A high number of BMP violations result from stream crossings by skidders, with resulting erosion, sedimentation, and aquatic habitat degradation. New BMPs should be developed that limit stream fording to winter conditions or dry stream beds only, to provide incentives for harvesting near streams in the seasons most favorable for water quality protection. For adequate protection of water quality, crossings of such flowing water by all motorized vehicles, including skidders, should require temporary bridges except in winter. Herbicide use should be restricted to areas with a specified density of established conifer seedlings. When herbicides are used on a site without an adequate density of conifer seedlings per acre, the resulting loss of vegetative cover often results in an increase in erosion from bare soils, and causes water and nutrient runoff to increase.
Water quality is likely to be degraded until the new forest is established.
The inconsistency of compliance assessment has been cited as a problem in Maine. Under a voluntary program, landowners or harvesters could choose to purchase an automated stream monitor, a self-contained battery operated unit that records at least water temperature, turbidity, and conductance. Operations where such a unit was deployed would be exempt from some forestry regulations, and would develop BMPs as best suited for the site. Because the ultimate goal is the protection of the resource rather than adherence to rules, part of the assessment of compliance would be measured by the results recorded by the monitors, as indicators of ecosystem status. State agency staff or another independent organization would service and evaluate the data recorded in the field.