow. The resulting surface runoff may enter SMZs as either dispersed sheet flow or concentrated runoff. This study quantified the spatia l and temporal frequency of overland flow entering the streamside management zones (SMZs) of two clearcut, bedded, and planted areas plus an uncut mature reference area in the Georgia Piedmont. Overland flow collection cups, called runoff cups hereafter, w ere established at 30 m intervals along the SMZ boundaries. Runoff cups were installed with the lips flush with the ground along the upper edge of the SMZ. These cups were covered with a shingle roof raised on two stakes to exclude rainfall from entering t he cup. Absence or presence of runoff was tallied for events exceeding 13 mm. Surface runoff commonly occurred in plantations from well distributed locations around the SMZ, with high spatial and storm variability. Cup responsiveness and bare ground decrea sed from the first to the second year after harvest. Response frequency was best correlated to rainfall factor “R” from the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation , total storm depth, and 24

- hour and 6

- hour maximum

intensities. Runoff locations were well dis tributed, and some CFTs fully penetrated the SMZ. Mean plantation concentrations of dissolved nitrates, phosphates and suspended solids were 2.1, 0.21, 54 mg/L the first year, and 0.1, 0.12, 36 mg/L the second year, respectively. Results suggest that varia ble width SMZs with greater protection of variable source areas and gullies would increase water quality protection.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONES COMPROMISED BY STREAM CROSSINGS, LEGACY GULLIES, AND OVER

- HARVEST IN THE PIEDMONT

Presenter: A.J. Lang, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA ( Lan0893@vt.edu )

Co

- Authors: A.J. Lang, W.M. Aust, M.C. Bolding, S.M. Barrett and

K.J. McGuire, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA W.A. Lakel, III, Virginia Dept. of Forestry, Charlottesville, VA

Streamside management zones (SMZs) are commonly used best management practices (BMPs) for the protection of water quality from silvicultural disturbances, yet the integrity of SMZs may be compromised so that water borne pollutants are not trapped

within the SMZ. The overall goal of this project was to identify and characterize SMZ “breakthroughs” so that BMP recommendations can be refined for compromised SMZs. SMZs associated with 16 clearcut harvests in the Virginia Piedmont were evaluated after

harvest closure. Ten kilometers of SMZ borders were carefully examined for partial breakthroughs or complete breakthroughs. Partial breakthroughs trapped a portion of the sediment, while complete breakthroughs appeared to have allowed sediment to pass through with minimal restriction. An average of 3.3 complete breakthroughs/km of SMZ occurred. The 41 breakthroughs recorded across 16 sites were comprised of 33 complete breakthroughs and eight partial breakthroughs. The most common complete breakthroughs were caused by stream crossings (42%), reactivation of legacy agricultural gullies (27%), and harvest related soil disturbances near or within SMZs (24%). Better compliance with existing BMPs could have reduced sediment delivery for 16 of the 33 complete breakthrough s. Minimizing the number and area of stream crossings and ensuring adequacy of BMPs for stream crossing approaches (e.g., cover, water control, and closure) may reduce breakthroughs. Stabilization of legacy gullies could be accomplished by a variety of tec hniques such as retention of SMZs around gullies and gully stabilization with slash or sediment retention structures. Breakthroughs can also be reduced by more complete adherence to existing guidelines for pre

- harvest identification of stream crossings and SMZs and retention of appropriate levels of residual trees within

SMZs.10 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 HOW WELL DO RIPARIAN BUFFERS AND BEST MANAGEMENT

PRACTICES PROTECT WATER RESOURCES OF SMALL STREAMS:

RESULTS OF A SEVEN

- YEAR STUDY IN MAINE

Presenter: Ethel Wilkerson, Manomet Cen ter for Conservation Sciences,

Brunswick, ME ( ewilkerson@manomet.org )

Co

- Authors: Ethel Wilkerson and Andrew Whitman,

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

, Brunswick, ME

Timber harvesting operations near waterways can alter the physical, chemical, and biological composition of streams and rivers. BMPs such as riparian buffers and minimization of vegetation and soil disturbance near the channel can avoid post

- harvest change s to water resources. We conducted a harvest experiment on 15 small streams in

western Maine to test the effectiveness of riparian buffers of different widths and other best management practices to protect against changes within streams and riparian areas. Fifteen streams were assigned to 5 treatment groups (3 streams per treatment): (1) clearcut harvest with no stream buffer, (2) clearcut with partially harvested (<40% removal) 11

- m buffers, both sides, (3) clearcut with partially harvested 23

- m buffers,

b oth sides, (4) selection cut harvest retaining at least 13.7 m 2 /ha residual basal area with no designated buffer, and (5) controls. Before the timber harvest and six years after the harvest, we measured stream and riparian air temperatures, water quality p arameters, and

nutrient concentrations both within the 12

- ha harvest zone and upstream of harvesting operations in undisturbed forest. This harvest experiment yield these findings: (1) careful application of best management practices that minimized vegetat ion and soil disturbance near the stream channel prevented post

- harvest changes in pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and soluble reactive phosphorus in all treatment groups including streams harvested without a buffer, (2) buffers ≥ 11m wide protected against significant long

- term (>1 year) increases stream and riparian air temperatures, (3) partial removal ( ≤ 40% of basal area) of timber within buffers did not interfere with the effectiveness of the buffer to prevent changes in stream and ripa rian air temperatures and water quality parameters, (4) streams harvested without a buffer did show significantly elevated water (2.3

- 3.6 o C) and riparian air (3.4

- 5.4 o C) temperatures that persisted for at least six years after the harvest when vegetation r egrowth provided ~50% canopy cover (measured 0.3 m above the stream channel). We concluded that in harvests that impact ≤ 40% of small watersheds careful application of management practices that minimized soil disturbance

near the stream channel combined wi th relatively narrow, partially harvested riparian buffers can protect temperature and water resources on small streams in Maine.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 11 INFLUENCE OF VARIABLE STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONE CONFIGURATIONS ON WATER QUALITY FOLLOWING FOREST HARVEST

Presenter: Chri stopher Barton, University of Kentucky,

Lexington, KY (barton@uky.edu)

Co

- Authors: Emma Witt, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN Christopher Barton and Jeffrey Stringer, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Alex Cherry, U.S. Geological Survey, Louisvi lle, KY Randall Kolka, USDA Forest Service, Grand Rapids, MN

Streamside management zones (SMZ) are a common best management practice used to minimize impacts to water quality from forest harvesting operations. Further information on the impact of SMZ width and canopy retention as well as the extension of

management zones to the entire stream network is necessary. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of varying SMZ configurations for perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams on stream temperature, and total suspended solids, turbidity, settle able solids, nitrate, and dissolved oxygen concentrations. Watersheds with wider SMZ (33 m, 100% canopy retention) and improved crossings measured no significant change from unharvested control watersheds for all parameters except nitrate

concentration and mean diurnal temperature. Changes in total suspended solids, turbidity, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, and stream temperature were detected for watersheds treated with the current recommended SMZ configurations (50% overstory harvest, 16 m wide SMZ) and water sheds with unharvested SMZ (16 m wide, 100% canopy retention) and improved crossings, but the magnitude of change is not expected to negatively impact water quality. The combination of the use of improved crossings and maximizing the

amount of undisturbed forest floor near streams via a combination of increased SMZ width and canopy retention was effective at minimizing suspended sediment input to the streams due to forest harvesting.12 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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### SESSION #2 (10:30

– 11:50 AM)

STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONE EFFECTIVENESS

AND WETLAND BMPs

Streamside Management Zone Residual Values and Potential Management Options

Bill Lakel, Virginia Division of Forestry

Using Mat Logging BMPs to Improve Recovery of Forested Wetlands Following Harvesting

Kimberly Bohn, University of Florida

Long Term Effects of Wet Weather Harvesting in the Flatwoods

Mike Aust, Virginia Tech

12:00

– 1:00 PM LUNCH14 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 15 STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONE RESIDUAL VALUES

AND POTENTIAL MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

Presenter and Author: Bill Lakel, Virginia Dept. of Forestry, Charlottesville, VA ( william.lakel@dof.virginia.gov )

Streamside Management Zones (SMZS) are widely recognized as an important Best Management Practice (BMP) for protecting surface water quality from silvicultural pollution. Th ese stands often contain valuable timber that is left behind for environmental and societal benefits and can be a significant cost to landowners and/or timber buyers. Sixteen small watersheds in Central Virginia were evaluated post harvest and residual

tim ber values were quantified along with an estimate of storm damage to residual SMZ stands. Feasibility of managing these stands through periodic partial harvests in conjunction with final harvest of adjacent managed pine stands was examined with a

basic fin ancial analysis that included the financial incentives offered by the Virginia riparian buffer tax credit.16 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 USING MAT LOGGING BMPs TO IMPROVE RECOVERY OF

FORESTED WETLANDS FOLLOWING HARVESTING

Presenter: Kimberly Bohn, University of Florida, Milton, FL ( kkbohn@ufl.edu )

Co

- Authors: Kimberly Bohn, University of Florida, Milton, FL Matt Cohen and Amy Washuta, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Wetland logging has received considerable scrutiny in recent decades beca use of potential effects of modern harvesting on site regeneration, ecosystem recovery and subsequent impacts to water quality. The objective of this work was to examine the effectiveness of mat logging BMPs on reduction to soil impacts and subsequent

vege tative recovery in cypress

- tupelo wetlands in Florida. Study sites included 5 mat

logged and 6 conventionally bottom

- logged stands ranging in age from 3

- 15 yrs, as well

as 4 second

- growth reference stands. We determined skid trail areas from aerial imager y, measured depth changes across skid trails, and took field measurements of soils and tree regeneration on

- and off

- trails at each site. Skid trails in conventionally bottom

- logged sites covered more than twice the area than in mat logged sites (27.9 vs 1 3.6%), and were generally twice as deep (30

– 45 cm vs 10

– 25 cm). Soil bulk density did not differ between logging methods, suggesting that conventional bottom

- logging had a greater effect on soil displacement than compaction. Stem densities were variabl e across all sites (1000

– 5000 stems/ac) but generally didn’t differ on and off trails. However, basal area of regeneration was always higher off

- than on

- trail, underscoring the importance of minimizing skid trail extent as it appears to have a direct ef fect on site productivity. Relative densities and basal area by species was similar between reference conditions and mat logged sites. Over extended successional periods it appears that the harvested sites are on a trajectory to recover as intact forested wetlands.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 17 LONG TERM EFFECTS OF WET WEATHER

HARVESTING IN THE FLATWOODS

Presenter: Mike Aust, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA (waust@vt.edu)

Co

- Authors: Mike Aust, Chad Bolding and Brian Strahm,

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Wood using facilities in the southeastern United States typically can store only two weeks of wood inventory, yet wet weather conditions can last from three to six months. Thus, wet weather harvesting is common in the region. Wet weather harvesting system s, such as shovel logging, have made significant advances during the past decade, but wet weather harvesting operations still have considerable potential to cause soil disturbances. Such soil disturbances have been linked to reduced site productivity. We have conducted several experiments in the flatwoods region to evaluate harvesting and site preparation mechanisms for reducing potential negative effects of wet weather harvesting disturbance. One of the major problems associated with wet weather harvestin g is that more compacted and wetter conditions can lead to reduced survival of individual planted trees. Mechanical site preparation or drainage can alleviate reduced survival. The second major issue is that the wet weather harvest disturbances may cause c hanges to soil physical conditions that can limit long term site productivity of the stands. Our research indicates that such reductions can be naturally alleviated on sites that have natural shrink swell conditions or by artificial mechanisms such as fert ilization, bedding, or mole

drainage. Overall, the research indicates that wet weather harvesting impacts can generally be mitigated by artificial manipulations, but the costs of wet weather harvesting mitigation make it advisable to avoid or minimize the situation when possible.18 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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### SESSION #3 (1:00

– 2:00 PM)

BMPs, DISTURBANCE AND BIODIVERSITY

Assessment of Streamside Management Zone Efficacy for Conserving Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities Following Timber Harvest in Eastern Kentucky

Headwater Catchments

Joshua K. Adkins, Transylvania University

Effects of Timber Harvest within Streamside Management Zones on Salamander Populations in Ephemeral Streams of Southeastern Kentucky

Thomas Maigret, University of Kentucky

The Effect of Microsite on Invasive Species Colonization Associated with the Use of Timber Harvesting BMPs

Kevin Devine, University of Kentucky20 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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ASSESSMENT OF STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONE EFFICACY FOR

CONSERVING BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES

FOLLOWING TIMBER HARVEST IN EASTERN

KENTUCKY HEADWATER CATCHMENTS

Presenter: Joshua Adkins, Transylvania University, Lexington, KY (jadkins@transy.edu)

Co

- Authors: Joshua Adkins, Transylvania University, Lexington, KY Christopher Barton and Jeffrey Stringer, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY Scott Grubbs, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

Riparian zones are ecological interfaces that play a key role in maintaining aquatic

terrestrial linkages. Headwater streams generally comprise the majority of stream area in a watershed and strongly influence downstream food webs. Thus, maintaining the integrity of for ested streamside areas is important. Our objective was to determine whether current streamside management zone (SMZ) criteria for the state of Kentucky are adequate to protect aquatic insect communities in headwater streams. Timber harvests were implemente d from June 2008 to October 2009 within six watersheds at Robinson Forest in eastern Kentucky using a two

- age deferment method. Treatments consisted of one of three SMZ configurations that ranged in SMZ width, canopy retention and use of improved ephemeral stream crossings. Treatment 1 followed KY BMP recommendations. Treatment 2 provided enhanced retention of trees within the SMZ and required elevated stream crossings. Treatment 3 enhanced retention further and extended the width of the SMZ, while also req uiring elevated stream crossings. Each SMZ was applied to two

watersheds. Two additional watersheds were used as unharvested controls. Invertebrate samples were collected from three riffles in intermittent and perennial reaches of each watershed. Samples w ere taken using a 0.09 m 2 Surber sampler. The samples were identified to genus and categorized into functional feeding groups. In the perennial reaches, we found greater abundances of shredders in Treatment 2 watersheds, but those

differences were not stat istically significant. We also found the greatest abundance of stoneflies (Order Plecoptera) in the Treatment 2 watersheds, but no difference in the number of stonefly taxa collected. There were no statistical differences in shredder

abundance in the inter mittent reaches, but stoneflies were found in greater numbers in the Treatment 1 intermittent reaches. Abundance of collectors and predators were elevated in the intermittent treatment groups compared to the controls. We found no differences in

the Hilsenh off Biotic Index between treatment groups, though benthic invertebrate

abundance and richness were elevated in all treatment watersheds relative to the control. This suggests that stream invertebrate communities did respond to the timber harvest, though th e current SMZ criteria in Kentucky appear to be adequate for protecting stream

invertebrate communities.22 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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EFFECTS OF TIMBER HARVEST WITHIN STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT

ZONES ON SALAMANDER POPULATIONS IN EPHEMERAL

STREAMS OF SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY

Presenter: T homas Maigret, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY ( thomas.maigret@uky.edu )

Co

- Authors: Thomas Maigret, John Cox, Chris Barton and Steven Price,

University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY Dylan Schneider, Western Kentu cky University, Bowling Green, KY Jeffery Larkin, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA

Habitat loss and fragmentation are two of the most important causes of global population declines and extinction of amphibians. Forestry is an important extr active, economic activity to many human economies, but it can be detrimental to ecosystem function and species viability therein. Salamanders comprise a significant amount of forest community biomass, and given their sensitivity to environmental stressors, often serve as important indicators of declines in forest ecosystem function. Several studies have focused on the impacts of timber harvest on salamanders inhabiting perennial streams, the findings of which have helped inform timber best management practi ces in the U.S. headwater streams and associated riparia account for a small fraction of the total landscape, yet these features are critical to the functioning of forested ecosystems; however, few have examined how timber harvest impacts salamanders in or near these areas. Our objective was to investigate the effects of three different silvicultural treatments, each involving different streamside management zone (SMZ) characteristics, on salamander communities in ephemeral streams. Data were collected by r egular checks of pitfall traps, coverboards, and transect searches. Using both pre

- and post

- harvest data, abundance estimates were acquired using binomial mixture models. Declines in some species of

terrestrial and stream

- breeding salamanders were detecte d, and were shown to be likely related to characteristics of the corresponding silvicultural treatment. We suggest that application of modest SMZ regulations to ephemeral streams would likely reduce or eliminate alleviate salamander declines in these impor tant headwater areas.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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THE EFFECT OF MICROSITE ON INVASIVE SPECIES COLONIZATION

ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF TIMBER HARVESTING BMPs

Presenter: Kevin Devine, University of Kentucky (kdevine321@gmail.com)

Co

- Authors: Kevin Devine, Jeffrey Stringer and Christopher Barton,

University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY Songlin Fei, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

The responses of invasive exotic plant species (IES) to silvicultural treatments one growing season after timber harvesting were examined in the Cumberland Plateau region of Southeastern Kentucky. Treatments included a commercial deferment harvest and unharvested control applied to five watersheds within University of Kentucky’s Robinson Forest. The effects of harvesting were compared between t reatments and between preharvest and postharvest samplings. The spatial distribution and abundance of targeted IES throughout forest sites and trail systems were calculated from several sampling schemes. Additional analyses were performed to quantify fores t disturbances derived from harvest activities to determine the relationships between soil, light levels, and other environmental characteristics and IES cover. Logistic and multivariate analysis techniques were used to analyze differences in IES distribut ion between pre

- harvest and

post

- harvest units to relate post

- harvest IES to microsite conditions. Microsite conditions within the forest and along the trail system proved important for explaining the presence and distribution of IES. Timber harvesting cau sed a significant increase in both Ailanthus

altissima and Microstegium vimineum within harvested areas. However, many other identified IES did not initially respond to disturbances. Throughout the treatment units, species were influenced by disturbance type and intensity, as well as proximity to

reclaimed surface mined land.24 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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### SESSION #4 (2:00

– 3:00 PM)

WATERSHED SCALE RESEARCH

Effectiveness of Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality Protection

in Four Headwater Catchments in the Falls Lake Watershed

Johnny Boggs, USDA Forest Service

The Florida Fertilization Project: Monitoring BMP Effectiveness with High

Resolution Data

Daniel McLaughlin, University of F lorida

Assessing BMP E ffectiveness for W oody B iomass P roduction for Bioenergy in

G roundwater

- D ominated Coastal Plain W atersheds

Natalie Griffiths, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

3:00

– 3:00 PM BREAK26 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 27

EFFECTIVENESS OF FORESTRY BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR WATER QUALITY PROTECTION IN FOUR HEADWATER

CATCHMENTS IN THE FALLS LAKE WATERSHED

Presenter: Johnny Boggs, USDA Forest Service , Raleigh, NC ( jboggs@ncsu.edu )

Co

- Authors: Johnny Boggs , Ge Sun and Steven McNulty,

USDA Forest Service , Raleigh, NC David Jones, NC Forest Service, Raleigh, NC

Forestry BMPs are designed to prevent and reduce nonpoint source pollution delivery to streams and waterbodies during forestry operations. We tested effects of a clear cut harvest with a 50 foot streamside management zone around a small stream to prevent sedimentation and capture nutrients during forest logging operations in the Piedmont of

North Carolina. Four headwater watersheds at Hill Demon stration Forest (HF) and two at Umstead Research Farm (UF) were monitored for streamflow and water quality. We found that streamflow increased dramatically above flow expected without forest cutting ranging from 210%, 250%, and 180% in HF and 255%, 200%, a nd 150% in UF in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively. Total suspended sediment (TSS) load increased above pre

harvest levels, 63 kg/ha, 58 kg/ha and 60 kg/ha in HF and 30 kg/ha, 56 kg/ha, and 71 kg/ha in UF in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively. Total nitro gen (TN) load increased above pre

- harvest levels, 2.3 kg/ha, 1.8 kg/ha, 1.8 kg/ha in HF and 2.9 kg/ha, 3.1 kg/ha, and 1.5 kg/ha in UF in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively. Effects of tree harvest on the larger nested watershed (control and harvest watersh eds combined) at HF were less than

the smaller harvested watershed. Benthic macroinvertebrate biotic index scores maintained good to excellent water quality standards for harvested watersheds. These results align with other BMP effectiveness studies where temporary increases in streamflow were accompanied by increased in

- channel sediment transport and nutrient loads while maintaining aquatic and ecological integrity.28 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 THE FLORIDA FERTILIZATION PROJECT: MONITORING BMP

EFFECTIVENESS WITH HIGH RESOLUTION DATA

Presenter: Daniel McLaughlin, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL (mclaugd@ufl.edu)

Co

- Author s : Daniel McLaughlin and Matthew Cohen

, University of Florida

, Gainesville, FL

The Florida Fertilization Project is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the State’s forestry best management practices (BMPs) to protect water resources and aquatic ecosystems during fertilization operations. In this paired watershe d study, we employed a

novel suite of in situ sensors in coastal blackwater streams to collect high resolution data (sub

- hourly to sub

- daily) on flow, nitrate, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and specific conductance. Such sensors provide new tools to enumerate seasonal to sub

- daily variation in water chemistry and flow, improving inferences of controls acting at different scales. Data will be used to compare baseline and post

- fertilization conditions and to isolate fertilization effects from natural variation. First year pre

- fertilization data clearly demonstrate large solute and flow variation in response to rainfall and day

- night cycles. These latter diurnal patterns are evi dent in several analytes (flow, CDOM, DO), suggesting both watershed (transpiration) and instream (metabolism) influences. Event

driven flow variation has significant water quality effects, including enrichment of nitrate and turbidity, and dilution of SRP and CDOM. These data allow us to quantify natural variation in multiple parameters at the temporal scales at which they actually vary, and thus provide a much richer and more precise approach to elucidating the effects of forest

fertilization and BMP effe ctiveness.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 29 ASSESSING BMP EFFECTIVENESS FOR WOODY

BIOMASS PRODUCTION FOR BIOENERGY IN

GROUNDWATER

- DOMINATED COASTAL PLAIN WATERSHEDS

Presenter: Natalie Griffiths, Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

Oak Ridge, TN (griffithsna@ornl.gov)

Co

- Authors: Natalie Griffiths, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN Rhett Jackson, Menberu Bitew and Enhao Du, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Kellie Vaché, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR Jeffrey McDonnell and Julian Klaus, University of Saskatchewan

, Saskatoon, SK

John Blake , US Forest Service

- Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC

Growing demand for renewable energy sources has spurred interest in producing woody feedstocks for bioenergy from intensively managed, short

- rotation pine forests in the

southe ast US. We are conducting a paired watershed study and hillslope hydrology investigation of the hydrologic and water quality effects of short

- rotation silviculture in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina within the DOE Savannah River Site. The study i ncludes a reference watershed (45 ha) and two treatment watersheds (117 and 169 ha), with approximately 40% of the treatment watershed areas harvested and put into intensive loblolly pine plantations. Achieving target yields requires supernormal competitio n control and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization, with attendant concerns for bare soil runoff and contamination of groundwater. Current Best Management Practices (BMPs) for forestry in South Carolina were implemented during harvest and management of pi ne, allowing us to assess whether BMPs are effective at protecting

water resources for this more intensive silviculture.

Our monitoring program includes sampling from streams, shallow and deep groundwater wells, and hillslope and riparian piezometers bo th before and during conversion to short

rotation pine. We are also conducting concentrated flow track surveys along the streamside management zone (SMZ) perimeters at the end of each summer. Streamflow is intermittent, and groundwater contours suggest tha t groundwater flowpaths do not respect surficial basin boundaries. Estimation of the hydrologic effects of intensive forest management therefore requires hydrologic models structured and calibrated to represent dominant processes in this low

- relief terrain . Groundwater monitoring for herbicides and nutrients is critical, as baseline measurements, experiments, and modeling suggest that upland areas and streams are rarely connected hydrologically and that groundwater is the

dominant source of stream flow and nutrients. Preliminary estimates of groundwater transit times are in the range of a decade, so excess fertilizers may not appear in the streams for many years. The post

- treatment water quality data support this hypothesis, as

there have been no increases i n stream water nitrate and ammonium concentrations post

harvest or post

- fertilization; however, ammonium and nitrate concentrations in deep groundwater have increased. Continued coupling of measurements and modeling will

assess the short

- and long

- term eff ects of intensive silviculture for bioenergy and the

effectiveness of current BMPs.30 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 31 

### SESSION #5 (3:30

– 5:30 PM)

ROADS, SKID TRAILS AND STREAM CROSSINGS

Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Sediment Delivery From Reopened Legacy Roads at Forest Stream Crossings

Kristopher Brown, Virginia Tech

Effectiveness and Cost of Implementing Skid Trail BMPs

Chad Bolding, Virginia Tech

Effectiveness of Elevated Skid Trail Headwater Stream Crossings in the

Cumberland Plateau

Christopher Reeves, University of Kentucky

Virginia State

- wide Forest Road St r eam Crossing Sediment Contribution

Brian Morris, Virginia Tech

Methods for Detecting and Resolving Passage Iss ues for Small, Non

- game Fish at

Road

- Stream Crossings

Andy Dolloff, US Forest Service

Recreational Stream Crossing Effects on Sediment Delivery and Macroinvertebrates in Southwestern Virginia, USA.

Kathryn R. Kidd, Virginia Tech32 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 33 EFFECTIVENESS OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

TO REDUCE SEDIMENT DELIVERY FROM REOPENED

LEGACY ROADS AT FOREST STREAM CROSSINGS

Presenter: Kristopher Brown, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA ( krisrb3@vt.edu )

Co

- Authors: Kristopher Brown, Mike Aust, Kevin McGuire, Cully Hession and Andy Dolloff, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Efforts to control surface runoff and erosion from forest roads at stream crossings ar e critical for the protection of aquatic ecosystems in forests. This research investigated the effects of reopened legacy roads at stream crossings, with diverse intensities of best management practice (BMP) implementations, on sediment delivery rates to s treams in the Virginia Piedmont physiographic region. We evaluated model performance of the Universal Soil Loss Equation modified for forested land (USLE

- forest) and the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) to predict annual sediment delivery rates from roads at stream crossings. We also examined the relationship between Virginia Department of Forestry BMP audit scores for roads and stream crossings and observed sediment delivery rates. Without improvements to road grade, surface cover, or water control, sediment delivery rates ranged from 34 to 287 Mg ha - 1 year - 1 . In comparison, completely graveled stream crossing approaches had sediment delivery rates that ranged from 10 to 16 Mg ha - 1 year - 1 . E vent

- based surface runoff and associated total suspended sol ids (TSS) concentrations were compared among a succession of gravel surfacing treatments that represented increasing intensities of best management practice (BMP) implementations on reopened stream crossing approaches. The three treatments were Bare (10

- 19 % cover), Low Gravel (34

- 60% cover), and High Gravel (50

- 99% cover). Median TSS concentration of surface runoff for the Bare treatment (2.84 g L - 1 ) was greater than Low Gravel (1.10 g L - 1 ) and High Gravel (0.82 g L - 1 ) by factors of 2.6 and 3.5, respectivel y. Mean gravel costs associated with the Low Gravel and High Gravel treatments were $92 and $184, respectively. Despite poor prediction accuracies, USLE

- forest and WEPP performed well in identifying problem road approaches, which were characterized by

insu fficient water

- control structures and inadequate surface cover. Combined audit scores for roads and stream crossings indicated that problem road approaches were associated with BMP compliance below 70%. Overall, these findings show that reopened legacy

roa ds and associated stream crossing approaches can deliver significant quantities of sediment if roads are not adequately closed or maintained and that corrective BMPs, such as gravel and appropriate spacing of water control structures, can reduce sediment

d elivery to streams.

Key words : Erosion control, forest roads, stream crossing approaches, water quality, erosion model evaluation, BMP cost

- effectiveness, BMP audit score34 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014

EFFECTIVENESS AND COST OF IMPLEMENTING SKID TRAIL BMP s

Presenter: Chad Bolding, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA ( bolding@vt.edu )

Co

- Authors: Chad Bolding and Mike Aust, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

We recently completed a series of projects that compared the sediment reduction

effecti veness and cost of several different BMPs for closing skid trails. Studies evaluated skid trail closure on both bladed and overland sites in the Virginia Piedmont, while a related study applied similar treatments to temporary skid trail stream crossings. T he skid trail closure studies were conducted on the Reynolds Homestead Forest Resource Research Center in Critz, VA. The bladed skid trail study was instrumented by creating

six trails on 10

- 15% slopes. At the overland site, no blading was used and four tr ails with an average of 18% slopes were identified from the harvesting operation. Closure treatments were the same at each site: 1) Control

– water bar only, 2) Water bar and seed, 3) Water bar, seed, and straw mulch, 4) Water bar and hardwood slash, and 5 ) Water bar and pine slash. Using PVC gutters and “dirt bags”, sediment was collected at each treatment area and weighed monthly for one year. The skid trail stream crossing study was conducted on forest industry lands in Buckingham County, Virginia. Strea m water samples were collected daily above and below nine temporary skid trail crossings for one year after skid trails were closed with: 1) slash, 2) seed and mulch, and 3) seed, mulch, and silt fence. Ground cover was very effective in reducing the amoun t of sediment produced from both bladed and overland skid trails. Due to more exposed bare soil, the bladed site produced substantially more sediment than the overland site even though the overland site was steeper. Logging slash as well as the seed and mu lch treatment were very effective at reducing erosion. The stream crossing study indicated similar results; both the slash and seed and mulch treatments provided excellent protection of stream water from sediment. These studies emphasize the importance of ground cover as soil stabilization and show that the use of logging slash on skid trails is very effective. Cost results also indicate that if applied during the harvesting operation, the use of existing slash may be the most cost effective technique for c losing skid trails.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 35 EFFECTIVENESS OF ELEVATED SKID TRAIL HEADWATER

STREAM CROSSINGS IN THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU

Presenter: Christopher Reeves, University of Kentucky,

Lexington, KY ( cdreev2@uky.edu )

Co

- Authors: Christopher Reeves, Jeffrey Stringer, Christopher Barton, and Carmen Agouridis, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY Daniel Bowker, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

One of the primary concerns associated with timber harvesting is the produ ction of sediments from stream crossings. While research has shown that using improved haul road crossings can mitigate sediment production in perennial streams compared to the use of unimproved crossings, little research has been undertaken on temporary s kidder crossings of headwater streams, a situation common to a significant percentage of ground skidding operations. This experiment consisted of a controlled replicated testing of the effectiveness of four types of temporary skidder stream crossings (unim proved ford, corrugated culvert, wood panel skidder bridge, and PVC pipe bundle) relative to suspended sediment production. Automated samplers were used to monitor sediment and bedload production during the construction, use, removal, and post

- removal phas es associated with the use of these temporary crossings. Results showed that improved crossings mitigated total sediment production compared to unimproved fords. Further, wood panel bridges yielded lower amounts of sediment than culverts but pipe bundles

s how no difference between bridges or culverts. Sediment production varied by crossing type and use phase. While no differences were found among crossings types during construction, there was a difference between improved crossings and fords during use.

Fur ther, bridges and pipe bundle crossings produced significantly less sediments than culverts during both their removal and during post

- removal sampling and fords produced the largest amount of sediments during these phases.36 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 VIRGINIA STATE

- WIDE FOREST ROAD STREAM CROSSING

SEDIMENT CONTRIBUTION

Presenter: Brian Morris, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA ( brian.morris@vt.edu )

Co

- Authors: Brian Morris, Chad Bolding and Mike Aust, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA; Erik Schilling, NCASI, Aubrey, TX

Forest road stream crossings are typically necessary for both forest management and

recreational activities. Due to the recent non

- point source pollutant hearing by the United States Supreme Court, industry and agency professi onals have questioned crossing permitting processes and current guidelines. This project was designed to evaluate sedimentation associated with permanent haul road stream crossings and the adequacy of current BMPs in the Piedmont region of Virginia. Rainfa ll simulation experiments were conducted on three different crossing structures (ford, culvert and wood panel bridge) with varying levels of BMPs (low, standard and high). Stream water samples were collected during rainfall simulations to determine sedimen t contributions. The long term impact of the crossing installations was evaluated by stream monitoring for nine months prior and nine months post installation. Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) water quality engineers provided data on the presence of stream crossings and the level of BMPs on the crossings over one year of timber harvest tract audits (240 sites). VA DOF timber harvest notification was used to identify an additional 400 timber harvests which were viewed in Google Earth to determine the p resence of stream crossings and the corresponding harvest type and species composition. The resulting sedimentation data, Google Earth data, and VA Department of Forestry BMP stream crossing audit data were combined. The sediment data and crossing estimate of total number of crossings in the state allowed for an estimate of total state wide sediment production. The ford crossing produced the greatest sediment mass during construction of the BMP+ treatment (13.04 Mg), followed by the culvert (12.95 Mg) durin g construction of the BMP

- treatment and the bridge (0.17 Mg) during construction of BMPs. Mean sediment contributions during rainfall simulations was the least for the ford crossing, followed by the bridge and culvert. However, audit data analysis indicat es that culvert crossings are the most common permanent crossing type, followed by fords and bridges. The larger quantity of culverts coupled with their larger sediment contribution indicates that forest managers

should focus their efforts on BMPs for culv erts while considering the use of other crossing structures with lower rates of sediment contribution.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 37

METHODS FOR DETECTING AND RESOLVING PASSAGE ISSUES FOR SMALL, NON

- GAME FISH AT ROAD

- STREAM CROSSINGS

Presenter: Andy Dolloff, US F orest Service , Bla cksburg, VA ( adolloff@fs.fed.us )

Co

- Authors: Andy Dolloff, Craig Roghair and Colin Krause, USFS, Blacksburg, VA Jason Coombs and Andrew Whiteley, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Keith Nislow, USDA Forest Service, Amherst, MA Pam Martin and Jon Walker, Daniel Boone National Forest, Winchester, KY

Along with in

- stream sediment accumulation and movement, fish passage is an important consideration for monitoring the efficacy of BMPs at forest road/ stream cro ssings. We used a combination of techniques to monitor fish movement at road/stream crossings on the Daniel Boone National Forest, KY. In 2010, we used mark

- recapture and collected fin clips for genetic analysis to assess passage at 20 crossings; at 3 of t he crossings we also marked individual fish with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and continuously

monitored for movement from March

– October. Mark

- recapture provided relatively little useful information for assessing fish passage. In contrast, we detected differences in fish passage among crossings using RFID tagging and genetic approaches. RFID monitoring provided detailed information on the timing and magnitude of fish movement and again showed less movement through difficult crossings. Fish p assage survey results show that the need for passage replacement or improvement projects far exceeds available budgets. To provide managers with tools to prioritize fish passage improvement projects, we developed The Crossing Assessment Decision Support Sy stem (CADSS), a custom add

in for ArcMap that uses passage survey results, land ownership, species distributions, and stream network metrics to inform fish passage improvement projects. CADSS can be used to prioritize passage projects among watersheds, amo ng crossings within individual watersheds, and to find data gaps in existing passage datasets.38 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014

RECREATIONAL STREAM CROSSING EFFECTS ON SEDIMENT DELIVERY AND MACROINVERTEBRATES IN SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA, USA

Presenter: Kathryn R. Kidd, Virginia Tech, Black sburg, VA ( kathryn2@vt.edu )

Co

- Authors: Kathryn R. Kidd, Mike Aust and Carolyn Copenheaver,

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Trail

- based recreation has increased over recent decades, which raises the environmental

managem ent issue of soil erosion originating from unsurfaced, recreational trail systems.

Trail

- based soil erosion that occurs near stream crossings represents a potential non

- point source of pollution, which could degrade stream quality. This study examined the effects of multiple

- use (hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding) recreational stream crossings on modeled soil erosion and macroinvertebrate

- based water quality indices within the Poverty Creek Trail System of the George Washington and Jefferson Nat ional Forest in southwestern Virginia, USA. Modeled soil erosion rates at culvert, ford, and bridge stream crossings on recreational trails exceeded erosion rates for undisturbed forests, but were similar to erosion rates measured on forest operation skid trails and road stream crossings where best management practices were employed. Macroinvertebrate

based metrics of water quality indicated consistently lower water quality downstream from trail crossings when compared to upstream reference reaches. Thus, c urrent construction and maintenance standards for recreational stream crossings fail to fully protect water quality. Future management of recreational trail stream crossings would benefit from the wider use of improved crossings (hardened fords, riprapped culverts, and bridges), surface cover on approaches to streams, and increased use of water

- control

structures.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 39 

### Wednesday

– May 14, 2014: Field Tour (all day)

 7:00 am Leave Blacksburg, travel to Reynolds Homestead

 Stop 1 9:45

- 10:00 Designed Roads with good BMPs Kris Brown, Clay Sawyers

 Stop 2 10:10

- 10.25 Legacy Roads with improvements Kris Brown

 Stop 3 10:45

- 11:20 Skid Trail BMPs Chad Bolding

 Stop 4a 11:35

- 11:40 Biomass Harvesting BMPs Scott Barrett

 Stop 4b 11:40

- 11:50 Fire line BMPs Mike Aust

 St op 5 12:00

- 12:50 Box Lunch at RJR

 Stop 6: 1:05

- 1:15 History of Reynolds Homestead Clay Sawyers/Kyle Peer

 Stop 7:1:20

- 1:35 Low water crossing and approaches Clay Sawyers

 Stop 8 1:40

- 1:55 Road standards and sediment AJ Lang

 Stop 9 2:05

- 2:20 Legacy roads without improvements Kris Brown

 Stop 10a 2:45

- 3:00 SMZ BMPs Mike Aust

 Stop 10b 3:00

- 3:15 Stream approach BMPs Kris Brown

 Stop 10c 3:15

- 3:30 Bridge BMPs Brian Morris

 Stop 11 3:45

- 4:00 Culvert BMPs Brian Morris

 Stop 12a 4:10

- 4:15 Ford BMPs Brian Morris

 Stop 12b :4:15

- 4:45 Group Discussion

 5:00: Leave Reynolds Homestead

 6:45 Arrive Conference Center40 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 41 

### SESSION #6 (8:00

– 10:00 AM)

STATE AND FEDERAL BMP EFFECTIVENESS

AND IMPLEMENTATION MONITORING

State Forestry Agency Efforts to Monitor BMP Effectiveness: A Southern Perspective

Hughes Simpson , Texas A&M Forest Service

Forestry BMP Education & Training in the South

Tom Gerow, North Carolina Division of Forestry

Assessment of State Forestry Best Management Practices for the Eastern U.S.

Richie Cristan, Virginia Tech

Forest Harvesting in Tennessee: BMP Implementation Rates, Demographic Profiles

and Costs Associated with the Non

- Regulatory Program

Wayne Clatterbuck, University of Tennessee

The Forest Service National BMP Program

– Assessing the First Year of Monitoring

Pam Edwards, US Forest Service

Forest Harvesting BMP s i n t he Chesapeake Bay

Sally Claggett, US Forest Service42 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 43 STATE FORESTRY AGENCY EFFORTS TO MONITOR

BMP EFFECTIVENESS: A SOUTHERN PERSPECTIVE

Presenter: Hughes Simpson, T exas A&M Forest Service (hsimpson@tfs.tamu.edu)

Co

- Authors: Hughes Simpson, T exas A&M Forest Service Tom Gerow, Joe Fox, and Wib Owen, Southern Group of State Foresters,

Water Resources Committee

The Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) has long recognized the connection

between forests and clean water. In an effort to maintain this connection and provide leadership in forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs), SGSF established the Water Resources Committee (WRC). One of the objectives of the WRC is to facilitate work to monitor, report, and demonstrate the implementation and eff ectiveness of silviculture

BMPs.

Forestry BMPs have been developed and implemented across the South for over 25 years. State forestry agencies promote the implementation of these practices through education, outreach, training, and technical assistance pr ograms. Published implementation monitoring reports have shown that the forest sector has adopted these guidelines, noting high BMP implementation ratings. While this approach addresses the presence and functionality of BMPs, it does not provide empirical data on biological or physiochemical parameters that could be used to assess the effectiveness of BMPs in protecting water quality.

State forestry agencies are routinely involved in the planning and implementation stage of forestry BMP effectiveness monit oring projects conducted by academia. In addition to cooperating on these research projects, some states have also led efforts to monitor BMP effectiveness. Projects have ranged from collecting physiochemical water quality grab samples adjacent to forest o perations, assessing aquatic biological communities before and after forest operations, conducting stormwater sampling in forested watersheds using the BACI approach, to comprehensive paired watershed monitoring projects. This presentation will review var ious state led effectiveness monitoring efforts in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. In each case, substantial information was added to the knowledge base on the effectiveness of forestry BMPs.44 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 FORESTRY BMP EDUCATION & TRAININ G IN THE SOUTH

Presenter: Tom Gerow, Jr., North Carolina Forest Service ( tom.a.gerow@ncagr.gov )

Co

- Authors: John Colberg, Georgia Forestry Commission, Macon, GA Tom Gerow, Jr., North Carolina Forest Service, Raleigh, NC Hughes Simpson, Texas A&M Forest Service, Lufkin, TX

The key motivating theme with forestry BMPs is “education before regulation.” The Southern Group of State Foresters has recognized, for over a decade, the importance of training and education as a core element of an effective state BMP program. This proactive outreach is vital to assuring a high level of forestry BMP acceptance and implementation across the forestry community. State forestry agencies have worked closely for many years with their partners to host training events and produce educational resources that have been shared across the South. Most, if not all, logger training/certification programs include BMP education as a required component.

With the onset of third

- party in dependent forest sustainability certification programs, there has been an increased awareness of, demand for, and implementation of forestry

BMPs. These market

- driven, non

- regulatory forces have shown to be valuable for engaging loggers, foresters, landown ers, and forest products companies on the benefits of using forestry BMPs, and following

- up on issues in need of improvement.

Examples of BMP educational pathways and methods that have been used will be highlighted. Some examples include targeted videos; online training; in

- woods field tours; classroom workshops; and hands

- on demonstration areas.

Recurring BMP implementation survey assessments conducted across the South by most of the state forestry agencies have shown that BMP training and education have resulted in a higher rate of BMP usage by trained loggers. These BMP assessments also provide an important feedback mechanism for the states to understand where strengths or weaknesses in their BMPs may exist and identify where more targeted educational

o utreach may prove beneficial.

Future BMP training will likely incorporate more use of communication technology for participants to have access to the material at any time, rather than just at a one

- time event.

But this must be balanced with the inherent v alue of face

- to

- face, hands

- on training. There are also opportunities to re

- think how forestry BMPs can add value to the logistics chain of forest products growth, harvesting, and processing. Forest certification programs are expected to continue to have a strong emphasis on forestry BMPs to demonstrate environmental sustainability. And, forestry BMPs can be thought of as a risk

management tool for loggers.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 45 ASSESSMENT OF STATE FORESTRY BEST MANAGEMENT

PRACTICES FOR THE EASTERN U.S.

Presenter: Richie Cri stan, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA (rcristan@vt.edu)

Co

- Authors: R. Cristan, M.C. Bolding, W.M. Aust, S.M. Barrett, and J.F. Munsell, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Forestry best management practices (BMPs) were developed by U.S. states beginning in

1972 with the Federal Water Pollution Act. Many states had formal BMP manuals by the 1980’s. Monitoring and implementation of forestry BMPs typically vary by state. Forestry BMP guidelines are generally non

- regulatory in eastern states while some states may ha ve mandatory forestry BMP guidelines through Forest Practice Acts. Alternatively, some states can be classified as quasi

- regulatory indicating that BMP guidelines are non

- regulatory but water quality infractions can result in penalties. There

have been few studies that compare monitoring strategies and implementation success of forestry BMPs between states. In order to assess the status of state forestry BMPs, a survey was sent to the most involved forestry BMP related organization in each U.S. state regard ing their forestry BMP program. The survey included questions regarding agency involvement in monitoring forestry BMPs, recent BMP guidelines or revisions, rates of BMP compliance, sites evaluated for each BMP guideline, monitoring methods, and the

nature of state BMP guidelines (whether non

- regulatory, quasi

- regulatory, or regulatory). Surveys were completed by all eastern states and results allowed evaluation of the status and implementation of state forestry BMPs. The eastern states consisted of twenty

- f ive states and included: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Te nnessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Twenty

- one state organizations are currently or have previously monitored forestry BMPs. Eighteen state organizations have previously conducted effectiveness evaluations with eight states currently havi ng ongoing studies. State BMP regulations consisted of six non

- regulatory states, fourteen quasi

- regulatory states, and five regulatory states. Sixteen state organizations have conducted BMP implementation studies. The mean eastern state BMP implementation rate is 91 percent. This study indicates that some states have reported BMP deficiencies for individual BMP categories, yet these states’ overall BMP compliance levels appear to be satisfactory. An example of this is for stream crossings, BMP implementati on rates ranged from 67 percent to 98 percent.46 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014

FOREST HARVESTING IN TENNESSEE: BMP IMPLEMENTATION RATES,

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES AND COSTS ASSOCIATED

WITH THE NON

- REGULATORY PROGRAM

Presenter: Wayne Clatterbuck, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN ( wclatterbuck@utk.edu )

Co

- Authors: Wayne Clatterbuck, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; David Arnold, John Kirksey and Mike Sherrill, Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, Nashville, TN

An evaluation of forestry BMP implementation in Tennessee was conducted by the University of Tennessee, Dept. of Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries and the Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture, Division of Forestry in 2010

- 2011. A total of 208 harvest sites were

assess ed for 52 variables categorized in five areas: Haul roads, skid trails, log landings, streamside management zones (SMZs) and stream crossings. BMP implementation rates were 90 percent statewide. Most of the water quality concerns were associated with

stre am crossings and skid trails. Demographic profiles were also collected for each harvest site in terms of whether TN Master Loggers, professional foresters, and a timber sale contract were used. Considering that Tennessee is a predominately hardwood state, 85 percent (11 M acres), privately

- owned, and without licensing of professional foresters, the costs of a non

- regulatory water quality training program pertaining to forest harvests are presented.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 47 THE FOREST SERVICE NATIONAL BMP PROGRAM

– ASSESSING THE FIRST YEAR OF MONITORING

Presenter: Pam Edwards , US Forest Service, Parsons, WV ( pjedwards@fs.fed.us )

Co

- Authors: Pam Edwards , US For est Service, Parsons, WV Liz Berger, US Forest Service, Washington, DC

In 2012, the USDA Forest Service initiated a formalized National B MP Program

. BMP

m onitoring protocols were developed as part of the National BMP Program to provide a

consistent and objective approach for monitoring BMP implementation and effectiveness on all national forests and grasslands for all land and resource management activities. These protocols support adaptive management, which is critical to refining BMPs and making a djustments at the project and programmatic scales. In 2013, each unit was assigned two activities or sites to monitor. Over 280 evaluations were completed, covering 41 different resource activities. Results from the first year of BMP monitoring

will be sha red, including the types and locations of monitored projects, initial monitoring

costs, programmatic corrective actions needed , and the scoring system for BMP implementation and effectiveness.48 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 FOREST HARVESTING BMP s IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

Presenter a nd Author: Sally Claggett, US F orest S ervice,

Annapolis, MD (sclaggett@fs.fed.us)

Forest harvest BMPs are getting a lot of attention in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

because of their role in mitigating non

- point source pollutants

— namely sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Forest harvest BMPs as a whole are being tracked, credited, and verified to various degrees in the six states in the Bay watershed. They are the only BMPs applied specifically to forest lan ds. This discussion will bring listeners up to date on how credit for these BMPs is attributed using the Chesapeake Bay model and what

the current efforts are to assure that the assumptions around these credits are accurate.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 49 

### SESSION 7a (8:00

– 9:00 AM)

WATERSHED SCALE RESEARCH

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Forestry Best Management Practice Implementation in the Flat Creek Watershed

Kristopher Brown, Virginia Tec h

Texas A lto Watershed S tud y

– Evaluating the Hydrologic Effects of Intensive

Silviculture with BMPs and Other Land Uses on Water Resources

Matt McBroom, Stephen F. Austin State University

Assessing BMP Effectiveness in the Pacific Northwest: Value of Collaborative, Integrated Research Programs

Bob Bilby, Weyerhaeuser Company50 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 51

MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FORESTRY BEST MANAGEMENT

PRACTICE IMPLEMENTATION IN THE FLAT CREEK WATERSHED

Presenter and Author : Kristopher Brown, Virginia Tech

, Blacksburg, VA ( krisrb3@vt.edu )

Many freshwater streams on the Gulf coastal plain are characterized by low flow with high organic content and high temperatures during the summer season. Little is known about the effectiveness of forestry best management practices (BMPs) for protecting or improving water quality in these systems, especially at a watershed or landscape level.

Paired watershed and Before

- After Control

- Impact (BACI) designs were utilized to quantify site

- specific and watershed

- scale changes in streamflow, water quality, and

m acroinvertebrates for 27 months after clearcut harvesting with and without BMPs. Based on analyses of post

- harvest baseflow, stormflow, and stage

- discharge relationships, low

- intensity clearcut harvesting adjacent to streams and with BMP implementation did not impact streamflow at the local or watershed scale. No increases in

post

- harvest TSS yield were observed during baseflow conditions. However, post

- harvest TSS yield increased downstream of the site harvested without BMPs when high flows

were included i n the yield calculation. The results indicate that current Louisiana BMPs for timber harvesting are effective in mitigating sediment delivery to streams. Furthermore, the study found that natural conditions, such as an abundance of beaver and debris dams, as well as highly

- intermittent streamflow, likely aided sediment reduction from BMP implementation through within

- channel sediment storage. Dissolved oxygen concentrations were maintained at pre

- harvest levels for sites that were harvested with

BMPs. Disso lved oxygen concentrations greater than 5 mg L - 1 appear, for the most part, to be an unattainable water quality standard for the subtropical, low

- gradient, high organic matter containing streams typical of Louisiana. Current forestry BMPs seemed to

be effe ctive at minimizing changes to in

- stream concentrations of nutrients (Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus). Any harvest

- induced increases only occurred immediately downstream, and were short

- lived. Results from the analysis of macroinvertebrates suggest that the incorporation of BMPs in forestry operations in low

- gradient coastal

plain streams is effective in minimizing significant negative impacts for most members of

the benthic

- macroinvertebrate community. The study showed that few groups (less than

14% of t otal abundance) of taxa or functional feeding groups had negative associations

with intensive silvicultural activities.

Key words: Headwater streams, Gulf of Mexico coastal plain, forest harvesting BMPs, water quality, benthic macroinvertebrates52 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014

TEXAS ALTO WATERSHED STUDY

– EVALUATING THE HYDROLOGIC

EFFECTS OF INTENSIVE SILVICULTURE WITH BMPS AND

OTHER LAND USES ON WATER RESOURCES

Presenter and Author: Matthew McBroom, Stephen F. Austin State University

,

Nacogdoches, TX ( mcbroommatth@sfasu.edu )

The Alto Experimental Watersheds were first established in 1979 to determine the water quality impacts of clearcutting and mechanical site

- preparation without Best Management Practices (BMPs). The water quality effects of contemporary silviculture with BMPs was evaluated beginning in 1999 when the watersheds were re

- instrumented

with clearcut and site

- preparation treatmen ts beginning in 2003. These watersheds were found to have highly variable losses of sediment and nutrients, with a pre

- treatment tropical cyclone resulting in greater sediment losses than an entire year following clearcutting with no BMPs. With BMPs, sedim ent losses were over 5 times lower than rates observed in 1981, and post

- clearcut sediment losses were statistically significant on only about half of the six clearcut with BMP watersheds. Results were only significant for the first year following treatmen t, with second year losses equaling the pre

- treatment phase. Following fertilization, nitrogen and phosphorus losses were only a small fraction of the applied nutrient, with highest losses occurring in the first couple of months following application. Wate rsheds remained nutrient sinks. Similarly, herbicide concentrations peaked just after application and were orders of magnitude below levels found to be toxic to aquatic life. Concentrations fell below the detection level within six to nine months of applic ation. Streamside management zones (SMZs) were found to be very effective in reducing water quality impacts. On another watershed, the SMZ was thinned according to state BMP guidelines and there were no statistically significant water quality impacts. The APEX model was used to predict SMZ width effectiveness, and it was concluded that the current Texas BMP requirements were protective of water resources even in wetter than average years.

The impacts of oil and natural gas development on surface water qual ity were also evaluated when a gas well pad was constructed in the middle of the stream channel on a control watershed with no effective BMP implementation by the drilling company. First year sediment losses were about 10 times greater than clearcutting an d site preparation with no BMPs. Unlike with silviculture where water quality impacts did not extend past the first year following harvest, erosion rates from the well pad are remained elevated for about four years.

In another phase of the study, the eff ects of woody biomass removals at time of clearcut harvest were simulated using the APEX model to determine effects on sediment loss. When current practices were compared with 60% logging slash removals, no significant

increases in sediment loss were obser ved.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 53

ASSESSING BMP EFFECTIVENESS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: VALUE OF COLLABORATIVE, INTEGRATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS

Presenter and Author: Bob Bilby, Weyerhaeuser Company, Federal Way, WA

( bob.bilby@weyerha euser.com )

BMPs for forestry in Washington and Oregon have evolved rapidly over the last two decades driven, in part, by the listing of numerous salmon populations under the Endangered Species Act. In the early 2000s, a series of integrated, matched

- water shed research projects were established in Oregon to assess the effectiveness of contemporary BMPs for meeting water quality standards and protecting aquatic biota. These projects are coordinated through the Watershed Research Cooperative at Oregon State U niversity. One of these projects, the Trask Watershed Study, is examining the response of stream ecosystems to harvest and reforestation of small watersheds using a range of buffering strategies. In addition, the study is designed to evaluate the extent t o which any effects of forest management in the small watersheds are transferred downstream to fish

- bearing reaches. The study was established in 2005, harvest treatments were applied in 2012 and data collection will extend through 2016. Preliminary result s have indicated that harvest without stream buffers increases summer water temperature but no associated biological response has been detected and water temperature decreases rapidly below the harvest unit boundary. Management measures for roads appear to be very effective with very little sediment input occurring with construction or use. The results from this study will be useful in discussions about proposed changes to forest practice regulations but also will be useful in deliberations on water quality criteria.54 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 55 

### SESSION #7b (9:00

– 10:00 AM)

BMPs, BIODIVERSITY AND DISTURBANCE

The Role and Function of Streamside Management Zones for Biodiversity

Conservation on Forested Landscapes

Darren Miller, Weyerhaeuser Company

Potential Effects of Forestry Operations and Associated BMPs on Stream and Riparian Species

Mike Aust, Virginia Tech

Use o f Simple Suspended a nd Bed Sediment Metrics t o Explain Biotic Index Variability a nd Relationships b etween Fish a nd Macroinvertebrate Assemblage

Metrics i n Georgia Piedmont Streams

Denise Ca rroll, Georgia Southern University

10:00

– 10:30 AM BREAK56 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 57

THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONES FOR

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ON FORESTED LANDSCAPES

Presenter: Darren Miller, Weyerhaeuser Company, Columbus, MS

( dar ren.miller@weyerhaeuser.com )

Co

- Authors: Darren Miller, Weyerhaeuser Company, Columbus, MS Jessica Homyack, Weyerhaeuser Company, Vanceboro, NC T. Bently Wigley, NCASI, Clemson, SC

In the eastern United States, streamside management zones (SMZs) generally are composed of hardwoods or mixed

- conifer

- hardwood trees and are part of state forestry Best Management Practices to protect stream integrity and water quality. However, SMZs also contribute to conservation of biological diversity on forested la ndscapes. Herein, we discuss those contributions and highlight current issues that should be considered when developing plans for conservation of biodiversity in managed forest landscapes relative to SMZs. Past research demonstrates that SMZs protect aquat ic habitat function; provide a mature forest component that can benefit aquatic, semi

aquatic, and terrestrial species; provide important habitat elements such as mast production, den trees, and large snags and down wood; potentially serve as movement

corr idors for some species; provide edges with adjacent habitat types that may have both negative and positive implications that vary over time by species; and contribute to landscape

- scale habitat heterogeneity. Key information gaps include how contributions of SMZs to conservation of aquatic and terrestrial vary with SMZ management (e.g., timber harvest within allowable BMP limits, SMZ width) and context (slope, aspect, adjacent stand structure); methods for shifting tree species composition (e.g., from pine

- to
hardwood

- dominant) in SMZs without compromising integrity of SMZ function; and the role of SMZs in conservation of biodiversity from a landscape perspective. Examples of ongoing research to address some of these gaps will be presented.58 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 POTENTIAL EFFE CTS OF FORESTRY OPERATIONS AND

ASSOCIATED BMP s ON STREAM AND RIPARIAN SPECIES

Presenter: Mike Aust, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA ( waust@vt.edu )

Co

- Authors: Brooke Warrington, Mike Aust, Chad Bolding and Mark Ford, Virg inia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Andy Dolloff, US Forest Service, Blacksburg, VA

Forest operations that incorporate forestry best management practices (BMPs) are generally compatible with high

- quality stream waters and managed forest stands have

been shown to ha ve similar diversity to natural stands of similar age. However, the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service provided notice of review for 374 riparian and aquatic species in the southeastern United States for potential listing as endangered species and specifically identified forest operations as having negative effects on a majority of the species (Federal Register 76 (187):59836

- 59862 ) . The primary objective of this study was to survey the literature and, where possible, provide examples of the effects that

forest operations and appropriate BMPs have on the 374 riparian and aquatic species. The secondary objective is to use related species and forest

- operation research to predict potential effects on these species. Overall, we have found that the information betwee n the species and forest operations appear s limited. Some of the reasons for our overall conclusion are that many of the species are not found in areas where forest operations are common (e.g., salt marshes, caves), some of the species are so site restrict ed that they simply have little information regarding environmental consequences, and the negative effects of harvesting were often drawn from studies prior to the implementation of forestry BMPs. Although it was generally not possible to identify the spec ific effects of forestry BMPs on the individual species, our review typically indicated that BMPs such as streamside management zones that limit sediment and nutrient inputs, reduce thermal pollution, and protect the riparian ecosystem should provide some level of protection for most of the species. Also, BMP s that minimize the potential damming of small stream s
, such as temporary bridges, rather than culverts, should be beneficial. Our findings generally support the need for additional research regarding the specific effects of BMPs on stream and riparian biota.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 59 USE OF SIMPLE SUSPENDED AND BED SEDIMENT METRICS TO

EXPLAIN BIOTIC INDEX VARIABILITY AND RELATIONSHIPS

BETWEEN FISH AND MACROINVERTEBRATE ASSEMBLAGE

METRICS IN GEORGIA PIEDMONT STREAMS

Pr esenter: Denise Carroll

, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

( gdcarroll@georgiasouthern.edu )

Co

- Authors: Denise Carroll

, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

Rhett Jackson

, University of Ge orgia, Athens, GA

Stream geomorphology changes have accompanied shifting land use patterns of Georgia Piedmont watersheds during the past century. The resulting stream sedimentation and erosion, remnants of earlier agricultural land use and current urbanization

, can have deleterious effects on resident biota. Acquiring inexpensive methods of measuring these impacts and having a better understanding of sedimentation

- biota interactions can provide more accurate estimates of stream health, allowing for better engineering and management decisions. We sample d 42 streams to determine the relationship between 1) baseflow turbidity and biotic condition, 2) correlations between the percentage of fine bed sediment and biotic condition, and 3) linkages between f ish and macroinvertebrate biotic indices. Our results indicate that easily measured sediment metrics did not correlate strongly to watershed land use, but did help explain biological conditions and should be included in descriptive models; conductivity and unit stream power are also important predictors of biotic health. There is enough dissimilarity in fish and macroinvertebrate responsiveness to landscape factors to suggest that both fish and macroinvertebrate populations should be sampled. Specific condu ctivity was an important parameter for both biotic assemblages, but fish indices were also highly correlated to stream power, whereas EPT taxa and number of taxa were most highly correlated to water clarity and suspended sediment. Good and excellent IBI sc ores were found only in watersheds with high percentages of forest cover and low percentages of developed lands. This information can provide managers with useful tools for making decisions about land use change.60 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 61 

### SESSION #8 (10:30

– 11:50 AM)

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO ASSESSING

BMP EFFECTIVENESS

Road Sediment Models: Strengths and Necessary Improvements

Bob Danehy, NCASI

Nutrient Tracking Tool

– A User

- Friendly Tool for Calculating Nutrient Losses Under Various Agricultur al and Forestry Management Practices

Ali Saleh, Tarleton State University

Can WEPP Estimate BMP Effectiveness from Experimental F orest R oads?

Kevin McGuire, Virginia Tech

A Holistic Risk

- Based App roach f or BMP Effectiveness a t t he Watershed Scale

Rob Slesak, Minnesota Forest Resources Council62 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 63 ROAD SEDIMENT MODELS:

STRENGTHS AND NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS

Presenter: Bob Danehy, NCASI, Corvallis, OR ( bdanehy@ncasi.org )

Co

- Authors: R. Danehy, NCASI, Corvallis, OR

K. Dubé, Watershed GeoDynamics, Kirkland, WA C. Luce and T. Black, USDA Forest Service, Boise, ID

Managed forests require a road network engineered for heavy loads of equipment and products. Due to the extent of forest roads, directly measuring road surface erosion is impractical, leading to development of models. We test three models (WEPP, GRAIP and SEDMODL2) in watersheds across the US by comparing measured sediment production from road segments to model predictions. Best management practices (BMPs) reduce sediment from erosion of cutslopes, ditches, and road delivery to streams. Empirical

models est imate erosion using relationships between erosion and erodibility and infiltration of underlying geology/soil, precipitation, road prism components, tread surfacing, cut/fill slope cover, ditch conditions, disturbance history, road drainage patterns and ar ea, and interception of groundwater by cut slopes. Physically based models (e.g. WEPP) use equations governing the physics of surface erosion to calculate runoff, surface erosion, and transport. Results suggest models can predict percentages of improvement , but are fair to poor predictors of actual amounts of sediment generated on road surfaces unless calibrated. Better predictive capabilities of erosion variations due to climate and soil differences and better estimates of fractional sediment delivery from road segments would improve model utility for broad spatial scales and wider applications to road related water quality and biological concerns.64 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 NUTRIENT TRACKING TO OL*

– A USER

- FRIENDLY TOOL FOR

CALCULATING NUTRIENT LOSSES UNDER VARIOUS

AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY MANAGEM ENT PRACTICES

Presenter: Ali Saleh, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX ( saleh@tarleton.edu )

Co

- Authors: Ali Saleh, Edward Osei and Oscar Gallego, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX

The Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) is an enhanced version of Nitrogen Trading Tool, a

user

- friendly web

- based computer program originally developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). NTT estimates nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment losses from fields managed under a variety of cropping patterns and management practices through its user

- friendly web

- based linkage to the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX). It also accesses USDA

- NRCS’s Web Soil

Su rvey to utilize their GIS interface for field, weather, and soy information. NTT provides producers, government officials, and other users with a fast and efficient method of estimating the nitrogen and phosphorus credits generated from implemented

conserv ation practices at the farm

- level for water quality trading, as well as other water quality and quantity programs. Recently, NTT has been modified to evaluate the effects of forestry, as compared to other land use including fallow and agricultural lands, o n water quantity and quality. The information obtained from the tool can help producers to

determine the most cost

- effective conservation practice alternatives for their individual operations and provide them with more advantageous options in a water quali ty credit trading and similar programs. During this presentation NTT will be described and

demonstrated.

Key Words: Nutrient Tracking Tool, nitrogen, phosphorus, credits, forestry, farm, NTT, water quality trading, nutrient management, conservation pract ices

*Previously known as Nutrient Trading Tool.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 65 CAN WEPP ESTIMATE BMP EFFECTIVENESS

FROM EXPERIMENTAL FOREST ROADS?

Presenter: Kevin McGuire , Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA (kevin.mcguire@vt.edu)

Co

- Authors: Kevin McGuire and Kristopher Brown,

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Forest roads at stream

- crossings are a major source of sediment delivery to streams. As such, tools are needed to evaluate best management practice (BMP) efficacy in reducing erosion and to select ap propriate BMPs for different road conditions. Developing this guidance from field experiments and monitoring of BMPs on roads is often an impractical option for managers because of cost, time, and heterogeneous road

conditions. This has led to an increased interest in using models for evaluating BMP effectiveness. In particular, the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model has been used extensively as a tool for this purpose and is currently recommended by many forest management organizations. WEPP is physically

- based and was designed to incorporate field observations and site level information for predicting sediment yield and runoff. In this study, WEPP was used to predict event

- based sediment yield and runoff for rainfall simulation experiments on si x reopened stream

- crossing approaches that each underwent

different intensities of BMP implementation (i.e., different proportions of gravel on the

road surface above the stream

- crossing). WEPP was calibrated for each of these stream

crossing approaches fo r three different BMP intensities using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach to explore parameter identifiability and prediction accuracy and uncertainty. The objectives of the study were to determine overall prediction performance of WEPP and its ability t o distinguish between different BMP intensities. Our results suggest that in ideal conditions where the field site is well characterized and sediment yields are known, WEPP predictions are similar to field observations, but they are highly

uncertain and di fferent BMP levels cannot always be distinguished. This work has implications for the value in using such complex models to estimate erosion, sediment yield, and runoff differences from forest roads with different levels of BMPs.66 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 A HOLISTIC RISK

- BASED APPROACH FOR BMP

EFFECTIVENESS AT THE WATERSHED SCALE

Presenter: R ob Slesak , Minnesota Forest Resources Council,

St. Paul, MN (raslesak@umn.edu)

Co

- Authors: R ob Slesak , Minnesota Forest Resources Council, St. Paul, MN

Dick Rossman

, M innesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN

A wealth of information exists on the utility and effectiveness of water quality related best management practices during forest management activities such as harvesting. However, most of this information is derived from controlled experimental studies at the site scale, and there remains much uncertainty on their effectiveness across a range of operational conditions (e.g., equipment mix, localized weather, site factors) and at scales

conducive to resource ma nagement. In particular, quantitative assessment of BMP effectiveness at the watershed scale remains elusive, creating challenges for sustainable forest resource management. Here we describe a new approach for BMP assessment at

the watershed scale that inc orporates site

- level evaluation of BMP implementation and operational effectiveness with watershed

- scale estimates of forest disturbance patterns that influence water quality. Site

- level assessments are conducted with intensive field monitoring campaigns w ithin a given watershed to quantify operational effectiveness of practices at reducing sediment delivery to streams and lakes under localized weather patterns. Watershed

- scale forest disturbance patterns are quantified with time series

stacks of Landsat im agery, and then summarized into spatial metrics related to water quality such as those related to the amount of recently cut forest and proximity to key

water features. The site

- level practices and watershed

- scale disturbance information are

then combined to conduct a relative risk assessment of water quality impacts arising from forest management activities at all forested watersheds. Information generated from the risk assessment will be used to tailor education and outreach efforts by watershed to improv e operational effectiveness, and will also be used to guide strategic land use and management planning by governmental agencies and local watershed organizations. When coupled with water

- quality monitoring programs over time, the data generated

from such an approach has potential to be used to empirically identify threshold configurations of BMP implementation and forest disturbance that degrade water quality. This new approach moves beyond attempting to quantify water quality impacts of forest

management activities at the watershed scale, and instead focuses on reducing the risk of any impact occurring under a unique set of watershed conditions that are continuously changing over time.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 67 

### SESSION #9 (10:30

– 11:50 AM)

WOODY BIOMASS

Field Implementation and Effectiveness of Riparian Buffers in Forest Biofuel Operations

Jami Nettles, Weyerhaeuser Company

A Comparison of Best Management Practices (BMP) Implementation and Estimated Erosion Rates on Biomass and Conventional Harvesting Operations in the Piedmont of Virginia

Scott Barrett, Virginia Tech

Recommended Management Practices f or Bioenergy Production

Rebecca Efroymson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Sustainability Standards and Best Management Practices: Integrating Paradigms for Enhanced, Sustainable Forest Management

James McCubbins, University of Illinois

, Urbana

- Champaign68 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

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- 15, 2014 69 FIELD IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF RIPARIAN

BUFFERS IN FOREST BIOFUEL OPERATIONS

Presenter and Author : Jami Nettles, Weyerhaeuser Company

, Columbus, MS (jami.nettles@weyerhaeuser.com)

Catchlight Energy, LLC, a Chevron|Weyerhaeuser Joint Venture, installed operational

scale forest biomass studies in the southeastern U.S. in 2009 and 2010, for evaluation as a potential bioenergy feedstock system. These consisted of switchgrass (Panicum vi rgatum) for bioenergy interplanted in loblolly pine plantations grown for sawtimber. Optimum site selection, planting, cultivation, and harvest methods are generally unknown for forest biomass production, and these were studied at the plot and management t ract scale. In addition to research on production methods, studies on the environmental effects of these practices were installed. Fourteen watersheds are instrumented in three locations, and a detailed analysis of the water quality and quantity effects o f these practices is now becoming available. The watersheds have a range of treatments, from mid

- rotation forest to switchgrass only, designed to represent possible intensities as well as specific practices. Two intercropped treatments are included

– one c o

- planted with pine, and one planted in an existing plantation.

However, early sustainability indicators were needed. In 2010 a field survey was conducted in Mississippi and Alabama shortly after planting to estimate the sediment impact of these practices . Intercropped tracts were randomly selected from those with slope and soil characteristics indicated erosion potential and having streamside management zones (SMZs). The switchgrass rows closest to each SMZ perimeter were surveyed for sediment incursions. Location, estimated length, soil texture, sediment barriers, and stream connectivity were recorded for each sediment

- incursion point. Each point was mapped and delivery potential determined. The widths of the original SMZs (for the pine plantation) and th e secondary SMZs (additional protection for the more intensive practices) were determined, as well as the average travel length from sediment generation to stream.

This presentation updates the field survey with sediment results from the watershed study, giving context to the treatment intensity. Sediment incursion sites are revisited and longer term effects of intensive forest biofuel practices discussed.70 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 A COMPARISON OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMP)

IMPLEMENTATION AND ESTIMATED EROSION RATES ON

BIOMASS AND CONVENTIONAL HARVESTING

OPERATIONS IN THE PIEDMONT OF VIRGINIA

Presenter: Scott Barrett, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA ( sbarrett@vt.edu )

Co

- Authors: Scott Barrett, Mike Aust and Chad Bolding,

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Increased use of biomass for energy will likely result in greater utilization of logging residues from ongoing harvesting operations. Reduced levels of logging residues due to biomass harvesting could be considered a potential concern for BMP implementation and

post

- harvest erosion rates. Twenty operational clearcut harvests were evaluated in Virginia’s Piedmont. These harvests consisted of ten biomass and ten conventional clearcuts, with an average size of 39.9 acres. Sites were evalu ated for Best Management Practices (BMP) implementation, potential erosion rates, and residual ground cover. BMP audits were conducted following the Virginia Department of Forestry auditing procedures and no significant differences were found for overall B MP implementation scores on biomass (85.2%) versus conventional harvest sites (81.3%) (p= 0.5930). Harvests were subdivided into operational areas and the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) was applied to estimate potential erosion within each operational category on the 20 sites. No significant differences were found for estimated erosion rates in any of the operational categories. Overall predicted erosion rates were relatively low for both biomass (0.7 tons ac - 1 yr - 1 ) and conventional harvests (0.8 tons ac - 1 yr - 1 ) (p=0.8282). Comparison of BMP audit scores and estimated erosion rates indicate BMP scores are a significant predictor of overall erosion rates (R 2 =0.7994, p < 0.001).BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 71 RECOMMENDED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

FOR BIOENERGY PRODUCTION

Presenter: Rebecca Efroymson

, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

,

Oak Ridge, TN ( efroymsonra@ornl.gov )

Co

- Authors: Rebecca Efroymson and Virginia Dale, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, TN

Developing and evaluating the effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs) depends on setting sustainability targets or objectives and measuring progress towards them. We have reviewed BMPs for bioenergy in the context of defined categories of environmental sustainability indicato rs. First we selected a practical set of 19 indicators that are applicable to most examples of bioenergy feedstock production, including harvesting of woody biomass from forests. Criteria for selection included measurability, sensitivity to stress, predict able response to stress, responsiveness to management actions, and having a suite that is integrative. Environmental sustainability indicators fall into 6 categories: soil quality, water quality and quantity, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiver sity, and productivity. We reviewed existing forestry and agricultural BMPs and less standard management practices recommended in research studies for relevance to the categories of sustainability in the context of bioenergy. Bioenergy is

different from tr aditional forestry activities in its supply chain, type of biomass feedstock, desirable feedstock characteristics, amount and type of biomass harvested and vehicle movement, and expectation of enhanced sustainability. Based on our synthesis, practices

inte nded to reduce nutrients and sediment in runoff, as well as vegetated buffers and other riparian BMPs, apply to resources used for bioenergy. Guidelines related to biomass retention apply to soil quality and water quality, and some relate specifically to

b iodiversity. In most cases water quantity, air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions are not specifically addressed by BMPs for bioenergy or for forestry. Regarding tradeoffs, many of the same recommended management practices protect soil quality, water qu ality, and carbon sequestration. It is less clear how these practices relate to other aspects of sustainability. More research is needed to determine the effectiveness of BMPs developed for biomass retention and to determine how to adapt BMPs to areas wher e they are not already in use.72 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014

SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS AND BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:

INTEGRATING PARADIGMS FOR ENHANCED,

SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

Presenter and Author: James McCubbins, University of Illinois, Urbana

- Champaign

,

Urbana, IL (

james.mccubbins@bus.illinois.edu )

As governments continue to spur increased forest

- based biomass consumption through mandates and policy, voluntary standards have emerged to guide foresters towards sustainable practices to ensure productivity and longevity of managed forests. Concurrently, the Clean Water Act has motivated the de velopment of forestry best management practices (BMPs) that focus primarily on maintaining water quality and secondarily upon soil and other forest concerns, depending upon the state. Many of the state BMPs were first published in the 1990s and have largel y remained the same, with only minor updates. Since that time, however, science has continued to increase understanding about human interactions with forest ecosystems and their value as carbon sinks to mitigate carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The Bi omass Market Access Standards (BMAS) group has begun benchmarking its biomass standard against existing forestry sustainability standards and state BMPs to identify ways in which each may inform the other. Our findings have indicated that state BMPs largel y recommend specific harvesting practices to minimize impact to water quality that coincide well with portions of BMAS and forestry sustainability standards and could supply specific metrics and verifiable results for those standards. Alternatively, volunt ary standards, provided by organizations such as BMAS, encourage much broader attention to forest

- based biomass extraction than state BMPs. This enhanced perspective provides an excellent opportunity for state forestry BMPs to develop specific practices th at will address challenges such as soil quality, air quality, socio

- economic matters, and other areas. By integrating sustainability standards with specific recommended practices from state BMPs, both paradigms stand to gain clearer vision regarding long

- t erm forest sustainability and productivity.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 73 

### POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Impacts of Natural Gas Development Compared with Silviculture on Surface Water Quality in East Texas, USA

Todd Thomas, Texas A&M Forest Service

Regional Efforts to Promote Forestry Best Management Practices: A Southern Success Story

Hughes Simpson T

exas A&M Forest Service

Herbicides in Stream Water Following a Silvicultural Application According to Modern Best Management Practices

Jeff Louch, NCASI

Effectiveness of Streamside Management Zones for Maintaining Stream Temperatures in Northern Michigan

Brian Sugden, Plum Creek Timber Company

The Impact of BMPs on Logging Costs and Productivity in the Northeast

Matthew Kelly, State University of New York

Impact of Forest Harvest with Variable Streamside Management Zone Configurations on Hydrologic Response in Perennial Headwater Streams

in Eastern KY

Emma Witt, University of Minnesota

The Economic Costs and Environmental Benefits of Riparian Buffers: A Case Study

of Small Streams in Maine

Ethel Wilkerson, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

Forest Harvest Equipment Movement and Sediment Delivery to Streams

Jeffrey Stringer, University of Kentucky74 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 

### POSTER PRESENTATIONS

(continued)

Biological Impacts of Excessive Fine Sediment in Forested Streams

Bob Danehy, NCASI

Effects of Prescribed Burning on Large Wood Loading in South Carolina Coastal

Plain Streams

Andy Dolloff, US Forest Service

Nutrient and Herbicide Concentrations and Export from Clearcuts and

Site

- P repared Plantations: Dry Creek Paired Watershed Study

Rhett Jackson, University of Georgia

Regional Efforts to Promote Forestry Best Management Practices:

A Southern Success S tory

John Colberg, Georgia Forestry Commission

Assessing the Effectiveness of Contemporary Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs): Focus on Roads

Erik Schilling, NCASIBMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 75

IMPACTS OF NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT COMPARED WITH

SILVICULTURE ON SURFACE WATER QUALITY IN EAST TEXAS, USA

Presenter: Todd Thomas, Texas A&M Forest Service

, Lufkin, TX ( tthomas@tfs.tamu.edu )

Co

- Authors: Todd Thomas, Texas A&M Forest Service, Lufkin, TX

Matthew McBroom and Yanli Zhang

, Stephen F. A ustin S tate University, Nacogdoches, TX

Due to greater demands for hydrocarbons and improvements in drilling technology, development of oil and natural gas in some regions of the United States has increased dramatically

. A 1 .4 ha natural gas well pad was constructed in an intermittent stream channel at the Alto Experimental Watersheds in East Texas, USA (F1), while another 1.1 ha well pad was offset about 15 m from a nearby intermittent stream (F2)

. V

- notch weirs

were constru cted downstream of these well pads and stream sedimentation and water quality was measured

. For the 2009 water year, about 11.76 cm, or almost 222% more runoff resulted from F1 than F2. Sediment yield was significantly greater at F1, with 13,972 kg ha − 1 yr − 1 versus 714 kg ha − 1 yr − 1 at F2 on a per unit area disturbance basis for the 2009 water year. These losses were greater than was observed following forest clearcutting with best management practices (111

– 224 kg ha − 1 ). Significantly greater nitrogen and pho sphorus losses were measured at F1 than F2. While oil and gas development can degrade surface water quality, appropriate conservation practices like retaining streamside buffers can mitigate these impacts.76 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 REGIONAL EFFORTS TO PROMOTE FORESTRY

BEST MANAG EMENT PRACTICES:

A SOUTHERN SUCCESS STORY

Presenter: Hughes Simpson

, Texas A&M Forest Service

,

Lufkin, TX ( hsimpson@tfs.tamu.edu )

Co

- Authors: Hughes Simpson, Texas A&M Forest Service, Lufkin, TX

Tom Gerow, Joe Fox, and Wib Owen

, Southern Group of State Foresters, Water Resources Committee

The Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) has long recognized the connection

between forests and clean water

. In an effort to maintain this connection and provide

leadershi p in the implementation of forestry BMPs, SGSF established the Water

Resources Committee

.

This committee began as a task force in 1996 when charged to improve and maximize the integrity of forestry BMP implementation monitoring in the southeast

. This

“Fr amework”, released in 1997, outlined procedures that were statistically sound, objective, technically defensible, and provided results that could be comparable among

the states

. This was the first ever effort to develop a consistent, regional monitoring approach, and currently, all states are in conformance

.

In 2008, the committee published a regional BMP implementation monitoring report, documenting South

- wide implementation at 87%

. In an effort to assess the ongoing

educational efforts and to measure progress since 2008, an updated report shows region

wide implementation is currently 90%

.

A major focus of this coordinated effort is to improve the level of service provided throughout the region

. In 2003, SGSF established a BMP program review process to evaluate state programs and provide recommendations for improvement

. An annual meeting has also been held since 2000 to coordinate efforts, provide training, and share ideas among the states to facilitate continual improvement

.

SGSF is a pi oneer in water resource protection efforts, and has directed funding to support BMP effectiveness, load reduction modeling, and the importance of forests to

water resources

. This leadership will be critical as future demands are placed on our

water resourc es

.

Summary

SGSF has a long history of water resource protection efforts, providing leadership in

BMP implementation

, improv ing state BMP programs, and standardiz ing an approach to consistently monitor implementation across the region

.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 77 HERBICIDES IN STREAM WATER FOLLOWING A

SILVICULTURAL APPLICATION ACCORDING TO

MODERN BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Presenter: Jeff Louch, NCASI (jlouch@ncasi.org)

Co

- Authors: Jeff Louch and Ginny Allen, NCASI, Corvallis, OR

George Ice, NCASI , Corvallis, OR, Retired

Dissolved glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), imazapyr, sulfometuron methyl, and metsulfuron methyl were measured in a small stream in the Oregon Coast Range both during and after application of herbicide(s) following a commercial t imber

harvest

. The stream drained a small watershed, the upper portions of which were the

harvest unit

. Application rates were 681 g/ac glyphosate (a.e.), 85 g/ac imazapyr (a.e.),

64 g/ac sulfometuron methyl (a.i.), and 17 g/ac metsulfuron methyl (a.i.), a nd all herbicides were applied by helicopter in a single tank mix

. Baseflow and storm event samples were collected at three sites along the hydraulic gradient: NBH (at the

fish/no

- fish interface in the middle of the harvest unit), NBU (at the bottom of the harvest unit), and NBL (downstream of the harvest unit)

. AMPA, imazapyr, sulfometuron methyl and metsulfuron methyl were not detected in any sample at 15 ng/L, 600 ng/L, 500 ng/L

and 1000 ng/L, respectively

. However, a clear pulse of dissolved glyphosate manifested at the highest elevation site (NBH) during the application (baseflow conditions)

. This pulse maximized at ≈50 ng/L and persisted for two to three hours

. An associated pulse was not detected (<20 ng/L) at downstream sites

. Subsequent baseflow sam ples collected three days after treatment (DAT) showed ≈25 ng/L dissolved glyphosate at all three sites,

and all sites were <20 ng/L dissolved glyphosate by 19 DAT

. Samples collected during the first storm event (8 DAT) showed a clear pulse of dissolved gl yphosate at NBU, but

not at NBH or NBL

. The maximum glyphosate concentration observed during this pulse

at NBU was 115 ng/L, and the pulse persisted for about six hours

. During the next storm event (10 DAT) a clear pulse of dissolved glyphosate manifested at NBH, but not at NBU

or NBL

. The maximum concentration observed was 42 ng/L, and this pulse persisted for

about ten hours

. Results from all subsequent storm events showed < 20 ng/L dissolved glyphosate at all three sites

. A limited number of analyses on suspended sediment (SS)

showed that SS held de minimis masses of glyphosate and AMPA following application

. These results show that exposure of aquatic organisms to herbicides from silvicultural applications conforming to modern best management practices a re short lived and of low concentration (<1 μg/L).78 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 EFFECTIVENESS OF STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONES FOR

MAINTAINING STREAM TEMPERATURES IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN

Presenter: Brian Sugden , Plum Creek Timber Company

, Columbia Falls, MT (bsugden@plumcreek.com)

Co

- Author: Brian Sugden, Plum Creek Timber Company, Columbia Falls, MT Ray Ary, Plum Creek Timber Company , Greenville Junction, ME

An important function of Streamside Management Zones (SMZs) is maintaining stream temperatures for protection of cold

- water species such as the eastern brook trout

. SMZ temperature effectiveness studies have been conducted in many locations in the Pacific Northwest and New England

. No similar studies have been completed in the Lake States region

. We monitored three streamside timber harvests in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where stream temperatures were recorded every half

- hour through the summer

months

. Data were collected before and after harvesting using the upstream monitoring location as a control by which downstream t emperatures could be evaluated

. Pre

- harvest

data were collected in 2011

. Post

- harvest data were collected in 2012 and 2013

. We found that the 50 foot forested buffers retained post

- harvest were effective at controlling adverse stream temperature changes

. T his is similar to results found in other regions of

the US.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 79 THE IMPACT OF BMPs ON LOGGING COSTS AND

PRODUCTIVITY IN THE NORTHEAST

Presenter: Matthew Kelly, State University of New York,

Syracuse, NY ( mckelly@syr.edu )

Co

- Authors: Matthew Kelly and René Germain

, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY

Skilled loggers are important for protecting roads and water resources during and following timber harvest operations

. These contractors incur high c apital and operating costs, resulting in often slim profit margins

. Profitability hinges, in part, on the costs and productivity of the harvest system (i.e. configuration of machines and operators)

. In the Northeast United States, harvest systems vary in c omplexity, ranging from a single

operator conventional system, to a fully mechanized four

- or five

- man crew

. Machine utilization, system productivity, and fixed and variable costs differ accordingly

. An effort to estimate costs and productivity of various harvest systems commonly used throughout the Northeast is currently underway

. Shift

- level production data and machine rate calculations are being used to calculate per unit costs for timber harvest operations of varying terrain and system configurations. S pecial attention is given to measuring the time loggers spend on BMP implementation to determine how this set of activities impacts overall harvest productivity

. BMP costs will be estimated using a combination of

shift

- level production data and detailed ti me study data. Preliminary results are presented

here.80 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 IMPACT OF FOREST HARVEST WITH VARIABLE STREAMSIDE

MANAGEMENT ZONE CONFIGURATIONS ON HYDROLOGIC RESPONSE

IN PERENNIAL HEADWATER STREAMS IN EASTERN KY

Presenter: Emma Witt, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN ( witt0287@umn.edu )

Co

- Authors: Emma Witt, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN Christopher Barton and Jeffrey W. Stringer, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Alex Cherry, U.S. Geologica l Survey, Louisville, KY Randall Kolka, USDA Forest Service, Grand Rapids, MN

Impacts from forest harvesting may include changes to storm response in headwater streams draining harvested areas. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of forest harvesting on eight hydrograph parameters and determine if streamside management zone (SMZ) characteristics impacted the response. Catchments were harvested using a two

- age deferment method and one of three SMZ configurations that

varied in SMZ widt h, canopy retention and use of improved ephemeral stream crossings. Each SMZ treatment was applied to two catchments, and two additional catchments were unharvested. Storm response was measured at the perennial outlet of each catchment

before and after har vesting. Peak flow and total storm volume increased from pre

- harvest

to post

- harvest, for two of the six treatment watersheds. SMZ configuration did not consistently impact storm response in the study watersheds following harvest. Changes in hydrograph tim ing were measured for one watershed, and only for fall time and rise time. Where significant changes were measured, the difference in storm response was small and was not expected to impact downstream flooding.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 81

THE ECONOMIC COSTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF RIPARIAN

BUFFERS: A CASE STUDY OF SMALL STREAMS IN MAINE

Present er : Ethel Wilkerson, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences,

Brunswick, ME ( ewilkerson@manomet.org )

Co

- Authors: Ethel Wilkerson, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Brunswick, ME Chris LeDoux, US Forest Service, Morgantown, WV

Research shows that retaining riparian buffers adjacent to water bodies can dramatically

reduce the risk of forestry

- related impacts to water quality. However, riparian areas are highly productive for timber and establishing buffers can reduce the volume of merchantable timber from a harvest causing economic losses for landowners. To

understand the e conomic costs and environmental benefits of riparian buffers we compared the effectiveness of different riparian buffer widths for protecting physical, chemical, and biological attributes of streams with the economic costs of retaining these

buffers. BMP e ffectiveness data came from a seven year study on 15 small streams in western Maine where we measured water temperature, riparian air temperature, water quality, nutrient concentrations, and periphyton and macroinvertebrate communities both

before and afte r the timber harvest activities. Cost estimates for riparian buffers were calculated using ECOST, a modeling program that uses time studies and simulations to estimate logging costs and revenues for different stands. We estimated at our study sites (harves t size: 12 ha) that 11m wide buffers on both sides of the stream channel accounted for 5% of total timber revenue. Partial removal of timber within buffers (up to 40% removal of basal area) reduced the proportion of timber value retained within the buffer to 3%. In our study we found that streams with 11m wide partially harvested buffers did not show any post

- harvest changes in water quality but exhibited small, short

- term changes to water and riparian air temperatures and aquatic communities in the first y ear after the harvest. Treatments with 23m buffers had no detect a ble impacts to water resources, temperature or periphyton or macroinvebrate communities. We estimated that

for a harvest 30

- acres in size buffers 23m wide accounted for 11% of total timber

re venue. Allowing for partial harvesting of buffers (up to 40% removal of basal area) reduced the proportion of timber value retained within the buffer to 7% without reducing the ability of the buffers protecting against changes in water quality parameters.82 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 FOREST HARVEST EQUIPMENT MOVEMENT AND

SEDIMENT DELIVERY TO STREAMS

Presenter: Jeffrey Stringer, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (stringer@uky.edu)

Co

- Authors: Daniel Bowker, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO Jeffrey Stringer and Christopher Barton, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Streamside management zones (SMZs) have become important management techniques to prevent the introduction of sediment to stream networks. This study examined the current Kentucky best management p ractice (BMP) guidelines for SMZs by outfitting mobile forest harvest equipment with global positioning system (GPS) receivers, enabling modeling of equipment traffic and spatial analysis of stream sediment delivery. Three SMZ configurations were implement ed during commercial timber harvest in order to determine where and why sediment was introduced to the stream network. Results indicate that increasing the SMZ buffer width leads to decreased sediment delivery, and that requiring an SMZ buffer with some ca nopy retention on ephemeral channels will lead to improvements in stream water quality. Care should be taken in the placement and construction of water control measures for skid trail retirement, as all documented harvest

machine sediment sources were trac eable to non

- functioning water control structures. This study also suggests that tracked harvest equipment such as bulldozers and feller

bunchers may increase the chances of stream sediment delivery, while wheeled traffic by log skidders my decrease those chances. Finally, a northeasterly aspect of harvested areas was shown to be related to increased sediment delivery to streams, while surface roughness downslope from the skid trail system was shown to decrease sediment delivery.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 83 BIOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF E XCESSIVE FINE SEDIMENT

IN FORESTED STREAMS

Presenter: Bob Danehy, NCASI, Corvallis, OR ( bdanehy@ncasi.org )

Co

- Authors: Bob Danehy, NCASI, Corvallis, OR Christina Relyea, Flathead Community College, Kalispell, MT Wayne Minshall, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID Yangdong Pan, Portland State University, Portland, OR

Forest roads are a significant stewardship challenge for forest managers. Since road network and stream network must intersect, each intersection is a potential source of sediment export to streams and higher density roading yields more intersections. There is a long history of forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) to minimize sediment delivery

, and recent research has shown when roads are prope rly installed and maintained BMPs are effective in minimizing sediment delivery from roads. To evaluate BMP success, one potential tool is biological monitoring. One advantage of biologic assessments compared to physical sampling approaches is biological c ommunities can reflect a longer time interval and reveal past disturbances.

We describe the underlying mechanisms of macroinvertebrate and periphyton community responses to both deposited and suspended fine sediment

. In addition we present a Fine

Sedime nt Biotic Index we developed for use in assessment of inorganic sediment impacts on benthic invertebrates. The index uses a subset of aquatic organisms that exhibit the greatest response (+/

- ) to inorganic sediment inputs. While regionally developed in the Pacific Northwest, similar stressor specific tools can be developed elsewhere with the approach we employed.84 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014

EFFECTS OF PRESCRIBED BURNING ON LARGE WOOD LOADING

IN SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL PLAIN STREAMS

Presenter: Andy Dolloff, US Forest Service, Blacksburg, VA ( adolloff@fs.fed.us )

Co

- Authors: Andy Dolloff, Craig Roghair and Colin Krause,

US Forest Service, Blacksburg, VA

Prescribed burning is the method of choice for many land managers who wish to

influenc e the species composition, structure, and function of forested ecosystems. Despite the large body of knowledge of the effects of fire on many of the important attributes and functions of forest ecology, relatively little is known about the effects of

repe ated prescribed burns or wildfire on large wood (LW) loading in streams, particularly in the southeastern US . Large wood influences a wide variety of features and functions in stream channels including channel morphology, bank and bed erosion, and habitat complexity for microbes, macroinvertebrates, and fish as well as a host of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. In 2013, we inventoried LW in 22 coastal plain stream reaches within South Carolina’s Francis Marion National Forest (FMNF). Sampled

reach es ranged from 0.5 km to 1.4 km in length and flowed through land management areas with varying frequency of prescribed burning from 2006

- 2013; 0

- 2 = low, 3

- 4 = high burn frequency sites. Within each stream reach we recorded several LW attributes,

includin g the location and size (length and diameter) of all dead and down pieces within the bankfull channel, the percent of total LW piece length with charring, and the orientation of each piece relative to the stream channel. Median LW load in low frequency bur n reaches (84 pieces per km) was similar to that in high burn frequency sites (95 pieces per km). The size distribution, total volume, and orientation of LW also were similar between low and high frequency burn reaches. The prevalence of charring at high f requency burn sites ranged from 6%

- 69% (average = 32%) compared with 0%

- 18% (average = 2%) at low frequency burn sites. The lack of significant difference among LW attributes should not be interpreted to mean prescribed fire has no effect on

LW recruit ment or retention dynamics. Future research on LW and fire in coastal plain streams should focus on: 1) the abundance and distribution of LW in areas adjacent to stream channels, 2) the role of burn frequency and intensity on tree species recruitment to

LW , 3) movement, decay, and disintegration of charred vs uncharred LW, and 4) the influence of LW in FMNF streams on fish species composition, distribution, and

abundance.BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 85 NUTRIENT AND HERBICIDE CONCENTRATIONS AND EXPORT

FROM CLEARCUTS AND SITE

- PREPARED PLANTATIONS : DRY CREEK PAIRED WATERSHED STUDY

Presenter: Rhett Jackson, University of Georgia , Athens, GA

( rjackson@warnell.uga.edu )

Co

- Authors: Rhett Jackson, Samantha Marchman, Lynsey Scarbrough,

William Summer, Scott Terrell, David Jones, and Masato Miwa

Using paired watershed techniques, we quantified the effects of clearcutting and site preparation (without fertilization) on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and yields

in small headwater streams i n the upper Coastal Plain of southwest Georgia. We also monitored and characterized herbicide concentrations in streams following application. The Dry Creek study monitored two watershed pairs on the old International Paper Southlands Experimental Forest a total of five years: two years prior and one year following harvest, and two more years following site preparation and planting. The two treatment watersheds were clearcut and downstream portions of their SMZs were thinned in accordance with 1999 Georgia BMPs. Herbicide application, burning, and planting followed a year later. Previously published research revealed a large increase in water yield following harvest, with substantial differences in the magnitude of the effect across the two pairs. Nutrient c oncentrations were highly variable within and between monitoring periods, even in reference watersheds. Silvicultural activities did not affect phosphorus and ammonia concentrations; however, nitrate/nitrite and total nitrogen concentrations increased slig htly in treatment watersheds following stand reestablishment. Annual nutrient export trends matched water yield trends. Nutrient yields increased after harvest largely as a result of increased water yields. Nutrient yield increases were minor, and streams exported only 4% to 20% of atmospheric nitrogen inputs. Nitrogen concentrations in treatment streams were dominated by inputs from an upstream agricultural area, and nitrate levels decreased rapidly going downstream through the forest watersheds due to eit her denitrification, sequestration, or dilution. Imazapyr, hexazinone, and sulfometuron methyl were detected following application, but concentrations were always below 8.3 ppb. Highest concentrations were found in the first stormflow event following herbi cide application, and concentrations diminished rapidly in subsequent stormflow events. Our results suggest that mobility of these herbicides was low and, with proper application and BMP implementation, instream herbicide concentrations will be very low an d diminish rapidly after the first storm event.86 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 REGIONAL EFFORTS TO PROMOTE FORESTRY

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES: A SOUTHERN SUCCESS STORY

Presenter: John Colberg, Georgia Forestry Commission, Macon, GA (jcolberg@gfc.state.ga.us)

Co

- Authors: John Colberg, Georgia Forestry Commission, Macon, GA Hughes Simpson, Tom Gerow, and Wib Owen, Southern Group of State Foresters,

Water Resources Committee

The Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF), made up of state forestry agencies from Virginia to Texas , has long recognized the connection between forests and clean water. In an effort to maintain this connection and provide leadership in the development, improvement, and implementation of forestry BMPs, SGSF established the Water

Resources Committee.

Th is committee began as a task force in 1996 when charged to improve and maximize the integrity of forestry BMP implementation monitoring in the southeast. The developed “Framework”, originally released in 1997 and updated in 2002, outlined procedures that

w ere statistically sound, objective, technically defensible, and provided results that could be comparable among the states. This was the first ever effort to develop a consistent, regional monitoring approach, and currently, all Southern states are in conf ormance.

In 2008, the committee published a regional BMP implementation monitoring report, documenting South

- wide implementation at 87%. In an effort to assess the ongoing educational efforts and to measure progress since 2008, an updated report was p ublished in September 2012, showing region

- wide implementation had increased to 92%.

A major focus of this coordinated effort is to improve the level of service provided throughout the region. In 2003, SGSF established a formal BMP program review process to evaluate state programs and provide recommendations for improvement. States were

ev aluated by their colleagues on nine established indicators of an effective program. These reviews have resulted in measurable improvement across the region, and may be the single most important thing the committee has done.

Annual meetings have also been held since 2000 to coordinate efforts, provide internal training, and share ideas among the states to facilitate continual improvement. These meetings also provide a forum for committee members to collaborate with EPA, US Army Corps of Engineers, and other cooperators on water quality protection efforts in forested landscapes. As a result, the committee is routinely asked to provide guidance and technical assistance on policy issues related to forests and water.

While working on continuousl y improving upon the southern region’s 30 year success story on forestry BMPs, SGSF is actively engaged in research, outreach, training, and partnerships to demonstrate how forests are compatible and beneficial to the sustainable supply of clean and low

- co st public water sources. SGSF has been instrumental in developing and supporting the Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water Quality,BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014 87

a coalition consisting of representatives from water utilities and the forest sector that recognize the importance of healthy, well managed forests to the Southeast’s water supply.

SGSF is a pioneer in water resource protection efforts, and has directed funding to support BMP effectiveness monitoring, load reduction modeling, and the importance of

forests to water r esources. This leadership will be critical as future demands are placed on our water resources, along with increasing pressure on the South’s forestlands, the vast majority of which (almost 90%) is in private ownership.

Summary

SGSF has a long history of water resource protection efforts, providing leadership in BMP development, improvement, and implementation

, enhancing state BMP programs, establishing effective partnerships, and standardiz ing an approach to consistently monitor implementation across the region.88 BMP Symposium Abstracts of Presentations and Posters, May 12

- 15, 2014

ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONTEMPORARY FORESTRY BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs): FOCUS ON ROADS

Presenter: Erik Schilling, NCASI, Aubrey, TX (eschilling@ncasi.org)

Co

- Authors: Erik Schilling, NCASI, Aubrey, TX George Ice, NCASI, Corvallis, OR, Retired

There is a long history of research on the effects of forest management on water resources. Results have supported development and continuous improvement of best management practices (BMPs) for controlling effects of forestry operations on water quality and beneficial uses. This report summarizes research on the effectiveness of BMPs for forestry operations generally and forest roads in particular. It is clear that forestry practices have changed dramatically over the past several decades and that BMPs are effective in minimizing water quality impacts. Paired watershed studies have demonstrated that implementing a suite of contemporary BMPs reduces sediment loads to streams by 80% or more relative to uncontrolled fo restry operations. With contemporary BMPs, effects of forestry operations on water quality are generally small compared to effects of natural disturbance and annual weather cycles. Specific BMPs for roads have been tested in controlled studies and proven e ffective by road inventories conducted by forestry agencies in several states. Those inventories show that road BMPs are being implemented at high rates and are effective in reducing risks to water quality; road drainage structures are being disconnected f rom streams; and poor road/stream crossings are being identified and corrected.