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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
ALASKA REGION (REGION 10)
JUNEAU, ALASKA
FSM 2500 – WATERSHED AND AIR MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 2520 – WATERSHED PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT
Supplement No.: R-10 2500-2006-2
Effective Date: May 9, 2006
Duration: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
Approved: /s/ Mary Anne Young (for)
DENNIS E. BSCHOR
Regional Forester
Date Approved: 04/19/2006
Posting Instructions: Supplements are numbered consecutively by title number and calendar
year. Post by document; remove the entire document and replace it with this supplement. Retain
this transmittal as the first page(s) of this document. The last supplement to this title was R-10
2500-2006-1 to chapter 2550.
New Document
2520
4 Pages
Superseded Document(s) by
Issuance Number and
Effective Date
2520 (2500-91-1, 2/26/91)
2522-2522.22 (R-10 Supp 14, 2/84)
4 Pages
9 Pages
Digest:
2526 – Removes reference to obsolete FSM 1920 direction.
2526.04b – Removes reference to obsolete FSM 1390 direction.
2526.04c – Removes reference to obsolete FSM 1390 direction.
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 2500-2006-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 05/09/2006
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 2500 – WATERSHED AND AIR MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 2520 – WATERSHED PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT
2526 - RIPARIAN AREA MANAGEMENT
Riparian areas are valued for: (1) habitats for wildlife, fish, and other aquatic life; (2) recreation
use; (3) subsistence use and cultural resources; (4) sustaining high quality water; (5) moderating
streamflow; (6) power generation; (7) placer deposits, sand and gravel; (8) a variety of unique
and diverse plant and animal communities and life processes; and (9) high quality timber sites.
Riparian Management Areas established in Forest Plans prescribe how these areas will be
managed, including mandatory standards and guidelines.
2526.02 – Objectives
To ensure that activities in riparian areas promote long-term conservation and productivity of
riparian ecosystems; to clarify Forest Service goals, requirements, and administrative
responsibilities for riparian area management on National Forest System (NFS) lands in Alaska;
and to provide direction for planning, coordination, and implementation of Forest Plans.
2526.03 - Policy
1. In order to assure protection of riparian habitat, maintain a buffer of no less than 100
feet in width slope distance on each side of all Class I streams in the Tongass National Forest,
and on those Class II streams which flow directly into a Class I stream, within which commercial
timber harvesting shall be prohibited. Use Best Management Practices (BMP's), as defined in
Chapter 10 of Region 10's FSH 2509.22 - Soil and Water Conservation Handbook, to assure the
protection of riparian habitat on streams or portions of streams not protected by such buffers.
2. Forest Officers will recognize riparian dependent and associated resources and values
in the day-to-day management of NFS lands. When conflicts arise, priority will be given to
riparian dependent resources consistent with other laws and regulations.
6. Land management activities in riparian areas will be planned, implemented, and
evaluated to ensure that activities are consistent with management direction in Forest Plans.
7. Manage riparian areas to provide for long-term conservation, productivity, biological
diversity, and ecosystem integrity.
2526.04 - Responsibilities
2526.04b - Regional Forester
Regional Forester shall:
1. Establish management direction in Forest Plans to achieve riparian management policy
goals and objectives. Provide planning guidance for riparian area management through the
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 2500-2006-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 05/09/2006
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 2500 – WATERSHED AND AIR MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 2520 – WATERSHED PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT
Alaska Regional Guide or other Regional direction. On projects that are in, or influence, riparian
areas, assure interdisciplinary involvement and consideration in environmental disclosure
processes for which approval authority is given.
2. Maintain technology transfer tools and guidance in the directives system. Provide
training in riparian area identification, analysis, monitoring, and Forest Plan implementation.
4. Identify and document information needs for management and monitoring of riparian
areas.
5. Assure appropriate coordination and involvement of organizations, agencies, Forest
Service personnel, and the public in Regional riparian issues, methods, and plans. Conduct
riparian area management reviews.
2526.04c - Forest Supervisors
Forest Supervisors shall:
1. Develop riparian management area prescriptions, standards, and guidelines in Forest
Plans. On projects and activities that are in, or influence, riparian areas, assure interdisciplinary
planning, environmental analysis, and disclosure.
3. Assure through monitoring and evaluation that riparian management area prescriptions
are suitable for local conditions and are implemented and effective in achieving riparian area
management goals, standards, and guidelines in Forest Plans and environmental disclosure
documents (see FSH 2509.22). Identify and document information needs for management and
monitoring of riparian areas.
4. Designate a riparian demonstration area on each Forest.
5. District Rangers. District Rangers shall:
a. On those projects and activities that are in, or influence, riparian areas, assure
interdisciplinary involvement and consideration in project planning and in the
environmental analysis process. Assure that site-specific riparian analysis,
prescriptions and mitigation measures are incorporated in project design; for example,
layout and construction release form, special-use permits, and C provisions.
b. Assure that project plans are properly communicated to permittees, contractors,
and purchasers and that they understand land management and riparian objectives.
Delineate specific riparian areas in project plans.
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 2500-2006-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 05/09/2006
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 2500 – WATERSHED AND AIR MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 2520 – WATERSHED PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT
c. Provide adequate administration and inspection of activities to assure that permit
or contract standards and conditions are met and that project decisions are adequately
implemented.
d. Monitor implementation of riparian protection measures to assess the degree to
which project objectives have been met. Assure that all required riparian mitigation
or restoration is done before closing-out or accepting the activity as complete.
e. Document the implementation and effectiveness of riparian management area
prescriptions and other protective measures in appropriate reports; for example,
inspection reports, daily diaries, and so forth. Identify and document information
needs for management and monitoring of riparian areas.
f. Provide follow-up interdisciplinary team (IDT) evaluation of activities in riparian
areas.
2526.05 - Definitions
4. Riparian Areas. Geographical areas of associated ecosystems (aquatic and terrestrial)
with distinctive resource values near streams, lakes, or other bodies of fresh water delineated and
identified by a combination of characteristics such as landform, channel type, soils, and plant
associations.
6. Riparian Management Areas. Areas defined in Forest Plans with distinctive resource
values and characteristics comprised of aquatic and riparian ecosystems or adjacent upland areas
that have direct relationships with the aquatic ecosystem in the absence of a riparian ecosystem.
This area, as a minimum, is 100 horizontal feet in distance from all sides of perennial streams,
lakes, and other bodies of fresh water, or to the recognizable area dominated by an associated
riparian ecosystem, whichever is greater.
7. Monitoring. The periodic evaluation of resources or activities on a representative
sample basis to assess effects of land management activities, determine how well objectives have
been met, check compliance with established standards and establish long-term trends.
Monitoring may focus on implementation, effectiveness, or hypothesis testing (validation).