Appendix D. Best Management Practices

I.	Introduction				151
	A.	Purpose			151
	B.	Organization and Use			151
II.	Watershed Analysis				152
III.	Project Planning and Design				152
	A.	Planning			152
	B.	Design			152
	C.	Maps/Contract Requirements			152
	D.	Cumulative Impacts			153
IV.	Riparian Reserves				154
V.	Wetlands				154
VI.	Fragile Soils				155
	A.	Roads			155
	B.	Timber Harvest			156
	C.	Silviculture			156
	D.	Wildfire			157
	E.	Rights-of-Way			157
VII.	Roads and Landings				157
	A.	Planning			157
	B.	Location			157
	C.	Design			158
		1.	General		158
		2.	Surface Cross Drain Design		159
		3.	Permanent Stream Crossing Design		159
		4.	Temporary Stream Crossing Design		160
		5.	Low Water Ford Stream Crossing Design		160
	D.	Construction			160
		1.	Roadway Construction		160
		2.	Permanent Stream Crossing Construction		161
		3.	Temporary Stream Crossing Construction		161
		4.	Low Water Ford Stream Crossing Construction		162
	E.	Landings			162
	F.	Road Erosion Control			162
	G.	Road Renovation/Improvement			163
	H.	Road Maintenance			163
	I.	Dust Abatement			164
	J.	Road Access Restrictions			164
	K.	Road and Landing Decommissioning			165
	L.	Water Source Development			165
	M.	Rock Quarry Reclamation			165
VIII.	Timber Harvest				166
	A.	Yarding Methods			166
		1.	Cable		166
		2.	Tractor		166
		3.	Helicopter		166
		4.	Horse		167
	B.	Erosion Control for Timber Harvest			167
		1.	Waterbars		167
		2.	Revegetation of Disturbed Areas		168
IX.	Silviculture				168
	A.	Site Preparation			168
		1.	Gross Yarding		168
		2.	Prescribed Fire - Broadcast Burn		168
			a.	General Guidelines	168
			b.	Firelines	169
		3.	Prescribed Fire - Piling		169
			a.	Hand Piling	169
			b.	Tractor Piling	169
	B.	Fertilization			170
X.	Special Forest Products				170
	A.	Roads			170
	B.	Harvest			171
XI.	Mineral Development				171
	A.	Locatable Operations			171
	B.	Saleable Operations			172
XII.	Livestock Grazing				172
XIII.	Wildfire				172
	A.	Prevention			172
	B.	Suppression			173
	C.	Rehabilitation			173
XIV.	Watershed Restoration				174
	A.	Roads			174
	B.	Riparian Vegetation			174
	C.	In-Stream Habitat Structures			174
	D.	Uplands			175
	Table 1 - A Guide for Placing Common Soil and Geologic Types into Soil Erosion and Soil Infiltration Classes to Space Lateral Road Drainage Culverts				176
	Table 2 - A Guide for Maximum Spacing of Lateral Drainage Culverts by Soil Erosion Classes and Road Grade				177

I. Introduction

A. Purpose

Best management practices (BMPs) are required by the Federal Clean Water Act (as amended by the Water Quality Act of 1987) to reduce nonpoint source pollution to the maximum extent practicable. BMPs are considered the primary mechanisms to achieve Oregon water quality standards.

Best management practices are defined as methods, measures, or practices selected on the basis of site-specific conditions to ensure that water quality will be maintained at its highest practicable level. BMPs include, but are not limited to, structural and nonstructural controls, operations, and maintenance procedures. BMPs can be applied before, during, and after pollution-producing activities to reduce or eliminate the introduction of pollutants into receiving waters (40 CFR 130.2, EPA Water Quality Standards Regulation).

Nonpoint sources of pollution result from natural causes, human actions, and the interactions between natural events and conditions associated with human use of the land and its resources. Nonpoint source pollution is caused by diffuse sources rather than from a discharge at a specific single location. Such pollution results in alteration of the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of water. Erosion from a harvest unit or surface erosion from a road are some examples of nonpoint sources.

The BMPs in this document are a compilation of existing policies and guidelines and commonly employed practices designed to maintain or improve water quality. Objectives identified in this BMP Appendix also include maintenance or improvement of soil productivity and fish habitat since they are closely tied to water quality. Selection of appropriate BMPs will help meet Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives during management action implementation. Practices included in this Appendix supplement the Standards and Guidelines from the SEIS ROD and they should be used together.

B. Organization and Use

This document is organized by management activities plus separate sections that address activity planning and design, riparian reserves, wetlands, and fragile soils. Objectives are stated under each management activity followed by a list of practices designed to achieve the objectives.

BMPs are selected and implemented as necessary based on site-specific conditions to meet water quality, soil, or fish objectives for specific management actions. BMPs and Standards and Guidelines from the SEIS ROD may be modified to meet site specific situations. This Appendix does not provide an exhaustive list of BMPs. Additional nonpoint source control measures may be identified during watershed analysis or during the interdisciplinary process when evaluating site-specific management actions. Implementation and effectiveness of BMPs need to be monitored to determine whether the practices are correctly designed and applied to achieve the objectives. BMPs will be adjusted as necessary to ensure objectives are met.

Review and update of this Appendix will be an ongoing process. Updates will be made as needed to conform with changes in Bureau of Land Management policy, direction, or new information.

II. Watershed Analysis

Information on watershed analysis is found in many documents including the Standards and Guidelines on p. B-20 in the SEIS ROD, the FY 1994-96 Watershed Analysis Guidelines, A Federal Agency Guide for Pilot Watershed Analysis, and BLM Information Bulletins Nos. OR-93-478, OR-93-605, and OR-94-106. This analysis is intended to enable watershed planning that achieves Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives. Watershed analysis will serve as the basis for BMP design during project-specific planning.

III. Project Planning and Design

A. Planning

Objective:	To include soil productivity, water quality, and hydrologic considerations in project planning.
Practices:	1.	Use information from watershed analysis to prepare project level plans.
	2.	Use timber production capability classification (TPCC) inventory to identify areas classified as fragile due to slope gradient, mass movement potential, surface erosion potential, and high ground water levels.
	3.	Use the planning process to identify, evaluate, and map potential problems (e.g., slump prone areas, saturated areas and slide areas) that were not addressed in the watershed analysis.
	4.	Analyze watershed cumulative impacts and provide mitigation measures if necessary to meet water quality requirements (see section III.D.).
	5.	Use watershed analysis information to determine potential for natural and activity-created high intensity wildfires at the project level. Reduce potential for high intensity wildfires through proposed management activities.

B. Design

Objective:	To ensure that management activities maintain favorable conditions of soil productivity, water flow, water quality, and fish habitat.
Practices:	1.	Design proposed management activities to mitigate potential adverse impacts to soil and water. Evaluate factors such as soil characteristics, watershed physiography, current watershed and stream channel conditions, proposed roads, skid trails, logging system design, etc., to determine impacts of proposed management activities.
	2.	Design mitigation measures if adverse impacts to water quality/quantity or soil productivity may result from the proposed action.

C. Maps/Contract Requirements

Objective:	To identify riparian reserves to be protected and to ensure their protection on the ground.
Practices:	Include the following on activity maps and/or contracts:
	1.	Locate all stream channels, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands (springs, bogs, etc.) with appropriate riparian reserves on project map and/or contracts.
	2.	Include protection required for identified water bodies on project maps and/or contracts.

D. Cumulative Impacts

Objective:	To minimize detrimental impacts on water and soil resources resulting from the cumulative impact of land management activities within a watershed.
Practices:	1.	Coordinate scheduling of management activities such as timber sales, road construction, and watershed restoration activities with other landowners in the watershed.
	2.	Use watershed analysis results to identify watersheds with a high level of cumulative impacts.
		a.	Use the following general guidelines to delineate watersheds for cumulative impacts analyses.
			1)	Natural drainage boundaries.
			2)	Third to fifth order drainages (approximately 500 to 10,000 acres).
			3)	Lower boundary location based on a state-designated beneficial use.
		b.	The extent to which any or all of the following criteria exist would determine which watersheds have a high risk for water quality degradation due to cumulative impacts. The criteria are not listed in order of priority.
			1)	Highly erodible soils (i.e., subject to surface erosion, landslides, or slumps).
			2)	Large percent of forest vegetation harvested.
			3)	Large area of compacted soil.
			4)	Large percent of nonrecovered openings in transient snow zone.
			5)	High sedimentation potential.
			6)	Poor to fair channel stability or condition.
			7)	Poor to fair riparian condition (nonfunctional or functional-at risk with downward trend).
			8)	High impact from catastrophic event (e.g., wildfire).
			9)	High road density.
			10)	Potential for adverse impact on a beneficial use.
			11)	Monitoring data shows that water quality does not meet state water quality standards.
			12)	Beneficial use impairment identified in DEQ's nonpoint source assessment and 305 (b) reports.
	3.	For watersheds identified as having a high risk for water quality degradation, an intensive evaluation should follow the initial analysis and include the nature of the problem, the cause of the problem, and a specific plan with objectives and alternatives for recovery and mitigation. Water monitoring may also be initiated to validate the conclusion of the impact analysis and to establish baseline data.
	4.	Based on site-specific conditions, select and apply special management practices such as the following to mitigate water quality impacts in high risk watersheds.
		a.	Develop and implement a watershed/riparian restoration plan and encourage coordination with landowners.
		b.	Require plans of operation for mining and rights-of-way. Require a management plan for grazing.
		c.	Defer the watershed from management activities which would potentially degrade water quality for approximately five years. Reanalyze the watershed.
		d.	Increase widths of riparian reserves.
		e.	Utilize ecosystem based concepts (as defined in the resource management plan) for timber harvest.
		f.	Require helicopter logging.
		g.	Require full suspension cable yarding.
		h.	Require seasonal restrictions with no waivers for timber falling and yarding.
		i.	Minimize existing and prevent additional road caused impacts:
			1)	reduce road density;
			2)	minimize road width and clearing limits;
			3)	require transport of excavated materials to appropriate disposal site (end hauling);
			4)	prohibit new road construction;
			5)	no unsurfaced roads;
			6)	require seasonal restrictions with no waivers for construction, renovation, and hauling;
			7)	require special low impact maintenance and construction techniques;
			8)	no roadside brushing/grubbing with excavator;
			9)	no blading and ditch pulling in the winter unless essential to provide drainage;
			10)	rock ditch lines;
			11)	pull back sidecast from road construction and recontour roadway;
				and
			12)	remove culverts and reshape drainageway crossings.
		j.	Restrict or officially close the watershed to off-highway vehicle use and enforce the closure.
		k.	Implement regular compliance reviews on all activities in the watershed.
		l.	Assess trade-offs between wildfire suppression impacts and wildfire damage; plan suppression levels accordingly. Limit use of heavy equipment during wildfire suppression.

IV. Riparian Reserves

Objective:	To meet the Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives in the Standards and Guidelines on p. B-11 in the SEIS ROD.
Practices:	1.	Comply with interim riparian reserve widths described in the Standards and Guidelines on p. B-12 and p. C-30 in the SEIS ROD until completion of watershed analysis.
	2.	Follow the Standards and Guidelines for riparian reserves on p. C-31 in the SEIS ROD.

V. Wetlands

Objective:	To meet the Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives in the Standards and Guidelines on p. B-11 in the SEIS ROD.
Practices:	1.	Comply with interim riparian reserve widths described in the Standards and Guidelines on p. B-12 and p. C-30 in the SEIS ROD until completion of watershed analysis.
	2.	Follow the Standards and Guidelines for riparian reserves on p. C-31 in the SEIS ROD.

VI. Fragile Soils

Objective: To minimize surface disturbance on fragile suitable commercial forestland.

The BMPs in this section are to be used in addition to those in other sections.

Four categories of fragile soils sensitive to surface-disturbing activities are identified in Medford District's timber production capability classification (TPCC):

Fragile Slope Gradient (FG)	These sites consist of steep to extremely steep slopes that have a high potential for surface ravel. Gradients commonly range from 60 to greater than 100 percent.
Fragile Mass Movement (FP)	These sites consist of deep seated, slump, or earth flow types of landslides with undulating topography and slope gradients generally less than 60 percent. Soils are derived from volcanic tuffs or breccias.
Fragile Surface Erosion (FM)	These sites have soil surface horizons that are highly erodible. Soils are derived from granite or schist bedrock.
Fragile Groundwater (FW)	These sites have high water tables where water is at or near the soil surface for sufficient periods of time that vegetation survival and growth are affected.

A. Roads

1.	Planning
	Practice:	Avoid fragile soils when planning road systems.
2.	Design
	Practices:	1.	Design haul roads with rock surface on FM, FP, and FW soils.
		2.	Use slotted risers, trash racks, or over-sized culverts to prevent culvert plugging on FM and FP soils.
3.	Erosion Control
	Practices:	1.	Stabilize cutbanks, fillslopes, and ditchlines on FM soils using methods such as vegetation (grass seeding, deep rooted plants, etc.), terracing, rock buttressing, and rock armoring ditchlines.
		2.	Stabilize cutbanks on FP soils using rock buttressing.
		3.	Decommission or obliterate temporary spur roads as appropriate for site-specific condition using methods such as scarifying the road bed, planting tree seedlings or grass, restoring the natural ground contour, and water barring.
4.	Maintenance
	Practice:	Minimize ditch cleaning on FM and FP soils to retard slumping of road and cutbanks.
5.	Access Restrictions
	Practice:	Block unsurfaced roads on fragile soils to prohibit motorized vehicle use.

B. Timber Harvest

1.	Yarding Methods - Cable
	Practices:	1.	Use full or partial suspension when yarding on FG, FM, and FW soils.
		2.	Construct hand waterbars in cable yarding corridors on FM soils where gouging occurs immediately after use according to guidelines in section VIII.B.1.
		3.	Restrict yarding and hauling to dry season (generally May 15 to October 15) on FM, FP, and FW soils.
2.	Yarding Methods - Tractor
	Practice:	Avoid tractor yarding.
3.	Yarding Methods - Helicopter
	Practice:	Employ helicopter yarding to avoid or minimize new road construction on fragile soils.

C. Silviculture

1.	Prescribed Fire - Underburn
	Practice:	Prescribe cool burns and only burn in the spring on FG and FM soils.
2.	Prescribed Fire - Piling
	a.	Hand
		Practices:	1.	Put slash in yarding corridors on FG and FM soils to control erosion, allowing adequate space to plant trees.
			2.	Burn handpiles on FG and FM soils only if they prevent planter access.
	b.	Machine
		Practice:	Avoid machine piling or ripping on FM, FP, and FW soils.

D. Wildfire

1.	Suppression
	Practices:	1.	Apply suppression on fragile soils based on environmental and operational conditions that exist at time of ignition.
		2.	Limit the use of tractors and other major surface-disturbing activities on all fragile soils.
2.	Rehabilitation
	Practice:	Assure prompt rehabilitation on fragile soils through seeding or planting of native species.

E. Rights-of-Way

	Practices:	1.	Avoid facility construction on FM and FP soils.
		2.	Design rights-of-ways to minimize surface disturbance on FM and FP soils.

VII. Roads and Landings

A. Planning

Objective:	To plan road systems that meet resource objectives and minimize detrimental impacts on water and soil resources.
Practices:	1.	Use an interdisciplinary team to develop an overall transportation system.
	2.	Establish road management objectives that minimize adverse environmental impacts.
	3.	Avoid fragile and unstable areas.
	4.	Encourage use of BMPs where not specifically required in reciprocal right-of-way agreements.

B. Location

Objective:	To minimize soil erosion, water quality degradation, and disturbance of riparian vegetation.
Practices:	1.	Locate roads on stable positions (e.g., ridges, natural benches, and flatter transitional slopes near ridges and valley bottoms). Implement extra mitigation measures when crossing unstable areas is necessary.
	2.	Avoid headwalls, midslope locations on steep unstable slopes, seeps, old landslides, slopes in excess of 70 percent, and areas where the geologic bedding planes or weathering surfaces are inclined with the slope.
	3.	Locate roads to minimize heights of cutbanks. Avoid high, steeply sloping cutbanks in highly fractured bedrock.
	4.	Locate roads on well-drained soil types. Roll the grade to avoid wet areas.
	5.	Locate stream crossing sites where channels are well defined, unobstructed and straight.

C. Design

1.	General
	Objective:	To design the lowest standard of road consistent with use objectives and resource protection needs.
	Practices:	1.	Base road design standards and design criteria on road management objectives such as traffic requirements of the proposed activity and the overall transportation plan, an economic analysis, safety requirements, resource objectives, and the minimization of damage to the environment.
		2.	Consider future maintenance concerns and needs when designing roads.
		3.	Preferred road gradients are 2 to 10 percent with a maximum grade of 15 percent. Consider steeper grades in those situations where they will result in less environmental impact. Avoid grades less than 2 percent.
		4.	Road Surface Configurations
			a.	Outsloping - sloping the road prism to the outside edge for surface drainage is normally recommended for local spurs or minor collector roads where low volume traffic and lower traffic speeds are anticipated. It is also recommended in situations where long intervals between maintenance will occur and where minimum excavation is desired. Outsloping is not recommended on gradients greater than 8 to 10 percent.
			b.	Insloping - sloping the road prism to the inside edge is an acceptable practice on roads with gradients more than 10 percent and where the underlying soil formation is very rocky and not subject to appreciable erosion or failure.
			c.	Crown and Ditch - this configuration is recommended for arterial and collector roads where traffic volume, speed, intensity and user comfort are a consideration. Gradients may range from 2 to 15 percent as long as adequate drainage away from the road surface and ditchlines is maintained.
		5.	Minimize excavation through the following actions: use of balanced earthwork, narrow road width, and endhauling where slopes are greater than 60 percent.
		6.	Locate waste areas suitable for depositing excess excavated material.
		7.	Conduct slope rounding on tops of cut slopes in clayey soils to reduce sloughing and surface ravel. Avoid this practice in erosion classes I,II,VII and VIII (see Table 1).
		8.	Surface roads if they will be subject to traffic during wet weather. The depth and gradation of surfacing will be determined by traffic type, frequency, weight, maintenance objectives, and the stability and strength of the road foundation and surface materials.
		9.	Provide vegetative or artificial stabilization of cut and fill slopes in the design process. Avoid establishment of vegetation where it inhibits drainage from the road surface or where it restricts safety or maintenance.
		10.	Prior to completion of design drawings, field check the design to assure that it fits the terrain, drainage needs have been satisfied, and all critical slope conditions have been identified and adequate design solutions applied.
2.	Surface Cross Drain Design
	Objective:	To design road drainage systems that minimize concentrated water volume and velocity and therefore to reduce soil movement and maintain water quality.
	Practices:	1.	Design cross drains in ephemeral or intermittent channels to lay on solid ground rather than on fill material to avoid road failures.
		2.	Design placement of all surface cross drains to avoid discharge onto erodible (unprotected) slopes or directly into stream channels. Provide a buffer or sediment basin between the cross drain outlet and the stream channel.
		3.	Locate culverts or drainage dips in such a manner to avoid discharge onto unstable terrain such as headwalls, slumps, or block failure zones. Provide adequate spacing to avoid accumulation of water in ditches or surfaces through these areas.
		4.	Provide energy dissipators (e.g., rock material) at cross drain outlets or drain dips where water is discharged onto loose material or erodible soil or steep slopes.
		5.	Place protective rock at culvert entrance to streamline water flow and reduce erosion.
		6.	Use the guide for drainage spacing by soil erosion classes and road grade shown in Tables 1 and 2.
		7.	Use drainage dips in place of culverts on roads that have gradients less than 10 percent or where road management objectives result in blocking roads. Avoid drainage dips on road gradients greater than 10 percent.
		8.	Locate drainage dips where water might accumulate or where there is an outside berm that prevents drainage from the roadway.
		9.	When sediment is a problem, design cross drainage culverts or drainage dips immediately upgrade of stream crossings to prevent ditch sediment from entering the stream.
		10.	Rolling gradients is recommended in erodible and unstable soils to reduce surface water volume and velocities and culvert requirements.
3.	Permanent Stream Crossing Design
	Objective:	To prevent stream crossings from being a direct source of sediment to streams thus minimizing water quality degradation; to provide unobstructed access to spawning and rearing areas for anadromous and resident fish.
	Practices:	1.	Use pipe arch culverts on most fishery streams. Use bottomless arch culverts and bridges where gradients greater than 5 percent, stream discharge, and value of the fishery resource dictate special engineering considerations necessary to ensure uninterrupted fish passage.
		2.	Minimize the number of crossings on any particular stream.
		3.	Where feasible, design culvert placement on a straight reach of stream to minimize erosion at both ends of the culvert. Design adequate stream bank protection (e.g., rip-rap) where scouring would occur. Avoid locations that require a stream channel to be straightened beyond the length of a culvert to facilitate installation of a road crossing.
4.	Temporary Stream Crossing Design
	Objective:	To design temporary stream crossings that minimize disturbance of the stream and riparian environment.
	Practices:	1.	Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a temporary versus permanent crossing structure for access to the area during all seasons over the long term in terms of economics, maintenance, and resource requirements.
		2.	Design temporary structures such as prefabricated temporary timber bridges, multiple culverts with minimum fill height, cattleguard crossings, or log cribs to keep vehicles out of the stream.
		3.	Minimize the number of temporary crossings on a particular stream.
		4.	Avoid temporary stream crossings on fishery streams.
5.	Low Water Ford Stream Crossing Design
	Objective:	To design low water fords that minimize disturbance of the stream and riparian environment.
	Practice:	Use only when site conditions make it impractical or uneconomical to utilize a permanent or temporary crossing structure.

D. Construction

	Objective:	To create a stable roadway while minimizing soil erosion and potential water quality degradation.
1.	Roadway Construction
	Practices:	1.	Limit road construction to the dry season (generally between May 15 and October 15). When conditions permit operations outside of the dry season, keep erosion control measures current with ground disturbance to the extent that the affected area can be rapidly closed/blocked and weatherized if weather conditions warrant.
		2.	Manage road construction so that any construction can be completed and bare soil can be protected and stabilized prior to fall rains.
		3.	Confine preliminary equipment access (pioneer road) to within the roadway construction limits.
		4.	Construct pioneer road so as to prevent undercutting of the designated final cutslope and prevent avoidable deposition of materials outside the designated roadway limits. Conduct slope rounding at the first opportunity during construction to avoid excess amounts of soil being moved after excavation and embankment operations are completed.
		5.	Use controlled blasting techniques that minimize amount of material displaced from road location.
		6.	Construct embankments, including waste disposal sites, of appropriate materials (no slash or other organic matter) using one or more of the following methods:
			a. b. c.	layer placement (tractor compaction), layer placement (roller compaction), and controlled compaction (85 to 95 percent maximum density).
			Slash and organic material may remain under waste embankment areas outside the road prism and outside units planned for broadcast burning.
		7.	Avoid sidecasting where it will adversely effect water quality or weaken stabilized slopes.
		8.	Provide surface drainage prior to fall rains.
		9.	Clear drainage ditches and natural watercourses of woody material deposited by construction or logging above culverts prior to fall rains.
2.	Permanent Stream Crossing Construction
	Practices:	1.	Confine culvert installation to the low flow period (generally June 15 to September 15) to minimize sedimentation and the adverse effects of sediment on aquatic life.
		2.	Divert the stream around the work area to minimize downstream sedimentation.
		3.	Install culverts as close to zero percent slope as possible on fishery streams but not in excess of 0.5 percent. Place culverts in the streambed at the existing slope gradient on larger nonfishery streams. Place energy dissipators (e.g., large rock) at the outfall of culverts on small nonfishery streams to reduce water velocity and minimize scour at the outlet end.
		4.	Countersink culvert 6 to 8 inches below the streambed to minimize scouring at the outlet. Increase culvert diameters accordingly.
		5.	Limit activities of mechanized equipment in the stream channel to the area necessary for installation.
		6.	Place permanent stream crossing structures in fishery streams before heavy equipment moves beyond the crossing area. Where this is not feasible, install temporary crossings to minimize stream disturbance.
		7.	Place rip-rap on fills around culvert inlets and outlets.
3.	Temporary Stream Crossing Construction
	Practices:	1.	Where possible, limit the installation and removal of temporary crossing structures to only one time during the same year and within the prescribed work period. Installation and removal should occur between the low flow period (generally June 15 to September 15).
		2.	Use backfill material that is as soil-free as practicable over temporary culverts. Whenever possible use washed river rock covered by pit run or one inch minus as a compacted running surface.
		3.	Spread and reshape clean fill material to the original lines of the streambed after a crossing is removed to ensure the stream remains in its channel during high flow.
		4.	Use log cribbing in tractor logging units when it is impractical to use a culvert and rock backfill material. Remove upon completion of logging the unit.
		5.	Limit activities of mechanized equipment in the stream channel to the area that is necessary for installation and removal operations.
		6.	Remove stream crossing drainage structures and in-channel fill material during low flow and prior to fall rains. Reestablish natural drainage configuration.
4.	Low Water Ford Stream Crossing Construction
	Practices:	1.	Restrict construction and use to low flow period (generally June 15 to September 15).
		2.	Use washed rock/gravel or concrete slab in the crossing.
		3.	Apply rock on road approaches within 150 feet of each side of the ford to prevent washing and softening of the road surface.

E. Landings

Objective:	To minimize soil disturbance, soil erosion, soil productivity losses, and water quality degradation.
Practices:	1.	Locate landings at approved sites.
	2.	Avoid placing landings adjacent to or in meadows or other wetland areas.
	3.	Clear or excavate landings to minimum size needed for safe and efficient operations.
	4.	Select landing locations considering the least amount of excavation, erosion potential, and where sidecast will not enter drainages or damage other sensitive areas.
	5.	Deposit excess excavated material on stable sites where there is no erosion potential. Construct waste disposal sites according to guidelines in VII.D.1.
	6.	Restore landings to the natural configuration or shape to direct the runoff to preselected spots where water can be dispersed to natural, well-vegetated, gentle ground.

F. Road Erosion Control

Objective:	To limit and mitigate soil erosion and sedimentation.
Practices:	1.	Apply protective measures to all areas of disturbed, erosion-prone, unprotected ground, including waste disposal sites, prior to fall rains. Protective measures may include water bars, water dips, grass seeding, planting deep rooted vegetation, and/or mulching. Armor or buttress fill slopes and unstable areas with rock which meets construction specifications. See section VIII.B.1. for water bar (water dip) spacing and construction guidelines.
	2.	Use seasonal restrictions on unsurfaced roads.

G. Road Renovation/Improvement

Objective:	To restore or improve a road to a desired standard in a manner that minimizes sediment production and water quality degradation.
Practices:	1.	Improve flat gradients to a minimum of two (2) percent or provide raised subgrade sections (turnpike) to avoid saturation of the road prism.
	2.	Reconstruct culvert catchbasins to specifications. Catchbasins in solid rock need not be reconstructed provided water flow is not restricted by soil, rock, or other debris.
	3.	Identify potential water problems caused by off-site disturbance and add necessary drainage facilities.
	4.	Identify ditchline and outlet erosion caused by excessive flows and add necessary drainage facilities and armoring.
	5.	Replace undersized culverts and repair damaged culverts and downspouts.
	6.	Add additional full-rounds, half-rounds, and energy dissipators as needed.
	7.	Correct special drainage problems (e.g., high water table, seeps) that effect stability of subgrade through the use of perforated drains, geotextiles, or drainage bays.
	8.	Eliminate undesirable berms that retard normal surface runoff.
	9.	Restore outslope or crown sections.
	10.	Avoid disturbing backslope while reconstructing ditches.
	11.	Surface inadequately surfaced roads that are to be left open to traffic during wet weather.
	12.	Require roadside brushing be done in a manner that prevents disturbance to root systems (i.e., avoid using excavators for brushing).

H. Road Maintenance

Objective:	To maintain roads in a manner that protects water quality and minimizes erosion and sedimentation.
Practices:	1.	Provide basic custodial care to protect the road investment and to ensure minimal damage to adjacent land and resources.
	2.	Perform blading and shaping to conserve existing surface material, retain the original crowned or outsloped self-draining cross section, prevent or remove rutting berms (except those designed for slope protection) and other irregularities that retard normal surface runoff. Avoid wasting loose ditch or surface material over the shoulder where it can cause stream sedimentation or weaken slump prone areas. Avoid undercutting backslopes.
	3.	Keep road inlet and outlet ditches, catchbasins, and culverts free of obstructions, particularly before and during winter rainfall. However, keep routine machine cleaning of ditches to a minimum during wet weather.
	4.	Promptly remove slide material when it is obstructing road surface and ditchline drainage. Save all soil or material useable for quarry reclamation and stockpile for future reclamation projects. Utilize remaining slide material for needed road improvement or place in a stable waste area. Avoid sidecasting of slide material where it can damage, overload, saturate embankments, or flow into downslope drainage courses. Reestablish vegetation in areas where more than 50 percent of vegetation has been destroyed due to sidecasting.
	5.	Retain vegetation on cut slopes unless it poses a safety hazard or restricts maintenance activities. Cut roadside vegetation rather than pulling it out and disturbing the soil.
	6.	Remove snow on haul roads in a manner that will protect roads and adjacent resources. Remove or place snow berms to prevent water concentration on the roadway or on erodible sideslopes or soils.
	7.	Patrol areas subject to road or watershed damage during periods of high runoff.

I. Dust Abatement

Objective:	To minimize movement of fine sediment from roads; to prevent introduction into waterways of chemicals applied for dust abatement.
Practices:	1.	Use dust palliatives or surface stabilizers to reduce surfacing material loss and buildup of fine sediment that may wash off into water courses.
	2.	Closely control application of dust palliatives and surface stabilizers, equipment cleanup, and disposal of excess material to prevent contamination or damage to water resources.

J. Road Access Restrictions

Objective:	To reduce road surface damage and therefore minimize erosion and sedimentation.
Practices:	1.	Barricade or block roads using gates, guard rails, earth/log barricades, boulders, logging debris, or a combination of these methods. Avoid blocking roads that will need future maintenance (i.e., culvert cleaning, slide removal, etc.) with unremovable barricades. Use guardrails, gates, or other barricades capable of being opened for roads needing future maintenance.
	2.	Provide maintenance of blocked roads in accordance with design criteria.
	3.	Install waterbars, cross drains, cross sloping, or drainage dips if not already on road to assure drainage.
	4.	Scarify, mulch, and/or seed for erosion control.

K. Road and Landing Decommissioning

Objective:	To reduce soil compaction, minimize or reduce sedimentation, and improve site productivity by decommissioning roads and landings and rehabilitating the land.
Practices:	1.	Rip temporary spur roads and landings by an approved method to remove ruts, berms, and ditches while leaving or replacing surface cross drain structures.
	2.	Return roads or landings not needed for future resource management to resource production by revegetating with native species. Apply mulch and fertilizer where appropriate.

L. Water Source Development

Objective:	To supply water for various resource programs while protecting water quality and riparian vegetation.
Practices:	1.	Design and construct durable, long-term water sources.
	2.	Avoid reduction of downstream flow which would detrimentally effect aquatic resources, fish passage, or other uses.
	3.	Direct overflow from water-holding developments back into the stream.
	4.	Locate road approaches to instream water source developments to minimize potential impacts in the riparian zone. Apply rock to surface of these approaches to reduce the effects of sediment washing into the stream.
	5.	Avoid use of road fills for water impoundment dams unless specifically designed for that purpose. Remove any blocking device prior to fall rains.
	6.	Construct water sources during the dry season (generally between May 15 and October 15).

M. Rock Quarry Reclamation

Objective:	To minimize sediment production from quarries and associated crusher pad developments susceptible to erosion due to steep sideslopes, lack of vegetation, or their proximity to water courses.
Practices:	1.	Prior to excavation, remove topsoil and place at a site with minimal erosion potential. Stockpile topsoil for surface dressing during the post-operation rehabilitation.
	2.	Use culverts and rip-rap for crusher pad drainage when necessary.
	3.	Stabilize quarry cutbanks and general quarry area.
	4.	Revegetate with native species, apply mulch, and provide adequate drainage to minimize erosion.
	5.	Rip, waterbar, block, fertilize, and revegetate access roads to quarries where no future entry is planned.

VIII. Timber Harvest

A. Yarding Methods

1.	Cable
	Objective:	To minimize soil damage and erosion caused by displacement or compaction.
	Practices:	1.	Use full or partial suspension when yarding on erodible or ravel prone areas where practical.
		2.	Use full or partial suspension with seasonal restrictions on areas of high water tables.
		3.	Use seasonal restriction if required suspension cannot be achieved by yarding equipment.
		4.	Avoid downhill yarding.
2.	Tractor
	Objective:	To minimize loss of soil productivity and reduce potential for surface runoff and subsequent water quality degradation.
	Practices:	1.	In previously unentered stands, use designated skid roads to limit soil compaction to less than 12 percent of the harvest area.
		2.	Minimize width of skid roads.
		3.	For stands previously logged with tractors, utilize existing skid roads. Rip all skid roads used in final entry harvest.
		4.	Rip skid roads discontinuously, preferably with winged ripper teeth when the soil is dry. Rips should be spaced no more than 36 inches apart and from 12 to 18 inches deep or to bedrock, whichever is shallower. Designated skid roads should be ripped if they will not be used again until the next rotation.
		5.	Avoid placement of skid roads through areas with high water tables.
		6.	Use appropriate seasonal restrictions that would result in no off-site damage for designated skid roads.
		7.	Allow logging on snow when snow depth is 18 inches or greater and negligible ground surface exposure occurs during the operation.
		8.	Restrict tractor operations to slopes less than 35 percent.
		9.	Construct waterbars on skid roads according to guidelines in section VIII.B.1.
3.	Helicopter
	Objective:	To minimize surface disturbance on high risk watersheds.
	Practice:	Employ helicopter yarding to avoid or minimize new road construction in high risk watersheds.
4.	Horse
	Objective:	To minimize soil disturbance, soil compaction, and soil erosion.
	Practices:	1.	Limit horse logging to slopes less than 20 percent.
		2.	Construct hand waterbars on horse skid trails according to guidelines in section VIII.B.1.
		3.	Limit harvest activity to times when soil moisture content at a six-inch depth is less than 25 percent by weight.

B. Erosion Control for Timber Harvest

Waterbars

Objective:

To minimize soil erosion.

Practices:

Construct adequate waterbars on skid roads, yarding corridors, and fire lines prior to fall rains.

Use the following table for waterbar spacing, based on gradient and erosion class.

Water Bar Spacing by Gradient and Erosion Class

Gradient(%)

High

Water Bar Spacing (feet)¹Erosion Class²Moderate

Low³

2-5

200

300

400

6-10

150

200

300

11-15

100

150

200

16-20

100

150

21-35

100

36+

¹Spacing is determined by slope distance and is the maximum allowed for the grade.²The following guide lists rock types according to erosion class:

High:	granite, sandstone, andesite porphyry, glacial or alluvial deposits, soft matrix conglomerate, volcanic ash, pyroclastics;
Moderate:	basalt, andesite, quartzite, hard matrix conglomerate, rhyolite;
Low:	metasediments, metavolcanics, hard shale.

Use the following techniques to construct waterbars:

Open the downslope end of the waterbar to allow free passage of water.

Construct the waterbar so that it will not deposit water where it will cause erosion.

Compact the waterbar berm to prevent water from breaching the berm.

Skew waterbars no more than 30 degrees from perpendicular to the centerline of the trail or road.

Revegetation of Disturbed Areas

Objective:

To establish an adequate vegetative cover on disturbed sites to prevent erosion.

Practice:

Use native vegetation that allows natural succession to occur. Avoid interference with reforestation operations. Include application of seed, mulch, and fertilizer as necessary. Complete prior to fall rains.

IX. Silviculture

A. Site Preparation

Gross Yarding

Objective:

To achieve cool burn on sensitive soils and maintain protective duff layer.

Practice:

Consider the following in writing a prescription for gross yarding to reduce burn intensities: long-term site productivity, ecosystem dynamics, regeneration success, prescribed fire intensities, and smoke emissions.

Prescribed Fire - Underburn and Concentration Burn

a. General Guidelines

Objective:

To maintain long-term site productivity of soil.

Practice:

Evaluate need for burning based on soils, plant community, and site preparation criteria. Burn under conditions when a light burn can be achieved (see guidelines below) to protect soil productivity.

Category 1 Soils (highly sensitive): burn only in spring-like conditions when soil and duff are moist. Maximize retention of duff layer. Assure retention of minimum levels of coarse woody debris and recruitment snags as specified in the Standards and Guidelines on p. C-40 in the SEIS ROD.

Category 2 Soils (moderately sensitive): burn only in spring-like conditions when soil and duff are moist. Maximize retention of duff layer. Assure retention of minimum levels of coarse woody debris and recruitment snags as specified in the Standards and Guidelines on p. C-40 in the SEIS ROD. Write fire prescriptions that reduce disturbance and duration and achieve low fire intensity.

Category 3 Soils (least sensitive): burn to avoid high intensity (severe) burns to protect a large percentage of the nutrient capital. Maximize retention of duff layer. Assure retention of minimum levels of coarse woody debris and recruitment snags as specified in the Standards and Guidelines on p. C-40 in the SEIS ROD.

Guidelines for Levels of Prescribed Burn Intensity
Visual Characterization	Site-Specific Results	Proportional Area
Light burn	The surface duff layer is often charred by fire but not removed. Duff, crumbled wood or other woody debris is partly burned, logs not deeply charred.	Less than 2 percent is severely burned. Less than 15 percent is moderately burned.
Moderate burn	Duff, rotten wood, or other woody debris partially consumed; logs may be deeply charred but mineral soil under the ash not appreciably changed in color.	Less than 10 percent is severely burned. More than 15 percent is moderately burned.
Severe burn	Top layer of mineral soil significantly changed in color, usually to reddish color; next 1/2 inch blackened from organic matter charring by heat conducted through top layer.	More than 10 percent is severely burned. More than 80 percent is moderately burned. Remainder is lightly burned.

b. Firelines

Objective:

To minimize soil disturbance, soil compaction, soil erosion, and disturbance to riparian reserves.

Practices:

Construct firelines by hand on all slopes greater than 35 percent.

Utilize one-pass construction with a brush blade for tractor firelines.

Construct waterbars on tractor and hand firelines according to guidelines in section VIII.B.1.

No machine constructed firelines in riparian reserves.

Prescribed Fire - Piling

a. Hand Piling

Objective:

To prevent soil damage due to high burn intensity.

Practice:

Burn piles when soil and duff moisture are high.

b. Tractor Piling

Objective:

To protect soil productivity and to prevent soil damage due to compaction, displacement, and high burn intensity.

Practices:

Restrict tractor operations to dry conditions with less than 25 percent soil moisture content in the upper six inches of soil.

Restrict tractors to slopes less than 20 percent.

Construct small diameter piles or pile in windrows using brush blades.

Avoid piling concentrations of large logs and stumps.

Pile small material (3 to 8 inches diameter size).

Burn piles when soil and duff moisture are high.

Rip entire area to maintain soil productivity except that occupied by piles. Use winged ripper teeth and rip on contour to minimum depth of 12 inches. No ripping on clayey soils (i.e., soil series 706, 708, 840, 850).

Avoid displacement of duff and topsoil into piles or windrows.

Make only two machine passes (one round trip) over the same area wherever practical.

10.

Use the lowest ground pressure machine capable of meeting objectives.

B. Fertilization

Objective:	To protect water quality and to avoid impacts that retard or prevent attainment of the Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives.
Practices:	1.	Avoid aerial application when wind speeds would cause drift.
	2.	Locate heliports and storage areas away from riparian reserves.
	3.	No application within riparian reserves.
	4.	Avoid direct application to ephemeral stream channels.

X. Special Forest Products

A. Roads

Objective:	To prevent erosion and water quality degradation.
Practices:	1.	Utilize seasonal restriction on harvesting if access is by an unsurfaced road.
	2.	Clean all road surfaces, ditches, and catchbasins of debris from harvesting.

B. Harvest

	Objective:	To minimize soil damage and soil erosion.
	Practice:	Follow practices listed in section VIII.A.

XI. Mineral Development

Objective:

To protect surface and groundwater quality and to minimize disturbance to streambanks and riparian habitat within constraints of Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management surface mining regulations.

A. Locatable Operations

Practices:	1.	Require the claimant to obtain all required state and federal operating permits.
	2.	Comply with seasonal restrictions on suction dredging identified in Oregon Guidelines for Timing of In-Water Work to Protect Fish and Wildlife Resources.
	3.	Locate, design, operate, and maintain sediment settling ponds in conformance with state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requirements.
	4.	Design, locate, and construct stream crossings in conformance with practices described in sections VII.B., VII.C. and VII.D.
	5.	Use existing roads, skid trails, and stream crossings whenever possible.
	6.	Apply rock to roads constructed or reconstructed for vehicular access to the mining area. Provide roads with adequate drainage.
	7.	Prior to the first wet season, rip, waterbar, seed, mulch, and barricade according to BLM specifications all roads and trails constructed for exploratory purposes that are unnecessary for the mining operation.
	8.	Construct waterbars and barricade on all natural surface roads and trails when an operation shuts down for the wet season. See section VIII.B.1 for guidelines on waterbar spacing and construction.
	9.	Rip, waterbar, seed, mulch, and barricade all natural surface roads and trails when the operation terminates.
	10.	Construct a berm or trench between disturbed areas and water courses.
	11.	Stockpile topsoil for use during reclamation of the site. Construct a berm or trench immediately downslope of the stockpile.
	12.	Stabilize and contour the area, replace topsoil and mulch, seed, and plant the area with tree seedlings when no further mining is contemplated.
	13.	During the period from October 15 to May 15, contour and mulch disturbed areas that will not be mined for at least 30 days.
	14.	Confine operations to bench areas rather than allow encroachment on the stream whenever possible.
	15.	Locate and maintain sanitation facilities in accordance with state DEQ regulations.

B. Saleable Operations

	Practices:	1.	Locate stockpile sites on stable ground where the material would not move into streams or water bodies.
		2.	Locate, design, construct, and close roads, landings, and crusher pads in accordance with section VII.

XII. Livestock Grazing

Objective:	To protect, maintain, or improve water quality, riparian-wetland areas and upland plant communities; to achieve properly functioning riparian ecosystems.
Practices:	1.	Consider fencing springs, seeps, and water developments to protect water quality and riparian ecosystems.
	2.	Ensure rest for plant growth and vigor during the critical growing period.
	3.	Monitor, evaluate, and adjust livestock management practices to meet resource objectives.
	4.	Resolve management conflicts through the development of grazing management plans.
	5.	Promote ecological recovery through appropriate forage utilization levels.
	6.	Develop and implement recovery plans for riparian areas.

XIII. Wildfire

A. Prevention

	Objective:	To minimize occurrence of severe intensity wildfires in riparian reserves, on category 1 soils, and high risk watersheds.
	Practice:	Utilize prescribed burning to reduce both natural and management related slash (fuel) adjacent and/or within these areas.

B. Suppression

Objective:	To minimize water quality degradation while achieving rapid and safe suppression of a wildfire.
Practices:	1.	Apply the appropriate level of wildfire suppression which considers impacts of the wildfire as well as the suppression action.
	2.	Construct firelines by hand within riparian reserves.
	3.	Apply aerial retardant adjacent to riparian reserves by making passes parallel to riparian reserves.

C. Rehabilitation

Objective:	To protect water quality and soil productivity with consideration for other resources.
Practices:	1.	Utilize vegetation classification information as the framework for prescribing rehabilitation activities.
	2.	Develop a fire rehabilitation plan through an interdisciplinary process.
	3.	Select treatments on the basis of on-site values, downstream values, probability of successful implementation, social and environmental considerations (including protection of native plant community), and cost as compared to benefits.
	4.	Erosion control seeding should attempt to meet the intent of ecosystem based management objectives. Use seed availability information to prioritize erosion control seeding. First priority should be native seed sources for grasses and forbs, followed by annual grasses and forbs, and the lowest priority should be the use of perennial grasses.
	5.	Examples of emergency fire rehabilitation treatments include:
		a.	Seeding or planting native species or other nitrogen fixing vegetation that accomplishes necessary erosion control and meets site restoration objectives.
		b.	Mulch with straw or other suitable material.
		c.	Fertilize.
		d.	Place channel stabilization structures.
		e.	Place trash racks above road drainage structures.
		f.	Construct waterbars on firelines.

XIV. Watershed Restoration

Watershed restoration is a key component of the Aquatic Conservation Strategy and is based on watershed analysis (see the Standards and Guidelines on p. B-30 and p. C-37 in the SEIS ROD and appropriate sections in this document).

Objective:	To minimize damage to streambanks and riparian habitat during construction of in-stream habitat improvement projects.
Practices:	1.	Carefully plan access needs for individual work sites within a project area to minimize exposure of bare soil, compaction, and possible damage to tree roots. Utilize existing trails to the extent practical.
	2.	Base design of habitat improvement structures on state-of-the-art techniques and local stream hydraulics.
	3.	Confine work in the stream channels to between June 15 and September 15 to minimize the area of the stream that would be affected by sedimentation during the low flow period.
	4.	Keep equipment out of streams to extent possible.
	5.	Limit the amount of streambank excavation to the minimum necessary to ensure stability of enhancement structures. Place excavated material as far above the high water mark as possible to avoid entry into the stream.
	6.	Whenever possible obtain logs for habitat improvement structures from outside the riparian reserve or at least 200 feet from the stream channel to maintain integrity of riparian habitat and streambanks.
	7.	Inspect all mechanized equipment daily to help ensure toxic materials such as fuel and hydraulic fluid do not enter the stream.
	8.	Utilize waterbars, barricades, and seeding to stabilize bare soil areas.

D. Uplands

	Objective:	To increase soil stability, reduce soil erosion, and improve hydrologic functions.
	Practice:	Use corrective measures to repair degraded watershed conditions and rehabilitate with an ecologically appropriate vegetative cover that will maintain or improve soil stability, reduce surface runoff, increase infiltration, and reduce flood occurrence and flood damages.

Appendix D. Best Management Practices

Table of Contents

A. Purpose