38-1304. DUTIES OF THE BOARD. The board:

(1) Shall adopt rules for forest regions establishing minimum standards for the conduct of forest practices on forest land. These rules shall be based upon the following criteria:

(a) Provide for the harvesting of forest tree species in a manner that will maintain the productivity of the forest land, minimize soil and debris entering streams and protect wildlife and fish habitat.

(b) Provide for road construction that will insure protection and maintenance of forest productivity, water quality and fish and wildlife habitat during construction and maintenance.

(c) Provide for reforestation that will maintain a continuous growing and harvesting of forest tree species by describing the conditions under which reforestation will be required, specifying the minimum number of trees per acre and the maximum period of time allowed after harvesting for establishment of forest tree species, and requiring stabilization of soils which have become exposed as a result of harvesting; however, an acreage exemption from reforestation may be established except that on such land exempted within one (1) year following harvesting, some form of vegetative cover shall be required sufficient to provide continuing soil productivity and stabilization.

(d) Provide for the use of chemicals or fertilizers in such a manner that the public health and aquatic and wildlife habitat will not be endangered from their handling, storage and application.

(e) Provide for management of slashings resulting from the harvesting, management or improvement of forest tree species in that manner necessary to protect reproduction and residual stands, to reduce risk from fire and insects and disease, to optimize the conditions for future regeneration of forest tree species, and to maintain air and water quality and fish and wildlife habitat.

(f) Provide for the timely salvage logging on all forest lands of dead or dying timber or timber that is threatened by various physical elements. Rules developed pursuant to this section shall consider both the economic value of the timber to be salvaged, the immediate costs of the salvage efforts, and the long-term costs to all forest resources and values associated with insect, disease or fire conditions which might otherwise be controlled by the salvage operations. The provisions of this subpart shall not apply to single contiguous forest ownerships less than two thousand (2,000) acres in size. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring the removal of timber from private lands against the wishes of the private landowner.

History:

[38-1304, added 1974, ch. 197, sec. 4, p. 1506; am. 1991, ch. 245, sec. 2, p. 600.]