Good Management Practices in Forestry

Reducing Diffuse Pollution from Forestry

Related Activities in Galloway and

Eskdalemuir Forests

John Gorman

Senior Environment Protection Officer

Project Aims

Improve Communication links with State and

private forestry – liaison meetings

Workshops, awareness days, training & site

visits, shared learning

Site inspections –clearfelling, restocking,

drainage works, road construction, quarries,

pesticide/herbicide/fertilisers applications

Help develop Best Practice Guide for forestry

activities via DPMAG

Main Problems

Siltation from ground preparation, cultivation,

harvesting and restocking

Contaminated run-off from roadways

Historical drainage systems

Standing sales

National disease obligations versus FWG5

Quarry runoff

Natural Regen

Waste

What is Diffuse Pollution

River Cree at Bargrennan

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

7.5

8

8.5

10-M

AY

-1956

06-M

AR

-1959

10-JA

N-1961

06-O

CT

-1964

02-JU

N-1969

07-A

UG

-1973

13-D

EC

-1977

26-JA

N-1982

28-N

OV

-1984

28-JU

L-1986

10-M

AR

-1988

19-JA

N-1990

10-JA

N-1992

04-F

EB

-1994

23-JU

N-1995

09-A

PR

-1997

16-D

EC

-1998

31-JU

L-2001

05-A

PR

-2004

23-O

CT

-2005

29-M

AR

-2007

04-S

EP

-2008

20-A

PR

-2010

30-N

OV

-2011

23-JA

N-2014

pH

U

nits pH

Harmful effects

Chorionase enzyme

River Cree at Bargrennan

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

7.5

8

8.5

18-JA

N-2000

29-N

OV

-2000

18-F

EB

-2002

10-F

EB

-2003

03-F

EB

-2004

02-S

EP

-2004

08-D

EC

-2004

04-O

CT

-2005

20-M

AR

-2006

31-A

UG

-2006

29-M

AR

-2007

02-O

CT

-2007

24-M

AR

-2008

06-O

CT

-2008

02-A

PR

-2009

10-N

OV

-2009

17-JU

N-2010

24-N

OV

-2010

20-O

CT

-2011

15-M

AR

-2012

15-N

OV

-2012

07-N

OV

-2013

pH

U

nits pH

Harmful effects

Chorionase enzyme

Forwarder brash track decomp

Timber Stack near Burn

Forestry Inspections Summary – February 2015

Total Inspections 216

Compliant 159 [74%]

Non Compliant 57 [26%]

Pollution Incidents 48

GBR20 32

GBR21 46

GBR22 6

Breaking the

Source/Pathway/Receptor

DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE !!

CHRONOLOGICAL DRAINAGE REVIEW

FWG2, 1991 [23 Years ago] prevent roadside drains discharging direct to watercourses; where unavoidable provide silt traps and maintain them regularly.

FWG3, 1993 [21 Years ago] Roadside drains carry high sediment load must not be allowed to directly connect to watercourses, re-direct to buffer areas

FWG4, 2003 [12 Years ago] Old drain clearing presents high risk of pollution, drains should be realigned to ensure volume flows onto vegetated ground and NOT into watercourses. Existing drains should not drain directly into watercourses

FWG5, 2011 [3 Years ago] Realign existing drains, avoid watercourse connections, redirect to buffer zones

Historical roadside ditches

- Disconnect

Solution – Sump and Natural filter

Receptor protected

Disconnection

FC Operations Note 25 - Roadside drain

Silt Trap

Cut off

Culvert

Filter

Zone

Disconnect

Communication

Poor Communication & Site

Responsibilities

Poor Crossing Point

Culvert Blocked

New Grip Drain for spring water

Dry Crossing Point

Contractor Competency

Dalwhat Burn

Dalwhat Burn 1Km D/Stream

Dalwhat Burn 4Km d/stream

Galloway Flailing

What & Why

Working Quarries

High Pollution Risks

Poor Rock Quality & Gross Pollution

Iron & Unknown Leachate

Quarry Runoff

Roadside Ditch Sump

Grass Swale Soakaway

Irish pipe bridges

Polbae IPB Before

Polbae IPB After

Waste

Contractor Waste Dumped in

Woods

Contractor Waste behind Caravan

Good & Bad Forestry 1

Good & Bad Forestry 2

Good & Bad Forestry 3

Terram Trials

Terram in RSD

SUMMARY

A Good Management Practice “Champion”

Competency attainment for contractors

Contracts – Duties & Responsibilities

Urgent need for Do’s and Don’t’s Guide

Good Quality Site Pre-Planning, Work Plans-Pull out flow chart of key decisions & tick list

Themes:

[1] Clear lines of communication

[2] Improved site management

[3] Pollution prevention NOT remediation

[4] Guidelines are’nt seasonal

[5] Carrot and Stick

[6] Scotland’s wet, Plan for it

“The bitterness of poor

Quality is remembered long

after the sweet taste of low

price has faded from

memory”

Aldo Gucci

“Quality is doing it right

when no-one is looking”

Henry T Ford

Thank you

John.Gorman@Sepa.Org.Uk

Tel: 01671 402618