Role of the Tennessee master logger program in implementation of best management practices on non-industrial private forests

Abstract

A field evaluation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) was used to determine the effectiveness of the Tennessee Master Logger Program (TMLP) in 1997-1998. The study was conducted on non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) and excluded harvests on land owned by forest industry or public forests. Completed logging jobs were evaluated in relation to four components of timber harvesting: (1) haul roads, (2) skid trails, (3) log decks, and (4) Streamside Management Zones (SMZs). The scores assigned during evaluation to each of the four components were added together to yield an overall score. An overall percentage score was calculated because some sites did not have all four components, for example, SMZs are not necessary on sites without streams. Of 191 randomly chosen logging sites across the state of Tennessee, 38, or 19.9%, were harvested by trained Master Loggers. A significant association (P < 0.05) was found between overall percentage score and logger training. The mean overall percentage score for Master Loggers was 75.1%, and the mean score for untrained loggers was 60.4%. Only 17 of the 627 possible scores or 2.6%, exhibited threats to water quality. Of these 17, Master Loggers were only responsible for 3. Point biserial correlations indicated that a substantial association (P < 0.05) existed between harvests completed by Master Loggers and the scores of haul roads, skid trails, log decks, and SMZ grades. This study indicates that loggers who received training from the TMLP were more likely to implement BMPs during harvesting operations on NIPF than loggers who did not participate in the Tennessee Master Logger Program. South. J. Appl. For. 27(1):36-40.