USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARD ARIZONA
PRESCRIBED FORESTRY (acre) CODE 409 DEFINITION recognize other requirements of the conservation plan and be compatible with its Manage forested areas for forest health, wood other requirements. and/or fiber, water, recreation, aesthetics, wildlife habitat and plant biodiversity. The prescription should include an inventory of the existing forest condition and a description of desired forest condition using ecological site PURPOSE descriptions as guides. Maintain or improve forest health The prescription shall be developed for a Protect soil quality and condition minimum management period of 10 years. Maintain or enhance water quality and Describe and give rationale for selection of quantity silvicultural system including ecological and economic considerations. Maintain or improve forest productivity Planned activities shall be examined Maintain or improve plant diversity collectively. Coordinate and time activities to Improve aesthetic and recreational values optimize the stated purposes of conservation practices. Activities are not limited to Improve wildlife habitat conservation practices. Achieve or maintain a desired understory Planned activities shall lead to a distribution of plant community for forest products, age classes appropriate to forest conditions, grazing, and browsing. landowner objectives and local ecosystems. Provide a schedule of activities over at least a CONDITIONS WHERE PRACTICE APPLIES 5 year period. On all forest land Additional Criteria to Protect Soil Quality On land capable and suited to growing and Condition trees. Develop written guidelines to protect the soil resource during and after harvest operations CRITERIA and site preparation for planting. Control or prevent erosion. Soil loss will not General Criteria Applicable to All Purposes exceed allowable average annual soil loss (T) Activities to achieve the intended purpose(s) as defined by current, approved erosion shall be based on a forest prescription that prediction technology. addresses the owner’s objectives as well as perpetuating a sustainable forest ecosystem Minimize impacts on landscape when placing based on ecological parameters such as forest roads, harvest trails and landings. types, soil types, past harvest history, natural Seed disturbed areas for erosion and sediment community types and successional trends. control. A forest prescription that are elements of a more comprehensive conservation plan shall NRCS Field Office Technical Guide, Section IV NRCS-Arizona September, 2008 Conservation practice standards are reviewed periodically, and updated if needed. To obtain the current version of this standard, contact the Natural Resources Conservation Service. 409-Prescribed Forestry Standard
Maintain adequate cover to control soil Ensure spacing of residual trees is appropriate erosion. Use proper grazing that will not to their size and species. adversely impact new seeding of erosion Identify pest problems, including insects, control species. diseases, mammals and invasive/noxious Prevent gully formation. plants, and develop management guidelines. Avoid soil compaction during all activities Additional Criteria to Maintain Plant occurring in the forest. Diversity Additional Criteria to Maintain Water Assess current conditions including ecological Quality and Quantity processes such as disturbance regimes, unique natural communities such as old- Maintain the quality and quantity of water growth, rare and imperiled plant species flowing from and through forest lands. including those that are state or federally Ensure road location, design, construction listed, and water and soil resources. maintenance, and vegetation reestablishment Develop written guidelines addressing the to reduce water pollution. management of these special plant species Use and maintain filter strips or buffers to and their communities. remove or reduce the transportation of Native plant species shall be inventoried and sediment or organic matter into streams, lakes managed for vertical and horizontal structural or other sensitive areas. complexity, and understory species diversity. Develop written guidelines for stream Vary the criteria according to state, federal or crossings. Avoid altering stream courses and local requirements. drainage patterns. Assess and manage the impacts of forest Additional Criteria to Improve Aesthetic activities on water quantities. and Recreational Values Develop written guidelines to improve Additional Criteria to Maintain Forest ecotourism and recreation, including hunting Productivity and fishing. Sustainable harvest levels shall be based on Select and manage plant materials adapted to one or more of the following: the soil and climatic conditions and that fulfill a Clearly documented growth and specific aesthetic or recreational need. regeneration data Additional Criteria to Improve Wildlife Site index models Habitat Site productivity or culmination of mean Develop written guidelines to recognize and annual increment (CMAI) growth maintain forest resources for terrestrial and Desired future condition aquatic life. Consideration of cyclical and natural Identify and develop specific management disturbances. guidelines for habitat protection areas, including riparian buffers, critical habitats and Develop written guidelines on protecting the those with special needs. residual forest, including regeneration, during and following harvest operations. Coordinate forest and wildlife management objectives and activities. Identify tree and shrub species to be retained. Follow established guidelines for spacing, Additional Criteria to Maintain a Desired density, size class, number and amounts of Understory Plant Community for Forest trees and understory species to be retained. Products, Grazing, and Browsing Develop written guidelines for inventorying plants, monitoring plant populations and
Page 2 of 2 NRCS, Arizona September, 2008 409-Prescribed Forestry Standard protecting the forest ecology while allowing the all forest products harvested, including non- sustainable harvest of non-timber products. timber resources. Assess the impacts of timber production and Conduct periodic inspections during and after harvest on the non-timber products. treatment activities to ensure that the purposes are achieved and resource damage is Space trees properly to produce desired minimized, e.g., post harvest inspection, forage production, increase desirable woody assessment of insects, disease and other plants for browsing, and provide conditions pests, storm damage, and damage by favorable for understory forest products. trespass. The results of the inspections shall determine the need for additional treatment CONSIDERATIONS under this practice. Consider adjacent and cumulative land use Review timetables, schedules and coordination effects. actions periodically and modify as needed. Consider social effects of decisions. REFERENCES Assess potential landowner and user liability in the development of specifications for this Forest Stewardship Council-U.S. 2001. U.S. practice. Regional Standards. http://www.fscus.org/documents/index.php PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS Plans and specifications shall be in keeping with this standard and shall describe the requirements for applying the practice to achieve its intended purpose(s). The following components shall be included in the forest management plan: Statement of landowner’s goals and objectives Description of ecological and silvicultural systems and rationale for selection of silvicultural system Maps of forest and soil types Inventory of the existing forest condition and a description of desired forest condition. Location of roads, property boundaries, protected areas Planned management activities, including regeneration/harvest strategies and guidelines for addressing soil, water, air, plant, animal and human resource problems and concerns. They may or may not be conservation practices.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Maintain a yearly summary of forest management activities and records of yield for
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