Monitoring Compliance with BMPs: The Experience of State Forestry Agencies

Thirty-four states implement compliance monitoring programs to determine whether voluntary or mandatory forest practices are being applied by landowners and timber harvesters. In only 20 states does the lead forestry agency have sole responsibility for monitoring. Since the early 1990s, some states have completed five or more monitoring survey cycles, the most recent costing an average of $60,000. Effectiveness of compliance monitoring is enhanced by positive landowners' and harvesters' attitudes, assignment of monitoring responsibility to a single agency, credible monitoring processes, and sufficient resources.