**Author details**

forestry and agriculture raises concerns about cumulative effects on water quality and soil integrity [43]. Best Management Practices have been developed and implemented since the early 1970s to ensure that land management for wood fiber and agricultural crop production can be carried out with minimum impact on the environment [44]. Although BMPs were originally designed to minimize water quality impacts, they can be used ensure soil sustainability and biodiversity. The use of BMPs is widespread in developed countries and some developing nations. It varies from mandatory to voluntary depending on the degree of legislative support. For example, in many countries, BMPs are already incorporated in "Codes of Practice" that guide forest managers and farmers through the complete bioenergy life cycle. Best Management Practices have been developed and implemented in many agricultural countries to deal with water quality problems [44]. The use and implementation of BMPs is not a static process, but one that is dependent on a continual cycle of application, assessment and monitoring, refinement, and application. Although some countries have "national standards," the complex matrix of forest and agricultural ecosystems, climates, soils and topography, crop establishment and tending systems, and harvesting systems requires on-going evaluation and refinement to achieve BMPs to best fit local management and environmental conditions.

The rationale for BMP usage is multifaceted. Some of the reasons include: (1) State and National environmental regulations, (2) Agency regulations and goals, (3) Private land management objectives, (4) Land manager desires to seek certification for marketing purposes, (5) Corporate/individual commitment to sustainability goals, (6) Recognition of the productivity benefits of BMPs, (7) Desires to integrate multiple ecosystem services into land management, (8) Cultural and religious legacy, (9) Personal conservation heritage, and (10) Local needs to incorporate effective and successful examples of good natural resources management [2]. Research and development activities play a key part in the refinement and communication of improved BMPs. These projects are also crucial in validating the effectiveness of BMPs. This is especially important where local conditions or operational standards are unique. Best Management Practices function to ensure that forest and agricultural bioenergy programs can be a sustainable part of land management and renewable energy production. There are thousands of BMPs that have been published. Some are common to multiple forest management and farming systems. Others are unique to local environments and management practices

Water and soil are so closely linked that the assessment of positive and negative effects of bioenergy production on water and soils should be part of any integrated analysis considering the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of bioenergy production. Water footprints and other measures have little informative value unless combined with data about resource availability and measures of competing uses at similar spatial and temporal scales. Assessment of the relative positive or negative soil and water effects of bioenergy systems depends largely on whether changes in management of land, water and other resources for

bioenergy development alters the state and quality of soil and water [44].

and thus not pertinent everywhere.

**5. Conclusions**

120 Energy Systems and Environment

Daniel G. Neary

Address all correspondence to: dneary@fs.fed.us

USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States of America
