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North Slope Criteria for Forest Restoration

• Purpose & Need
  
• Background
• Criteria to Qualify for a Forest Restoration Site
  
• Methods and Definitions for Criteria 1 - 5
• Special Conditions and Exceptions
• Documentation for all sites to qualify under the North Slope Criteria for Forest Restoration
• Download as a PDF

Criteria to Qualify for a Forest Restoration Site

Note on Unmanaged Forests and Poorly–Managed Forests: The Forest Restoration criteria listed below apply only to unmanaged forests and poorly–managed forests.  These are forests that have never been harvested or that have been formerly clear–cut or “high–graded” and then abandoned.  High–grading refers to logging in past decades that focused on removing the valuable trees in the most inexpensive manner and ignored the effects of this on the future forest.  Typically, these former clearcuts and high–graded areas are densely overgrown with small, “suppressed–growth” trees.

Criteria:

1. Retention: Forest restoration work should leave standing a minimum of 50% of the dominant trees of the fire–dependent species.  (See below under “Methods and Definitions for Criteria 1” for definition of “dominant.”)
   
   
2. Soils: Projects should be undertaken in a manner that minimizes soil and hydrological disturbance, maintains organic matter in the soil, and appropriate large, woody debris.  Projects should strive to keep long–term, detrimental soil disturbance below 15% of the project area.
   
   
3. Aesthetics: Thinning patterns should strive to imitate the aesthetics of natural forests and natural fire processes.  Clearcutting is acceptable only in forest types where it imitates natural fire regimes, only in minimally–sized areas that fit the contours of the landscape, and leaving behind “legacy” trees or “snags” in the clearcuts.  (See below under “Methods and Definitions.”)
   
   
4. Wildlife Habitat: Thinning should leave occasional, strategically–located patches of thick forest for wildlife cover, wildlife bedding areas and thermal cover, especially in known areas of wildlife use or migration.  Overall, projects should enhance habitat for native species, both terrestrial and aquatic.
   
   
5. Watercourses:  Thinning should follow all applicable Stream Management Zone (SMZ) state laws.  Overall, projects should protect and improve watershed health and enhance riparian zones.  By carefully controlling and repairing soil disturbance (see Criteria 2), projects should minimize sediment from run–off and erosion that can flow into watercourses.

Copyright 2008 by North Slope Sustainable Wood.  Permission for use granted upon request.  northslopewood.com.  406.327.1123