Best Management Practices

The PFLA Best Management Practices (BMP) program builds on the Association's commitment to protect the key public environmental values of fish habitat, water quality, soil productivity, and critical wildlife habitat. The BMP's are the result of ongoing research and consultation with forest owners of all sizes in BC and a review of Best Management Practices throughout the world.

Originally adopted in 1997, the PFLA's BMP handbook recommends standards for private forest landowners and forest resource managers to achieve the protection of the key public environmental values. The standards set out management practices for riparian zones, roads and drainage construction, harvesting, site rehabilitation and preparation, reforestation, critical wildlife habitat and handling hazardous substances. They are designed to support other educational materials and regulatory information available to the forestry practitioner.

The BMP program is a practical, results-oriented approach which includes the Handbook of Best Management Practices for Private Forest Land in British Columbia, formal training workshops, and performance assurance through field monitoring and auditing. The BMP program has proven to be a most important tool to support members in meeting the forest practices requirements of the Managed Forest Land Act.