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NATIONAL ASSOCI ATION OF STATE FORESTERS 



II 444 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 540 Washington, D.C. 20001 202/624-5415 



VJS. House of Representatives 



Committee on Agriculture 



Subconunittee on Environment, Credit, and Rural Development 



Oean Water Act Reauthorization 



James W. Gamer, President 



National Association of State Foresters 



March 23, 1994 



Thank you for the opportunity to testify before this committee today. We appreciate your 

 willingness to hear the concerns of the National Association of State Foresters regarding 

 the impact of non-point source pollution and wetlands protection provisions as proposed in 

 legislation under consideration by the House and Senate. These are the two chief areas of 

 concern for our organization in terms of reauthorization of the Clean Water Act. We be- 

 lieve we share many concerns with the agriculture community on these issues. 



The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) represents the directors of state 

 forestry agencies from all fifty states and three territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin 

 Islands) and the District of Columbia. In that capacity we are responsible for the manage- 

 ment and protection of state and private forest lands. These lands make up approximately 

 70 percent of the Nation's total forest land base. State Foresters administer a range of fed- 

 eral and state programs that include fire, insect and disease prevention and suppression 

 as well as landowner assistance and cost share programs including the Forest 

 Stewardship and Stewardship Incentives Programs. 



NASF believes forest management is vital to the protection of the Nation's water resources 

 and is committed to achieving the goals of the Water Quality Act. We are also dedicated to 

 the belief that good forest management is a critical part of the solution in achieving and 

 maintaining clean water goals. 



Non-Point Source Pollution: 



Forested watersheds are primary sources of high quality water. Almost all the states have 

 developed forestry Best Management Practices which are recommended preventative 

 practices to protect water bodies from impairment and minimize the impact of specific 

 forestry activities such as forest roads and skid trails. These Best Management Practices 

 (BMP's) consider soil type, geology, topography, scale and timing of forest management 

 activities which are characterized by periodic and temporary management activities. 

 Because of the dispersed nature of these activities, potential impacts are relatively short- 

 lived, particularly when compared with other non-point source categories. Although one- 

 third of the nation's land base is forested, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

 estimates attribute only three to seven percent of all non-point source pollution to silvicul- 

 tural activities nation-wide. 



State forestry agencies have been pro-active in developing and implementing state pro- 

 grams for non-point source pollution prevention from forestry activities for over 20 years. 

 Many states took early steps to identify needed BMPs and to promote their use. NASF is 

 pleased with the attention being given to preventative measures for non-point source pollu- 



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