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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
MISSOULA, MONTANA
FSM 2400 - TIMBER MANAGEMENT
Region 1 Supplement No. 2400-93-1
Effective March 29, 1993
POSTING NOTICE. Supplements to this title are numbered consecutively. Post by document
name. Remove entire document and replace with this document. Retain this transmittal as the
first page of this document. The last supplement to this Manual was Number 2400-92-8 to
Chapter 2470 Silvicultural Practices.
Page Code
Superseded
(Number of Sheets)
2475.03 thru 2477.03
5
Supplements Covered
313, 6/85
324, 3/87
331, 1/89
Document name
2475-2479.04a
Superseded
New
(Number of Pages)
-
7
Digest:
2475.03-2475.62 - Updates Regional Office and Forest responsibilities in tree improvement,
updates requirements for Tree Improvement 10-Year plans and their update schedule.
DAVID F. JOLLY
Regional Forester
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TITLE 2400 - TIMBER MANAGEMENT
R1 SUPPLEMENT 2400-93-1
EFFECTIVE 3/29/93
CHAPTER 2470 - SILVICULTURAL PRACTICES
2475 - FOREST TREE IMPROVEMENT
2475.03 - Policy
The mission of Northern Region's tree improvement program is to increase yields of wood on
appropriate lands through forest tree improvement and avoid genetic losses in all forest
management treatments on Northern Region National Forests and similar adjacent public and
private lands, consistent with regulation and budgets.
The tree improvement program is intended to develop the capability described at the
"accelerated" level in The Forest Tree Improvement Program for the Northern Region:
Alternative Levels (See FSM 2475.61 R1 Supp.). This program is designed to:
1. Provide the understanding and activities necessary to avoid genetic losses in all forest
management treatments.
2. Produce, from selective breeding and seed orchards, genetically improved planting
stock sufficient to plant all lands scheduled for reforestation (in Forest Plans) on which the
planting, growing, and harvesting of improved stands is projected to yield a higher present net
value at 4 percent discount than regeneration alternatives (also see below under "Prescribing").
3. Provide the analytical tools and procedures needed for predicting the growth and yield,
forest regulation and economic consequences of producing, planting, growing, and harvesting
genetically improved stands on Northern Region National Forests.
4. Evaluate for incorporation new technologies offering promise for magnifying genetic
gains, shortening generations, or streamlining breeding or seed production capabilities.
Regional Office and Forest Tree Improvement Plans (2475.61, R1 Supp.) will be prepared to
reflect the "accelerated" program, and funding proposals will be formulated to implement the
"accelerated" program.
Prescribing. Regardless of the availability of genetically improved stock, its planting on a
particular site will continue to be subject to the site-specific silvicultural prescription (see FSM
2478) which recognizes economic, ecological, and land use allocation constraints for this
particular site; the prescription may or may not call for planting and may or may not call for
planting improved stock. All regeneration alternatives shall be compared to the planting of
improved stock on the strength of present net values at 4 percent discount whenever genetically
improved seed is available.
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Genetic consequences of all other proposed treatments shall be considered in silvicultural
prescriptions.
Marking superior phenotypes. In all stands which may be regenerated by selection, shelterwood
or seed tree harvests, the marking of leave trees in intermediate and regeneration cuttings shall
favor superior phenotypes, consistent with management objectives and the need for species
diversity and ecological requirements. If the next rotation is to be a naturally regenerated
clearcut, the trees of the seed wall or other seed trees shall be of acceptable phenotypic quality.
Standards for tree improvement activities. Personnel assigned tasks in tree improvement
projects are to carry out their assignments according to performance standards and technical
guidance recorded in the R-1 Tree Improvement Handbook (FSH 2409.26g).
Education and training. Northern Region National Forest personnel implementing or
supervising tree improvement projects shall be adequately educated and trained in the principles
and procedures of forest genetics and tree improvement. "Adequately" is defined as having
successfully completed one or more of the following education programs: CEFES; GENE;
Skills for Tree Improvement Workers, for "hands-on" workers; Timber Marker Training, for
seasonals; or equivalents of these training programs.
Cooperation. In achieving the goals of the Tree Improvement Program, the Northern Region
will work in cooperation with and through the Inland Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative and
shall cooperate with other appropriate tree improvement operations.
Environmental Assessments. (See 1952.51 R-1 Supp)
2475.04 - Responsibility
Responsibilities for administration and management of tree improvement facilities and activities:
1. The RO Timber, Cooperative Forestry and Pest Management is responsible for:
a. Designing all selective breeding program plans, including record keeping and data
management. Experimental design, analysis and interpretation.
b. Developing standards for all tree improvement activities and procedures for activities
technically complex or otherwise unfamiliar to Forests.
c. Coordinating all multi-Forest tree improvement activities.
d. Providing technical advice and counsel as required to maintain quality standards.
e. Coordinating all other agencies cooperating in R-1 tree improvement, e.g., at the Coeur
d'Alene Nursery.
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f. Providing review and approval for tree improvement-related research or equipment
development projects proposed for R-1 National Forest lands or facilities, except Experimental
Forests.
g. Establishing operating standards and levels for the tree improvement seed bank at the
Coeur d'Alene Nursery.
h. Reviewing proposals and plans for all test plantations, early selection trials, seed
orchards, breeding orchards, clone banks, and rearing and testing facilities for plants in selective
breeding programs.
i. Providing estimates of costs for activities in which Forests may have little experience.
j. Compiling and submitting budget proposals to WO based on Forest plans and proposals.
k. Preparing long-range Regional plans (see FSM 2475.61).
l. Monitoring quality and quantity of Forest tree improvement activities.
2. All Forest Supervisors in Region 1 are responsible for:
a. Providing technical advice and guidance in tree improvement.
b. Providing program development and budgeting in tree improvement.
c. Coordinating Forest tree improvement activities.
d. Monitoring quality and quantity of District tree improvement activities.
e. Selecting and collecting cones from plus trees, according to plans and standards (see
Forest Tree Improvement Plan and FSH 2409.26g).
f. Installing, maintaining, protecting, and measuring long-term field tests (see FSH
2409.26g, Chapter 500).
g. Collecting, editing, and submitting data from long-term field tests, according to plans
and standards.
h. Ensuring that all forest management treatments avoid genetic loss (see 2475.03 R-1 Supp).
i. Offering sites and facilities for genetic tests and seed orchards, consistent with
appropriate analyses.
j. Cooperating with other R-1 units in the occasional sharing of time of tree improvement
specialists.
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k. Preparing Forest TI Plans and reports (see FSM 2475.61 R1 Supp. and 2496.1 R-1
Supp).
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3. The Forest Supervisors of the Nez Perce, Clearwater, IPNF, Flathead, and Lolo NF's
are responsible for:
a. Planning, installing, maintaining, protecting, and measuring multi-species Tree
Improvement Areas, including development plans, as follows:
Nez Perce - Meadow Creek and Salmon River TI Areas
IPNF - Lone Mountain, Dry Creek, Grouse Creek
Flathead - Big Fork TI Area, Condon TI Area
Lolo - Savenac, Plains and Thompson Falls TI Areas
Clearwater - Lenore TI Area
b. Providing management, including irrigation, culture, and protection consistent with the
various objectives for the several plantings within the above-listed Tree Improvement Areas.
4. The Forest Supervisor of the IPNF is responsible for managing:
a. The Coeur d'Alene Nursery and Lone Mountain W.P. Seed Orchards.
b. All early selection trials and white pine rust screening beds at the Coeur d'Alene Nursery.
c. The W.P. blister rust inoculations at the Coeur d'Alene Nursery.
d. Up to two greenhouses of tree improvement seedlings and/or clonal propagules at the
Coeur d'Alene Nursery.
e. The Sandpoint White Pine Seed Orchard.
f. Developing facilitating technology at the Coeur d'Alene Nursery, e.g., rooted cutting
procedures.
g. Managing the tree improvement seed bank at the Coeur d' Alene Nursery.
h. Developing and managing the Region's pedigree record keeping and automated TI plan
updating systems.
2475.61 - Tree Improvement Plans
Master Plan for Tree Improvement. The master plan for the tree improvement program for
Region 1 (required by FSM 2475.61) is the "accelerated" level described in The Forest Tree
Improvement Program for the Northern Region: Alternative Levels, dated May, 1985.
Forest 10-Year Work Plans. Each National Forest will prepare and update annually, a tree
improvement 10-Year work plan, implementing The Forest Tree Improvement Program for the
Northern Region, accelerated level. The plan will include, as a minimum, these three sections: a
narrative, two sets of completed forms (R1-2470-2 and R1-2470-3), and appendices.
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Performance standards and technical guidance for preparing the plans are documented in the R-1
Tree Improvement Handbook (FSH 2409.26g).
The Tree Improvement Program is Regional in scope and interforest coordination is necessary.
To provide necessary coordination, the Forest tree improvement work plans will be reviewed by
the Regional Geneticist prior to their being updated. A bibliography of key literature in forest
genetics and tree improvement shall be kept current by the Regional Geneticist for appendix 2 of
Forest 10-year tree improvement work plans.
The Forest 10-year tree improvement work plans will be updated by the National Forests prior to
program planning and budgeting. One electronic copy shall be submitted to the Director of
Timber, Cooperative Forestry and Pest Management by April 15 annually.
2475.62 - Records and Reports. (FSM 2496.1, R-1)
2476 - TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT
2476.03 - Policy
Regional Timber Stand Improvement Policy
1. Precommercial thinning will be limited, as much as possible, to one operation. This
should generally be delayed until the stands are 10-20 years old and tree competition has begun
to result in the development of dominant crowns. The degree of thinning and species selection
should be designated in the silvicultural prescription to meet land management objectives.
Residual stocking at 10-20 years should generally fall above the densities listed in the table
below:
Productivity Class
120 +
85 - 119
20 - 84
Minimum Residual
Trees/Acre
450
300
200
2. An obvious exception to the above policy would be in stands where early stocking
control at a very young age (1-4 years) by slashing, pulling, clipping, etc., is a desirable
treatment to reduce very dense stands with thousands of trees per acre. This stocking reduction
would prepare the stand for the normal type thinning described in item 1 above.
3. Precommercial thinning in stands close to merchantable size will have low priority.
Precommercial thinning should not be undertaken in older stands where a significant number of
stems 5 inches d.b.h. and larger must be cut to reach prescribed stand densities.
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4. Certification of TSI projects must follow a stand examination. This can usually be
accomplished by a walk-through following completion of the project. For contracted TSI, the
last contract examination of the area can suffice as the certifying exam.
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5. Thinning in stands where white pine is the major crop tree should be limited to stands
with obviously low infection levels and should not be undertaken until the stand is age 25 to 30
years. Stands with high to moderate rates of infection should not be thinned if white pine are
desired as crop trees.
6. Thinning Inspection Report, Form R1-FS-2470-6, is used when inspecting for
compliance in contract TSI work. Instructions for the use of this form are in chapter 6 of the
Silvicultural Practices Handbook, FSH 2409.17.
2477.03 - Policy. The Knutson-Vandenberg Act, as amended, authorizes collection of funds to
protect and improve future productivity of the renewable resources on timber sale areas. The
use of K-V funds is extended to all resources including wildlife, watershed, recreation, range and
timber. It is the policy of this Region to consider K-V funds as one of several ways to
accomplish needed resource management activities. K-V funds will be collected and used for
work that can be logically and effectively accomplished along with the timber management work
done under the timber sale contract, and subsequent post sale activities. Refer to Renewable
Resources for Knutson-Vandenberg Fund Handbook (FSH 2409.19), Chapter 20, Region 1
Supplement 2409.19-91-1.
Most Sale Area Improvement (SAI) work can be done within 5 years following sale closure.
However, some work may take longer than 5 years to complete. The time limit to complete SAI
work is extended from 5 to 10 years for the following activities:
1. Those Reforestation examinations needed to evaluate stocking until the harvested area
is either certified or scheduled for another reforestation treatment. (This does not infer or mean
the 5-year regeneration policy will not be followed.)
2. Monitoring for resources other than timber may continue for longer than 5 years to
collect adequate data.
3. Management of use in an area must sometimes continue for periods longer than 5 years
to be effective.
4. Noxious weed surveys.