What is it?

Site planning is one of the most important BMPs for forestry operations to minimize environmental impacts. Site planning involves considering site layout and topography, site location within the watershed (proximity to riparian and stream habitats), and local climate and soils. Site planning also involves determining the appropriate set of construction operational BMPs before operation begins. These BMPs can include minimizing disturbance to native vegetation and habitats, planning site entrances and roads, erosion control, chemical storage and disposal, and site reclamation.

Conservation Benefits

• Reduces the amount of nutrients entering streams and wetlands
• Reduces the potential for diseases and pathogens to enter upland, riparian, and stream habitats

What does it include?

Considering environmental and site factors like site layout and topography, site location within the watershed (proximity to riparian and stream habitats), and local climate and soils will allow managers to minimize environmental impacts, predict where there might be problems with site drainage and erosion, and allow for more expedient site reclamation after forestry operations have been completed.

Site planning also involves determining the appropriate set of BMPs before operations begin. These BMPs can include

• determining appropriate forestry management strategies: will decrease impacts to the site through reduced erosion, increased protection of water quality, and resource sustainability
• timing of operations : operations should minimize the impact to soils after storm events to prevent furthur erosion, compaction of soil, and prevent rutting
• minimizing disturbance to native vegetation and habitat : maintaining existing site vegetation (when possible) will prevent soil erosion and movement of soil from the site during storm events. Maintaining site vegetation will also leave seed sources that will aid in native speies revegetation of the site after operations have finished.
• planning constuction site entrances and roads: planning appropriate location, size, and number of roads will decrease the amount of soil erosion, impact to native vegetation and habitats, and will expedite site recalamation
• erosion control : erosion control measures are extremely important in maintaining site stability and preventing sediment runoff from sites into streams or wetlands.
• chemical storage and disposal : considerations of chemical use at sites should include appropriate type and quantaties of chemicals, selecting location on site for storage, storage options, spill cleanup and remediation, and disposal of used or excess chemicals
• site reclamation : involves returning the site to original condition after operations have been completed. This can include regrating/sloping the site and planting native vegetation.