Forest Practices

1. Forest Practices

2. Planning • Stream Types • Type F: fish-bearing and may have domestic water use • Type D: domestic water use and NO fish • Type N: no fish or no water use • Stream Size • Small: < 2 ft3 of avg. annual flow; drainage area < 200 acres; width ≤ 4 ft. • Medium: < 10 ft3 of avg. annual flow; width between 4-20 ft. • Large: > 10 ft3 of avg. annual flow;width > 20 ft.

3. Planning • There are seven geographic water protection regions. Stream protection rules vary by region. Precise boundaries can be found by contacting ODF. • Operations within 100 ft. of Type F and D require written plan

4. Planning • Know the type of harvest you intend to conduct. • Type 1: heavy thinning or shelterwood • Type 2: “green” clearfell. Required seedlings, saplings, and poles left for reforestation. • Type 3: Regeneration harvest where few seedlings and saplings remain. • Unclassified: Commercial thinning or light partial cut. • Type 3 harvests limited to a maximum of 120 acres. • Units separated by 300 ft. buffer. • Green-up: reuired # of TPA for regen. & 4 ft. tall OR 4 years old

5. Planning • Type 2 and 3 harvests require retention of 2 wildlife trees per acre and 2* down logs per acre. • Must be at least 30 feet in height and 11 inches DBH or larger and at least 50% conifer. • Down logs or trees must be 50% conifer and at least 10 cubic ft. gross volume, no less than 6 ft. long. • Additional BA in RMA may count towards leave tree requirement.

6. What do I look for when selecting wildlife trees? • A broken or dead top • Dead branches in the crown • Old wounds or scars at base • Indication of internal rot • Choose the largest diameter and tallest trees • Leave trees, snags, and down logs in one or more clusters across the unit, or they may be scattered • All snags & down logs must be left in Type F & large and medium Type D & N Planning

7. Riparian Area Management • How to measure? • Measure the RMA as a slope distance from the high water level of the main channel • The OFPA is designed to encourage RMA management. The goal is more conifers in RMAs and management is seen as the means to that end. • Protection measures vary with Type and Size of stream.

8. Riparian Area Management • General Prescription Requirements…… To be left in the RMA: • All trees within 20’ of high water level • All RMA trees that lean over the stream • All understory vegetation within 10’ of high water level • All snags and down wood in the channel and RMA • Live conifer target basal area requirement* • Minimum number of live conifers*

9. Riparian Area Management • Specific BA and Tree tally requirements range with geographic region. • LIVE conifers > 6” DBH contribute to BA; hardwoods and snags in some cases

10. Riparian Area Management • To avoid large openings, landowners must leave a minimum of live conifers, depending on stream type and size. • Large F: 40 per 1000 ft, ≥ 11” DBH • Large D & N: 30 per, ≥ 11” DBH • Medium F: 30 per, ≥ 8” DBH • Medium D & N: 10 per, ≥ 8” DBH • Small F, D, & N: no minimum # • Management options MUST meet both the BA and min. tree tally values.

11. Alternative Management Option #2 • Used when conifers CAN grow in the RMA but is dominated by hardwoods • 1st: Separate out section of the RMA where BA and # trees meets target and apply general prescription • Conversion blocks: purpose to promptly convert by harvesting hardwoods and planting conifers • leave all trees within 10 ft of high water; • total length of conversion blocks < ½ stream length; • blocks must be < 500 ft in length and separated by 200 ft. Riparian Area Management • Retention blocks: gradual conversion – harvest some hardwoods and plant conifers • Leave trees within distances of high water in table below

12. Sensitive Sites – T & E Species • Consult always! • For Northern Spotted Owls: • All forest operations within ¼ mile of a nest site must stop from March 1 – Sept. 30; nesting season • Suitable habitat: 60-80% canopy closure with a multi-layered canopy; numerous large snags and woody debris • For Bald Eagles: • All forest operations within ¼ mile of a nest site, or ½ mile if in line of sight, must stop from Jan. 1 – Aug. 31; nesting season

13. Road Construction & Layout • 4 facts about forest roads: • Roads are essential to forest management • Roads have the #1 source of sediment of any forest activity. • When properly built, roads have a low potential for contributing sediment. • If not well-planned, constructed and maintained, roads located next to streams, on steep slopes or on unstable topography have the potential to produce sediment for a long time.

14. Locate roads where you can minimize the risk of materials entering water and where you can minimize disturbance to channels, lakes, wetlands and floodplains……

15. Locate dips, water bars or cross drainage culverts above and away from stream crossings so that road drainage water is filtered before entering water……

16. Locate landings on stable areas that minimize the risk of material entering waters of the State…..Avoid landings in riparian management areas

17. Timber Falling • How can tree felling, bucking and limbing cause damage? • Gouge or breakdown stream banks • Damage or bury streamside vegetation • Leave slash in the channel • What are the requirements intended to protect? • Stream channels and banks • Water quality by keeping slash out • RMA soils • Vegetation left in RMA

18. Timber Falling • Fell, buck and limb trees to minimize disturbance to channels, soils and RMA vegetation • When possible, fell conifer trees away from RMAs • On steep slopes use jacking, line pulling, high stumps, whole tree yarding or stage cutting to prevent damage to residual stems in RMA • Minimize slash that may enter waters of the state

19. Ground Skidding • • When ground skidding and using temporary crossings near waters of the state… • Maintain riparian management area vegetation and minimize distribution to beds and banks of streams • Minimize the number of temporary crossings • Do not operate ground equipment within any stream channel except as required for temporary crossings

20. Avoid ground skidding on unstable, wet or easily compacted soils and on steep slopes unless it can be done without damaging soil productivity through soil disturbance, compaction or erosion……

21. Drain skid trails by water barring or other effective means immediately following completion of the operation and at all times during the operation when runoff is likely…….

22. Ground Skidding •Always remove temporary crossings at completion of yarding For log truck use only:

23. Cable Logging • Can be a good choice if results in less road construction and full suspension is possible • Obtain prior approval from ODF when yarding across Type F or D streams, and any large or medium N streams

24. Cable Logging • Maintain RMA vegetation and minimize disturbance to stream beds and banks • When yarding over any stream except small N, swing yarded material free of the ground in aquatic and riparian areas • Use corridors through retained streamside trees. Trees outside the corridor must be left with adequate crowns to provide cover. • Corridors not needed if full suspension is possible • Never closer than 100 ft. • 10-20 ft. wide