Find out what you can do to protect Florida’s lakes and streams from pollution associated with forestry activities. 

Florida’s Silviculture Best Management Practices (BMPs) are forest land management guidelines designed as the minimum standards necessary for protecting and maintaining the state’s water quality and wetland ecosystems during forestry activities. As such, they represent a balance between overall natural resource protection and forest resource use.

Florida’s Silviculture BMPs were first established in the mid-1970s in response to the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 and should be applied on all bona fide ongoing forestry operations, especially those adjacent to waterbodies, wetlands and sinkholes. Silviculture BMPs may be enforced by federal, state and local authorities through reference of regulatory statute or rule. However, Silviculture BMPs are not intended for use during tree removal or land clearing operations associated with development or other activities that have non-forestry objectives.

The Florida Forest Service serves as the lead agency responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of Silviculture BMPs in Florida. The Forest Hydrology Section is available to provide specialized information and guidance about Florida’s Silviculture BMPs. 

Filing a Silviculture BMP Notice of Intent

By filing a Silviculture BMP Notice of Intent, a landowner (or their representative) becomes eligible for a presumption of compliance with state water quality standards for the pollutants addressed by the BMPs.

This is very important for properties that fall within one of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s adopted Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs).

In addition, the Florida Right to Farm Act, with some exceptions, will prohibit local governments from regulating a silvicultural activity related to water quality when the landowner has filed a Silviculture BMP Notice of Intent and is properly implementing applicable BMPs. 

To file a Silviculture BMP Notice of Intent:

1. Download the Notice of Intent to Implement Silviculture Best Management Practices [ Adobe PDF Document ] (NOI). Note: The fill-in fields on the Notice of Intent form do not always work correctly when the form is opened in a web browser. Therefore, it is recommended that the form be completed using the Adobe PDF Reader app. A download link for the app is provided at the bottom of this webpage.
2. Complete the NOI form and BMP Checklist. The property owner should match the parcel's owner as listed by the county property appraiser's office.
3. Mail the completed form to the address found at the bottom of the form or email it to ForestryBMPHelp@FDACS.gov. Be sure to keep a copy for your records.
4. Implement applicable Silviculture BMPs and keep required records to maintain a presumption of compliance with state water quality standards.

For more information about Florida's Silviculture BMP program, please contact the BMP Program Manager.