ties. Nevertheless, it gives implied authority for con- 
trol of forestry nonpoint pollution to the State 
water-quality agency, which can issue permits and 
orders and promulgate rules and standards with 
respect to prohibited pollutants. Although the term 
*pollutants" is defined broadly enough to emcom- 
pass runoff from forestry activities, there has been 
no formal regulation of silvicultural operations under 
the act to date. Arkansas also has a stream obstruc- 
tion statute that prohibits blocking any improved 
drainage project or natural drain with trees or log- 
ging debris. Another law prohibits the cutting of 
trees growing below the normal high watermark of 
any navigable river or stream. 
Florida 
Florida utilizes a nonregulatory educational ap- 
proach as its primary method of controlling silvicul- 
tural nonpoint pollution and has developed a de- 
tailed set of forestry BMP's. Although periodic 
assessments of the program still find some water- 
quality problems, the general compliance rate is 
extremely high. 
The Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Act 
grants sufficiently broad powers to the State's De- 
partment of Environmental Regulation to include 
regulatory authority over nonpoint pollution from 
land-management activities. The Department may 
develop whatever water pollution abatement pro- 
grams it deems necessary. Thus, silvicultural activi- 
ties could be regulated under the act if the voluntary 
approach were to prove unworkable. 
In 1984, the new Warren Henderson Wetlands 
Act delegated silvicultural dredge-and-fill responsi- 
bility to Florida's five regional Water Management 
Districts. Nominally, the law governing these dis- 
tricts exempts most agricultural and silvicultural ac- 
tivities from regulation. This has been interpreted to 
mean that harvesting, site preparation, and planting 
are exempt, but that construction of roads, ditches, 
and culverts does require a permit if the activity 
diverts or impedes waterflow. Each of the Water 
Management Districts approaches forestry activities 
differently, some requiring permits, others only noti- 
fication, and some nothing more than compliance 
with district standards. 
A law empowering the Soil Conservation Dis- 
tricts to formulate land use regulations includes sil- 
vicultural practices. However, adoption of regula- 
tions is contingent upon the approval by 
94 
referendum of a majority of landowners in the dis- 
trict. 
Georgia 
The silvicultural nonpoint-source control pro- 
gram for Georgia is a voluntary one with emphasis 
on both education and information. BMP's were 
identified in 1978, based largely on existing re- 
search on watershed response to forestry practices - 
being conducted at the University of Georgia 
(Hewlett and others 1979, Georgia Forestry Com- 
mission 1981). 
The Georgia Water Quality Control Act is unique 
legislation for the South in that it specifically empow- 
ers the Georgia Division of Environmental Protec- 
tion to issue permits for nonpoint as well as for point 
source discharges. Conceivably, the Division could 
require a permit for any activity--including one relat- - 
ed to logging or silviculture--that has been recog- 
nized as a potential source of nonpoint pollution. 
State water-quality officials, however, have not yet 
utilized this provision with respect to forestry opera- 
tions. 
Several counties have adopted ordinances 
which prohibit harvesting and hauling practices 
which leave excessive amounts of mud on county 
roads. 
Louisiana 
Louisiana has taken the nonregulatory ap- 
proach to control of silvicultural nonpoint pollution. 
BMP's have been developed for access road and 
skid trail construction, shearing, and windrowing. 
However, the guidelines have not been published or 
distributed to date. The primary authority for is- 
suance of BMP's rests with the State's Office of 
Forestry, which is hampered at the present time by 
severe budget and personnel reductions. 
The Louisiana Water Control Law is the State's 
formal authority for addressing water protection and 
pollution. Although this statute does not specifically 
address silviculture, it is broadly enough written to 
govern forestry operations if the Office of Water Re- 
sources and the Department of Environmental 
Quality should choose to do so. The Office of Water 
Resources is empowered to "regulate and restrain 
the discharge of pollution into water," and the De- 
partment "may promulgate rules and regulations, 
and issue permits for the control of water pollution." 
