California Code of Regulations › Title 14 - Natural Resources › Division 1.5 - Department of Forestry and Fire Protection › Chapter 4 - Forest Practices › Subchapter 6 - Southern Forest District Rules › Article 3 - Silvicultural Methods › Section 953.2 - Regeneration Methods Used in Unevenaged Management

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
Unevenaged Management is utilized to establish and
						maintain an unevenaged stand structure. Unevenaged Management attributes
						include the establishment and/or maintenance of a multi-aged, balanced stand
						structure, promotion of growth on leave trees throughout a broad range of
						Diameter classes, and encouragement of natural Reproduction.
(a) Selection. Under the selection
					 Regeneration Method, the trees are removed individually or in Small Groups
					 sized from one-quarter (0.25) acres to two and one-half (2.5) acres.
(1) Trees to be harvested or trees to be
					 retained shall be Marked by or under the supervision of the RPF prior to
					 felling operations. When openings greater than one-quarter (0.25) acres will be
					 created, the boundaries of the Small Group(s) may be designated in lieu of
					 Marking individual trees within the Small Group areas. A sample area must be
					 Marked prior to a preharvest inspection for evaluation. The sample area shall
					 include at least ten (10) of the Harvest Area up to a maximum of twenty (20)
					 acres per stand type which is representative of the range of conditions present
					 in the area.
(2) Post harvest stand
					 Stocking levels shall be stated in the Plan. The level of residual Stocking
					 shall be consistent with maximum sustained production of high quality timber
					 products. In no case shall Stocking be reduced below the following standards:
(A) Selection System.
1. On Site I lands at least one hundred (100)
					 square feet per acre of basal area shall be retained.
2. On Site II and III lands at least
					 seventy-five (75) square feet per acre of basal area shall be
					 retained.
3. On Site IV and V lands
					 at least fifty (50) square feet per acre of basal area shall be
					 retained.
4. Unless the Plan
					 submitter demonstrates how the proposed harvest will achieve MSP pursuant to
					 14 CCR
					 §
															953.11 (a) or (b),
					 the residual stand shall contain trees that are representative of the best
					 phenotypic quality of the preharvest stand.
(B) Group Selection.
1. At least two thirds of the stocked plots
					 must meet the Basal Area Standards of
					 14 CCR
					 §
															953.2(a)(2)(A).
2. Not more than one third of the stocked
					 plots may meet stocking standards utilizing the standards of
					 14 CCR
					 §
															952.7(b)(1). The
					 minimum required age of the trees utilized under these standards shall be ten
					 (10) years old, and shall be based on the percentage of the Plan area harvested
					 by this method in Small Group clearings as described in the table below:
Percentage of stand harvested as
								small group clearings
Minimum age of trees utilizing the
								standards of
								14 CCR
								§
																					952.7(b)(1)
20.0% or less
10
20.1-22%
11
22.1-24%
12
24.1-26%
13
26.1-28%
14
28.1-30%
15
30.1-32%
16
32.1-33.33%
17
3. An RPF or Supervised Designee may offset a
					 certain number of plots per forty (40) plots where those plot centers are
					 initially placed within Small Group clearings created during the current
					 harvest. The maximum number of offset plots shall be based on the percentage of
					 the Plan area harvested by this method in Small Group clearings as described in
					 the table below. Unless substantially damaged by fire, the RPF or Supervised
					 Designee shall not exclude Small Group clearings created by previous timber
					 harvesting from the Stocking survey.
Percentage of stand harvested as
								small group clearings
Maximum number of allowable offset
								plots
20.0% or less
8
20.1-22.9%
9
23.0-24.9%
10
25.0-27.9%
11
28.0-29.9%
12
30.0-33.33%
13
4. Unless the Plan submitter demonstrates how
					 the proposed harvest will achieve MSP pursuant to
					 14 CCR
					 §
															953.11 (a) or (b),
					 the residual stand shall contain trees that are representative of the best
					 phenotypic quality of the preharvest stand.
(3) Within any Plan, Small Group clearings
					 under the selection method shall be separated by a logical Logging
					 Area.
(4) Following completion of
					 Timber Operations (including Site Preparation) not more than one third of the
					 Plan area harvested by this method shall be covered by Small Group
					 clearings.
(5) Exceptions to
					 Stocking Standards in
					 14 CCR
					 §
													953.2(a)(2) above may
					 be granted only when proposed by the RPF and explained and justified in the
					 Plan, but in no case will the exceptions be less than specified in
					 14 CCR
					 §
													952.7(b)(2).
					 Exceptions may only be granted when the RPF clearly demonstrates that the
					 existing stand will grow substantially less than both the potential site
					 productive capacity and the proposed post-harvest stand.