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Forest management can protect water quality, county forester says
Summary
Ethan Tapper, Chittenden County forester, told the Clean Water Advisory Committee that properly managed forests reduce erosion and support water resilience; he urged use of Acceptable Management Practices, noted municipal limits to regulate private forest management, and suggested volunteer monitoring and CWSP funding to address legacy infrastructure.
Ethan Tapper, the county forester (FPR), told the Chittenden County Clean Water Advisory Committee on April 4 that well-managed forests play a central role in protecting water quality.
Tapper said Vermont is about 74% forested and roughly 78% of that forestland is privately owned. He told the committee that living trees reduce runoff and soil erosion, store water and carbon, and that managing both streams and forests for long-term resilience produces more stable patterns of water, sediment and carbon cycling.
Tapper described multiple pathways by which forestry affects water quality: natural background contributions, sediment from legacy access infrastructure such as poorly planned roads and undersized stream crossings, and management practices. He explained that Acceptable Management Practices, or AMPs, address road…
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