Page 30 - Georgia Forestry - Issue2 - Spring 2018

WORKING FORESTS
Nature’s Water Filter
Water is an increasingly valuable natural resource, and Georgia’s private forest owners play a critical role in keeping it cool, clean, and abundant. Forests, which cover two-thirds of the land area in the state, help by absorbing rainwater and slowing it down to limit erosion. They also help by filtering out pollution that is collected as water flows over city streets and other sources of stress.
HERE ARE A FEW FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT CLEAN WATER AND WORKING FORESTS:
65%
30%
of America’s water is filtered by working
1 forests
Did you know working forests are the most significant factor affecting water quality and quantity in Georgia?
BMPs
Best Management Practices
To minimize erosion and sedimentation from forestry
practices, The Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) promotes implementation of
Best Management Practices (BMPs). Since producing the first BMP manual in 1981, GFC has given more than 2,900 BMP education sessions to more than 93,000 people.
To learn more visit www.gatrees.org/ forest-management/ water-quality.
44,056 miles
of perennial streams, 23,906 miles of intermit- tent streams and 603 miles of ditches and canals flow through working forests3
1,500
20,000
gallons
of water can be absorbed by a healthy forest during a heavy rain5
(approximately) loggers and
timber processors are trained
through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s logger education
programs, such as the Master Timber Harvester Program, to adhere to Georgia’s Best Management Practices for Water. 6
of watersheds in Georgia flow through working forests2
$85.9 Billion
in annual value is provided in storm water retention capacity by urban forests in Atlanta4
1) Georgia Environmental Protection Division, et. al (2005). Water Quality in Georgia, 2004-2005. Web: https://epd.georgia.gov/sites/epd.georgia.gov/files/ related_files/site_page/Y2006_Chapters_1-3.pdf. Accessed: March 2018. 2) Georgia Forestry Commission (2014). Georgia’s Sustainable Forests:
A Resource for All Georgian’s. Web: www.gatrees.org/resources/publications/2013Sustainability Report Final LowRes.pdf. Accessed: March 2018.
3) Georgia Master Timber Harvester Program (2018). Web: http://gamth.org/. Accessed: March 2018. 4) U.S. Forest Service (2018). Private Land.
Web: www.fs.fed.us/managing-land/private-land. Accessed: March 2018. 5) Southern Group of State Foresters (2018). Benefits of Urban Trees.
Web: www.southernforests.org/urban/benefits-of-urban-trees. Accessed: March 2018. 6) American Forests (2001). Urban ecosystem analysis Atlanta metro area, calculating the value of nature. Washington, D.C.: American Forests.
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