Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 629 - DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY › Division 35 - MANAGEMENT OF STATE FOREST LANDS › Section 629-035-0055 - Forest Land Management Classification System

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
(1) The State Forester's classification of
			 forest lands, required by OAR
			 629-035-0050,
			 shall be accomplished pursuant to this section.
(2) Land Classifications. All forest lands
			 subject to this rule shall be classified into one of the following four
			 classifications: General Stewardship, Focused Stewardship, Special Use, or High
			 Value Conservation Areas. These classifications apply to lands designated as
			 Silviculturally Capable and Non-Silviculturally Capable.
(3) Distinguishing Characteristics. All
			 forest lands will be classified according to the following distinguishing
			 characteristics. In addition, forest lands will be further classified into
			 subclasses when they are classified as Focused Stewardship, Special Use, or
			 High Value Conservation Areas.
(a) General
			 Stewardship lands include all those whose forest resources are managed using
			 integrated management practices in a manner which is intended to accomplish
			 forest management planning goals, and are compatible over time and across the
			 landscape when actively managed.
(b) Focused Stewardship lands include all
			 those whose forest resources are managed using integrated management practices
			 in a manner which is intended to accomplish forest management planning goals,
			 and are compatible over time and across the landscape when actively managed,
			 but for which a forest management plan, habitat conservation plan, or other
			 legal requirement identifies a requirement for one or more of the following for
			 a specific resource: supplemental planning, before conducting management
			 practices, that helps to achieve identified goals for the specific resource;
			 modified management practices that help achieve the identified goals for the
			 specific resource; or, compliance with legal or contractual requirements above
			 those required on lands classified as General Stewardship.
(A) In addition, other lands may be
			 classified as Focused Stewardship where more specific, small scale, or
			 time-limited plans developed by the State Forester to implement forest
			 management plans call for supplemental planning and/or modified management
			 practices to help achieve the identified goals for a specific resource.
(B) These lands will be further
			 classified into one of the following subclasses:
(i) Agriculture, Grazing or Wildlife Forage -
			 lands where agricultural crops, domestic livestock grazing values, or wildlife
			 forage values exist and are the focus of the supplemental planning, modified
			 management practices, or legal requirements described above.
(ii) Aquatic and Riparian Habitat - lands
			 where aquatic and riparian habitat exists and where the habitat is the focus of
			 the supplemental planning, modified management practices, or legal requirements
			 described above.
(iii) Cultural
			 Resources - lands where cultural resources exist and where those resources are
			 the focus of the supplemental planning, modified management practices, or legal
			 requirements described above.
(iv)
			 Deeds - lands where deed requirements are a focus of the integrated management
			 of a variety of forest resources.
(v) Domestic Water Use - lands where
			 individuals or communities have water rights, where surface water is being used
			 for domestic water use and where the State Forester determines water quality
			 and/or quantity is a focus of the integrated management of a variety of forest
			 resources. For the purposes of this section, "domestic water use" means the use
			 of water for human consumption and other household human use.
(vi) Easements - lands where contractual
			 obligations are a focus of the integrated management of a variety of forest
			 resources.
(vii) Energy and
			 Minerals - lands where commercial quantities of energy or minerals exist,
			 commercial extraction is occurring or likely to occur, and where those
			 resources are the focus of the supplemental planning, modified management
			 practices, or legal requirements described above.
(viii) Plants - lands where a specific plant
			 species or a community of plants exist and where those resources are the focus
			 of the supplemental planning, modified management practices, or legal
			 requirements described above.
(ix)
			 Recreation - lands that receive moderate or high levels of dispersed
			 recreational use and where recreation management is the focus of the
			 supplemental planning, modified management practices, or legal requirements
			 described above.
(x)
			 Research/Monitoring - lands that are part of a research or monitoring project
			 and where the design of the project requires supplemental planning or modified
			 management practices.
(xi)
			 Transmission - lands used for the transmission of energy, materials, data,
			 video, and/or voice and where the transmission is a focus of the integrated
			 management of a variety of forest resources.
(xii) Visual - lands which have been
			 identified as having high or moderate visual sensitivity according to criteria
			 in a forest management plan and where those visual resources are the focus of
			 the supplemental planning, modified management practices, or legal requirements
			 described above.
(xiii) Wildlife
			 Habitat - lands where wildlife habitat for a specific species or group of
			 species exists and where that habitat is the focus of the supplemental
			 planning, modified management practices, or legal requirements described above.
(c) Special
			 Use areas are those lands for which a forest management plan, habitat
			 conservation plan, or other legal requirement identifies one or more of the
			 following: a legal or contractual constraint dominates the management of the
			 lands and precludes the integrated management of all forest resources; lands
			 are committed to a specific use and management activities are limited to those
			 that are compatible with the specific use.
(A) In addition, other lands may be
			 classified as Special Use areas, where more specific, small-scale, or
			 time-limited plans developed by the State Forester to implement forest
			 management plans call for a level of protection or a specific use that
			 precludes the integrated management of all forest resources.
(B) These lands will be further classified
			 into the following subclasses:
(i)
			 Administrative Sites - lands where administrative requirements restrict the
			 integrated management of forest resources. These lands include but are not
			 limited to building sites, rock stockpile sites, log storage/sorting sites, and
			 demonstration areas.
(ii)
			 Agriculture, Grazing, or Wildlife Forage - lands where agricultural crops,
			 domestic stock grazing, or wildlife forage values exist in a quantity or
			 quality that restricts the integrated management of forest resources.
(iii) County or Local
			 Comprehensive Plans - lands identified in county or local comprehensive plans
			 where the integrated management of forest resources is restricted. Counties or
			 local governments must take an exception to statewide land use planning Goal 4
			 for these lands.
(iv) Cultural
			 Resources - lands where cultural resources exist in a quantity or quality that
			 restricts the integrated management of forest resources.
(v) Deeds - lands where deed requirements
			 restrict the integrated management of forest resources.
(vi) Domestic Water Use - lands where
			 individuals or communities have water rights, where surface water is being used
			 for domestic water use and where the State Forester determines the need to
			 protect water quality or quantity restricts the integrated management of forest
			 resources. For the purposes of this section, "domestic water use" means the use
			 of water for human consumption and other household human use.
(vii) Easements - lands where contractual
			 obligations restrict the integrated management of forest resources.
(viii) Energy and Minerals - lands where
			 commercial quantities of energy or minerals exist, extraction is occurring or
			 likely to occur, and where the extraction restricts the integrated management
			 of forest resources.
(ix)
			 Operationally Limited - lands where current technology or engineering
			 techniques are considered by the State Forester to be inadequate to reasonably
			 ensure that integrated management practices would not cause significant
			 long-term adverse effects. The State Forester may limit, restrict, or prohibit
			 management activities in these areas as needed to protect forest resources or
			 to accomplish the management goals for surrounding areas.
(x) Recreation - lands devoted to
			 concentrated, formal recreation, or public education that restricts the
			 integrated management of forest resources. These lands include but are not
			 limited to campgrounds, forest parks, waysides, rest areas, and interpretive
			 centers.
(xi) Research/Monitoring
			 - lands that are part of a research or monitoring project and the design of the
			 project restricts the integrated management of forest resources.
(xii) Transmission - lands dedicated to the
			 transmission of energy, materials, data, video and/or voice and where
			 integrated management of forest resources is restricted. These lands include
			 but are not limited to power lines, pipelines, and communication sites.
(xiii) Visual - lands subject to
			 laws or regulations related to visual qualities or lands where the management
			 practices needed to meet visual management objectives dominate over the
			 integrated management of forest resources.
(d) High Value Conservation Areas are lands
			 for which a forest management plan, habitat conservation plan, or other legal
			 requirement identifies areas in the landscape which need to be appropriately
			 managed in order to maintain, enhance, or restore important conservation values
			 and one or more of the following: a legal or contractual constraint dominates
			 the management of the lands and directs the management of forest resources;
			 lands are committed to a specific conservation value and management activities
			 are limited to those that are compatible with achieving goals for the specific
			 conservation value.
(A) In addition, other
			 lands may be classified as High Value Conservation Areas, where more specific,
			 small-scale, or time-limited plans developed by the State Forester to implement
			 forest management plans call for a level of resource protection that directs
			 the management of forest resources.
(B) These lands will be further classified
			 into the following subclasses:
(i) Aquatic
			 and Riparian Habitat - lands where aquatic or riparian habitat exists and where
			 a legal requirement or the need to protect the habitat directs management of
			 forest resources.
(ii) Unique,
			 Threatened or Endangered Plants - lands where a specific plant species or a
			 community of plants exist and where a legal requirement or the need to protect
			 the plant(s) directs management of forest resources.
(iii) Wildlife Habitat - lands where a legal
			 requirement or the need to maintain, protect, or enhance a wildlife habitat
			 directs management of forest resources.