Forest landowners who enroll in the Florida Forestry Wildlife Best Management Practices for State Imperiled Species Program and properly implement these voluntary practices can help minimize the loss of imperiled species in Florida.

Florida’s Forestry Wildlife Best Management Practices for State Imperiled Species (WBMPs) were developed to enhance silviculture’s contribution to the conservation and management of freshwater aquatic and terrestrial wildlife species in the state. 

Forestry WBMPs are voluntary practices that are designed as a practical approach for avoiding and minimizing the loss of state-listed imperiled species due to silviculture operations. Forestry WBMPs do not address any federally listed imperiled species and are not intended for use during tree removal or land clearing operations associated with development or other land clearing activities with a non-forestry objective.

The Florida Forestry WBMP Program is administered by the Florida Forest Service and is implemented through a partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Enrolling in the Forestry WBMP Program

Forest landowners and other forest resource professionals can enroll in the WBMP Program by completing a Notice of Intent to Implement Forestry WBMPs.

Enrollment and adherence to WBMPs, in most instances, will allow applicants to forego obtaining permits for the incidental take of state-listed imperiled species due to their bona fide ongoing forestry operations.

 To enroll in the Forestry WBMP Program:

1. Download the Notice of Intent to Implement Forestry WBMPs [ 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 page 1 of the NOI form. The property owner should match the parcel's owner as listed by the county property appraiser's office.
3. Complete the Implementation Checklist on page 2 of the NOI form. Use the imperiled species range maps provided in the Florida Forestry WBMP Manual [ 8 MB ] to assist you in completing the Implementation Checklist.
4. 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.
5. Implement applicable Forestry WBMPs and keep required records to document practices that are not physically observable in the field.

For more information about Florida's WBMP Program or for assistance with enrolling, please contact the BMP Program Manager.