Reducing forest road erosion - Do foresters and logging contracts matter?

In West Virginia, as in several other states, loggers are solely responsible for implementing best management practices (BMP) to prevent soil erosion and protect water equality. A study reveals that not even the situation of provisions for BMPs in logging contracts results in above-average rates of compliance. Extending responsibility for BMP implementation to those individuals often most responsible for the timing and conduct of logging-the landowner-may promote better workmanship. Further, an ethic that translates landowners' satisfaction with logging into satisfaction with soil and water quality may be a useful component of extension education programs. Among the findings: Landowners who hired a professional forester to conduct their timber sales had a higher level of compliance.