Electronic Field Guide » Best Management Practices

Prepared by Patrick Drohan (Dept. of Crop and Soil Science)

What is a best management practice (BMP)?

A BMP is a practice recommended to minimize adverse impacts to a resource of interest.  In the case of a BMP applying to natural resource management, managers implement BMPs to minimize adverse environmental impacts such as soil erosion or degraded wildlife habitat or water quality. 

BMPs vary with regard to the resource or species of interest and in scale applicable (wide geographic area or small).  Given that current understanding of landscape change is still evolving, the most appropriate BMPs for use with Marcellus development are still being discovered.  BMPs vary by organization (private, public, nonprofit), and a variety of BMPs are likely neccessary for the extent of Marcellus infrastructure given the diversity of issues, landscapes, and climates across Pennsylvania.

Below are links pointing to existing BMPs from a variety of organizations. Some are specific to Marcellus development, while others exist for other natural resource management questions.

Best Management Practices

Beyond Pennsylvania and the Marcellus Shale