AUGUSTA, Maine — A new Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Maine Forest Service (MFS) report underscores the effectiveness of environmentally friendly practices during timber harvesting. Released Oct. 1, the “Maine Forestry Best Management Practices Use and Effectiveness Data Summary” draws on hundreds of observations at timber harvesting sites across Maine. This MFS study shows how forestry and timber industry professionals use recommended practices statewide. It also demonstrates that the risk to waterbodies greatly increases when they are improperly applied. These measures, called Best Management Practices (BMP), are voluntarily implemented by professionals to help protect water quality in Maine’s streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. They cover planning and application recommendations for activities such as stream crossings, road construction, and controlling erosion and sediment, the primary pollutants associated with timber harvesting. …The report is the result of this monitoring from 2024 to 2025. It includes data from 165 timber harvesting sites and observations on over 700 individual activities.