Scientific Analysis Team's (SAT) Report
"Viability Assessments and Management Considerations for Species Associated with Late-Successional and Old-Growth Forests of the Pacific Northwest", USDA Forest Service Research, March 1993

The standards and guidelines that follow are not all-inclusive. Watershed and riparian area management on lands managed by the Forest Service is guided by a variety of dirction, including Best Management Practices, Forest Service manuals and handbooks, and other plans and directives. For the lands contained within the Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas, these standards and guidelines supersede other direction, unless the conflicting standard or direction affords greater protection to riparian and fish habitat values and better foster attainment of the Riparian Managment Objectives.

Timber Management

TM-1. Prohibit scheduled timber harvest, including fuelwood cutting, in Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas. Allow unscheduled harvest only as described in TM-2 and TM-3.

TM-2. Where catastrophic events such as fire, flooding, volcanic erruptions, severe winds, or insect or disease damage result in degraded riparian conditions, allow unscheduled timber harvest (salvage and fuelwood cutting) to attain Riparian Management Objectives. Remove salvage trees only when site-specific analysis by an interdisciplinary team determines that present and future woody debris needs are met and other Riparian Management Objectives are not adversely affected.

TM-3. Design silvicultural prescriptions for Riparian Conservation Areas and allow unscheduled harvest to control stocking, reestablish and culture stands, and acquire desired vegetation characteristics needed to attain Riparian Management Objectives.

Based on these criteria, we identify five types of streams or water-bodies and define interim widths of Riparian Habiat Conservation Areas for each:

1. Fish-bearing Streams: The Riparian Habitat Conservation Area consists of the stream and the area on either side of the stream extending from the edges of the active stream channel to the top of the inner gorge, or to the outer edges of the 100-year floodplain, or to the outer edges of riparian vegetation, or to a distance equal to the height of two site-potential trees, or 300 feet horizontal distance (600 feet, including both sides of the stream channel), whichever is greatest.

The first 200 feet of the Riparian Habitat Conservation Area recognizes the adjacent land as a source of shade, large wood, detritus, and water of favorable temperature. The last 100 feet will serve to maintain microclimate and to protect the first 200 feet from fire and wind damage and help ensure that the integrity of the functional Riparian Habitat Conservation Area survices over the long-term to benefit fish habitat and riparian dependent species.

2. Permanently Flowing Non-fish-bearing Streams: The Riparian Habitat Conservation Area consists of the stream and the area on either side of the stream extending from the edges of the active channel to the top of the inner gorge, or to the outer edges of the 100-year floodplain, or to the outer edges of riparian vegetation, or to a distance equal to the height of one site-potential tree, or 150 feet horizontal distance (300 feet, including both sides of the stream channel), which ever is greatest.

3. Lakes: The Riparian Habitat Conservation Area consists of the body of water and the area to the outer edges of the riparian vegetation, or to the extent of seasonally saturated soil, or to the extent of moderately and highly unstable areas, or to a distance equal to the height of two-site-potential trees, or 300 feet horizontal distance, whichever is greatest.

4. Ponds, Reservoirs, and wetlands Greater Than One Acre: The Riparian Habitat Conservation Area consists of the body of water (the maximum pool elevation of reservoirs) or wetland and the area to the outer edges of riparian vegetation, or to the extent of seasonally saturated soil, or to the extent of moderately and highly unstable areas, or to a distance equal to the height of one site-potential tree, or 150 feet horizontal distance, whichever is greatest.

5. Seasonally Flowing or Intermittent Streams, Wetlands Less Than One Acre, Landslides, and Landslide-Prone Areas: This category applies to riparian ecosystems with high variability in size and site-specific characteristics. The Riparian Habitat Conservation Area consists of the stream channel or wetland and the area from the edges of the stream channel or wetland to the top of the inner gorge, or to the outer edges of the riparian vegetation, or tho the extent of landslides or landslide-prone areas, or to a distanc equal to the height of one site-potential tree, or 100 feet horizontal distance (200 feet, including both sides of the channel), whichever is greatest.

We believe that the interim widths of the Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas will provide protection for riparian forests and maintain ecological functions and processes necessary fo rthe creation and maintenance of habitat for fish and other-riparian dependent organisms. Existing data could be used to argue for wider Riparian Habitat Conservation Area widths, at least in certain stream categories. However, the interim widths will fully protect ecologically important areas within a watershed, such as floodplains. Interim Riparian Habitat Conservation Area will also be able to survive some mortality in the short-term and still maintain its ecological integrity.