Wash. Admin. Code § 222-30-070 - Ground-based logging systems
Current through Register Vol. 22-07, April 1, 2022
(1)*Typed waters and wetlands.
(a) Ground-based equipment shall not be used
in Type S or F Water, except with approval by the department . Yarding across
Type S or F Waters is limited to cable or other aerial logging
methods.
(b) Ground-based transport
of logs across Type Np and Ns Waters shall minimize the potential for damage to
public resources.
(i) Skidding logs and
driving ground-based equipment through defined channels with flowing water is
not allowed.
(ii) Ground-based
transport of logs to landings across any Typed Np or Ns Water shall minimize
the potential to damage public resources.
(iii) Whenever skidding across Type Np or Ns
Waters, the direction of log movement between stream banks shall be designed to
minimize sediment delivery to the stream.
(c) In order to maintain wetland water
movement and water quality, and to prevent soil compaction, ground-based
logging systems shall not be used in Type A or B wetlands.
(d) Where harvest in wetlands is permitted,
ground-based logging systems shall be limited to low impact harvest systems.
Ground-based logging systems operating in wetlands shall only be allowed during
periods of low soil moisture or frozen soil conditions.
(e) Locations of temporary stream crossings
to Np Waters shall be shown on the base map of the forest practices
application. Whenever skidding in or across Type Np or Ns Waters, the direction
of log movement between stream banks shall be designed to minimize sediment
delivery to the stream. BMPs for stream crossings can be found in board manual
section 5.
(2)
Riparian management zone.
(a)
Logging will be permitted within the riparian management zone subject to
riparian management zone protection in chapter 222-30 WAC. However, any use of
ground-based yarding machines within the zone must be as described in an
approved forest practices application or otherwise approved in writing by the
department.
(b) When transporting
logs in or through the riparian management zone with ground-based equipment,
the number of routes through the zone shall be minimized.
(c) Logs shall be transported so as to
minimize damage to leave trees and vegetation in the riparian management zone,
to the extent practical and consistent with good safety practices.
(3)
Wetlands management
zones.
(a) Logging will be permitted
within wetland management zones subject to restrictions in WAC
222-30-020(8).
(b) Where feasible logs shall be skidded with
at least one end suspended from the ground so as to minimize soil disturbance
and damage to leave trees and vegetation in the wetland management
zone.
(c) Ground-based harvesting
systems shall not be used within the minimum WMZ width unless described in an
approved forest practices application or otherwise approved in writing by the
department.
(4)
Deadfalls. Logs firmly embedded in the bed or bank of Type S or F
Waters shall not be removed or disturbed without approval from the
department.
(5)
Moisture
conditions.
(a) Ground-based logging
systems shall not be used on exposed erodible soils or saturated soils if
sediment delivery is likely to disturb a wetland, stream, lake or
pond.
(b) When soil moisture is
high and unrestricted operation of ground-based equipment would result in
unreasonable soil compaction, operations shall be restricted to methods that
minimize widespread soil compaction, or postponed until site conditions improve
such that yarding may proceed without causing unreasonable soil compaction and
the long-term impacts to soil productivity and moisture absorption capacity
that can result.
(6)
Protection of residual timber. Reasonable care shall be taken to
minimize damage from skidding to the stems and root systems of residual timber
and to young reproduction.
(7)
Skid trail location and construction.
(a) Skid trails shall be kept to the minimum
width.
(b) Reasonable care shall be
taken to minimize the amount of sidecast required and shall only be permitted
above the 100-year flood level.
(c)
Skid trails shall be outsloped where practical, but be insloped where necessary
to prevent logs from sliding or rolling downhill off the skid trail.
(d) Skid trails running parallel or near
parallel to streams shall be located outside the no-harvest zone of all typed
waters and at least thirty feet from the outer edge of the bankfull width of
the unbuffered portions of Type Np or Ns Water unless approved in writing by
the department.
(e) Skid trails
shall cross the drainage point of swales at an angle to minimize the potential
for delivering sediment to a typed water or where channelization is likely to
occur. See board manual section 3.
(8)
Skid trail maintenance.
(a) Upon completion of use and termination of
seasonal use, skid trails on slopes in exposed soils shall be water barred
where necessary to prevent soil erosion.
(b) Skid trails located within two hundred
feet horizontal distance of any typed water that directly delivers to the
stream network shall use water bars, grade breaks, and/ or slash to minimize
sediment delivery to the stream. Water bars shall be placed at a frequency to
minimize gullying and soil erosion. In addition to water barring, skid trails
with exposed soil that is erodible and may be reasonably expected to cause
damage to a public resource shall be seeded with a noninvasive plant species
(preferably a species native to the state) and adapted for rapid revegetation
of disturbed soil, or treated with other erosion control measures acceptable to
the department.
(9)
Slope restrictions. Ground-based systems shall not be used on
slopes where in the opinion of the department this method of operation would
cause actual or potential material damage to a public resource.
(10)
Disturbance avoidance for northern
spotted owls. The operation of heavy equipment within a SOSEA boundary
shall not be allowed within 0.25 mile of a northern spotted owl site center
between March 1st and August 31st, provided that, this restriction shall not
apply if:
(a) The landowner demonstrates that
the owls are not actively nesting during the current nesting season;
or
(b) The forest practice is
operating in compliance with a plan or agreement developed for the protection
of the northern spotted owl under WAC
222-16-080(6)(a), (e), or
(f).
(11)
Disturbance avoidance for marbled
murrelets. Operation of heavy equipment shall not be allowed within 0.25
mile of an occupied marbled murrelet site during the daily peak activity
periods within the critical nesting season, provided that, this restriction
shall not apply if the forest practice is operating in compliance with a plan
or agreement developed for the protection of the marbled murrelet under WAC
222-16-080(6)(a) or
(c).
Notes
The following state regulations pages link to this page.
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.