Appendix C TPCC Class Criteria Forest Land. By definition, forest land is land that is now, or is capable of becoming, at least 10 percent stocked with forest trees (native, woody plants capable of attaining heights of at least 20 feet) and has not been developed for non-timber use. Approximately 440,650 acres of the Jackson and Klamath SYUS fall into this category. Forest land is further classified as follows: Commercial Forest Land. Forest land that is now producing or is capable of producing at least 20 cubic feet per acre per year of commercial coniferous tree species. Commercial forest land constitutes 354,550 acres in the JKS YUs. Problem Sites. A subclass of commercial forest land which identifies problems due to 1) adverse location, 2) fragile areas, and 3) problem reforestation areas. This subclass of land is either withdrawn from the timber production base or is restricted to or from certain management practices. Adverse Location. Problem sites which, because of their physical isolation, are difficult or impossible to manage for sustained yield timber production. Most problem sites classified as adverse location will be withdrawn from the timber production base due to the lack of special techniques to improve geographic accessibility. Fragile Areas. Problem sites whose timber growing potential is easily reduced or destroyed; e.g., loss of timber growing potential may result from soil erosion and mass wasting. These sites may be restricted if special techniques are available to protect the site from damage due to road construction, logging activities, etc. If such special techniques are not available, the site is withdrawn from the timber production base. Problem Reforestation Areas. Problem sites with lands upon which standard reforestation treatments, following clearcutting or shelterwood cutting, are expected to result in either 1) an "unstocked" condition after 5 years, or 2) a "stocked-unestablished" condition after 15 years. Non-Problem Sites. Commercial forest land that is not classified as Adverse Location, Fragile Site, or Problem Reforestation Area. Non-Commercial Forest Land. Land which is not capable of yielding at least 20 cubic feet of wood per acre per year of commercial species, or land which is capable of producing only non-commercial tree species. These lands are withdrawn from the timber production base. Approximately 86,100 acres fall into this category in the JKS YUs. Low Site. Non-commercial forest land which is not capable of yielding at least 20 cubic feet of wood per acre per year of commercial species. Non-Commercial Species. Non-commercial land on which only non-commercial tree species are capable of growing. Non-commercial species include all hardwoods, whether merchantable or non-merchantable. Non-Forest Land. This includes land that has been developed for nontimber uses or land that is incapable of being 10 percent stocked with forest trees. Examples of non-forest land are roads, rock outcrops, urban areas, and resort areas. These lands are automatically excluded from the timber production base. The Jackson and Klamath SYUS contained 47,610 acres of land in the non-forest category when the TPCC was conducted. D-1 Tractor Logging on Shallow Soils 3. Avoid tractor logging where shallow gravelly soils occur (i.e., on ridge crest and steep slopes). Alternatives to Burning for Site Preparation Use alternatives to burning, such as herbicides, in site preparation. BLM-Administered Lands in the Jackson-Klamath Master Units Each of the following general units is delineated on the MFP Watershed Activity Recommendations Overlay. Recommended practices and the reasons for implementing the practices are given for all major management activities that influence water quality. The recommended practices are guidelines only and should be used in conjunction with on-site investigations to determine the specific practice that will minimize water quality degradation and reduce losses in site productivity. Alluvial Land Association (Shown as W-6 on MFP Step 1 Overlay) Recommended Practices 1. Locate roads above the flood plain. Where it is necessary to construct roads within the flood plain, design the road to withst and inundation by rapidly flowing floodwaters. Place rock riprap on both the upstream and downstream sides of the road. Elevate the road above anticipated floodwaters using rock fill. Reason The major limitation associated with this unit is the frequency and duration of flooding of the area adjacent to stream channels. Roads located in the flood plain are subject to inundation and deterioration by floodwater. Rock fill and riprap will give more road bed stability. (36) Witzel (R) Rock Land Association (W-7 on MFP Step 1 Overlay) Partial cut or avoid cutting on slopes exceeding 70 percent (especially critical on droughty south and west exposures). Use a suspension cable or aerial system for harvesting timber. 4. Road Construction Through Steep Areas Confine roads to slopes less than 70 percent. Roll the road grade, taking advantage of stable positions (i.e., ridges, saddles, and natural benches). End haul excavated materials on slopes exceeding 70 percent which 5. Road Construction Through Fractured Bedrock Avoid high steeply sloping cuts in highly fractured bedrock. and design road to minimize heights of cuts. Reasons Locate Clearcutting or removing brush and hardwoods on slopes in excess of 70 percent will expose soil to raindrop splash erosion and initiate soil raveling. The soil fines are removed and the available water capacity is reduced (especially critical on droughty south and west exposures). Once these processes begin, it is difficult to reestablish protective vegetative cover. Tractor logging in ridge crests and steep slopes occupied by shallow Broadcast burning on steeply sloping south and west exposures will Road construction on slopes exceeding 70 percent produces very gravelly sidecast material that buries downslope vegetation and creates a droughty condition, reducing site quality. Sidecast material can overload the fill slope and cause subsequent failure. High, steeply sloping road cuts in fractured bedrock are most susceptible to rockfall. C. 371-372-370 Association (W-8 on MFP Step 1 Overlay) Recommended Practices 1. Clearcutting and Removal of Brush or Hardwoods Partial cut or avoid cutting on slopes exceeding 70 percent. Avoid tractor logging where shallow gravelly soils occur (i.e., on ridge crests and steep slopes). 3. Site Preparation on Shallow Sites Use alternatives to burning, such as herbicides, in site preparation. 4. Timber Harvest Site Preparation on Slide-prone Areas Partial cut using a full suspension yarding system. Actively moving Road Construction Through Steep Areas Confine roads to slopes less than 70 percent. Roll the road grade taking advantage of stable positions (i.e., ridges, saddles and natural bridges). Road Construction Through Dipped Bedding Planes Locate roads through areas where the bedding planes or we at her ing surfaces are not inclined with the slope. Existing road cuts in the area of proposed road location offer helpful clues to the orientation of the bedding planes. Reasons 1. Clearcutting or removing brush or hardwood on very steeply sloping positions exposes the soil to raindrop splash erosion and initiates soil raveling. The soil fines are removed, and the available water capacity is reduced. Once these processes begin, it is difficult to reestablish a protective vegetative cover. Tractor logging on ridge crests and steep slopes occupied by shallow gravelly soils will remove the duff layer, which protects the underlying soil from erosion by water and gravity. Removal of the duff layer, followed by reduction in soil fines, will reduce site productivity and degrade water quality. Broadcast burning on shallow gravelly soils on steeply sloping terrain Clearcutting, when combined with road construction on steep sideslopes 5. Road construction on slopes exceeding 70 percent produces very gravelly sidecast material that buries downslope vegetation and creates a droughty condition resulting in reduced site quality. Sidecast can overload fill slopes and cause road failures. Massive failures occur most frequently on the steepest headwalls. 6. Roads constructed through steeply sloping terrain where bedding planes or weathering surfaces are inclined with the slope are subject to massive failure. D. 381-(380) Pollard Association (W-9 on MFP Step 1 Overlay) Confine tractor logging to slopes less than 35 percent. Limit period of operation to when the soil moisture content is below 25 percent All primary skid trails should be waterbarred. Rip as well as waterbar skid trails following final removal at driest time of year (July 15 through September 15). Rip to a depth of 12 to 15 inches with spacing equal to depth. Waterbars should be spaced at 25 to 100 foot intervals based on natural slope. Evaluate bug-killed timber thoroughly before removing dead and dying |