Wallowa-Whitman Supplement 2409.13-93-1
Effective 05/01/93
21-21.6
Page 1 of 5
FOREST SERVICE HANDBOOK
BAKER CITY, OREGON
Title FSH 2409.13 – TIMBER RESOURCE PLANNING HANDBOOK
Wallowa-Whitman Supplement No. 2409.13-93-1
Effective May 1, 1993
POSTING NOTICE. Supplements to this handbook are numbered consecutively. Check
the last transmittal received for this title to see that the above supplement number is in
sequence. If not, order intervening supplement(s) at once on Form 1100-6. Do not post
this supplement until the missing one(s) is received and posted. After posting retain this
transmittal until the next supplement to this title is received. Place it at the front of the
title. The last Forest Supplement issued to this handbook was 2409.13-92-1, dated May
25, 1992.
Document Name
No. of Sheets Superseded
New
2409.13,21-21.6
5
5
Digest:
Revise Field Guide for Forest land suitability.
/s/ Norman B. Kaufman
R.M. RICHMOND
Forest Supervisor
Wallowa-Whitman Supplement 2409.13-93-1
Effective 05/01/93
21-21.6
Page 2 of 5
FSH 2409.13 – TIMBER RESOURCE PLANNING HANDBOOK
21.6 – Tentatively Suitable Forest Lands.
Exhibit 1 is a one page field guide designed to be used by field exam crews in
determining suitability of Forest land. Reproduce Exhibit 1 front and back for field use.
It is a summary of the FSH 2409.13 description of the tentatively suitable Forest land
classification process. The guide is intended to help stand examination field personnel to
identify either the stands suitability status itself or the need for IDT or certified
silviculturist review.
How to determine:
Existing withdrawn lands will be identified in the office and excluded from field
examinations.
Field crews should be able to readily assess whether a stand is forested or capable
of producing industrial wood.
The District Silviculturist shall be notified for further field review of stands that
appear to be unsuitable due to irreversible damage, inability to restock or
inadequate response information.
If a stand is designated unsuitable, this shall be recorded on the field exam notes and the
reason why is it unsuitable.
If a forest land stand is considered suitable but includes small areas of nonstockable land
too small to map out as a separate stand i.e., less than two acres, the field crew shall make
an estimate, either from visual observation or from plot expansion, of the amount of
nonstockable land and record, as a percent of the total stand, on the field notes.
With this information, use the following as an aid to reclassify the site:
>60% nonstockable
40% - 60%
<40%
= unsuitable forest land site.
= District Silviculturist to field to verify and classify.
= Suitable Forest land site and record % nonstockable in the
GIS suitability table.
As a general rule, suitability is a forest land classification associated with the entire stand,
i.e., a forested stand is either suitable or unsuitable for timber production.
Stockability, i.e., whether or not a site can be stocked with trees, is associated with a
condition on a microsite within a stand itself. It is information that could be used to
discern suitability but it is not a forest land classification term.
Wallowa-Whitman Supplement 2409.13-93-1
Effective 05/01/93
21-21.6
Page 3 of 5
FSH 2409.12 – TIMBER RESOURCE PLANNING HANDBOOK
What and where to record forest land suitability:
Our Geographic Information System (GIS) will be the system for recording forest land
suitability information. Each “Suitability Criteria” code will be recorded in our GIS
using the suitability table (EVG_Suitable) data input screen.
Wallowa-Whitman Supplement 2409.13-93-1
Effective 05/01/93
21-21.6
Page 4 of 5
EXHIBIT 1
A Process for Identification of Lands Tentatively Suitable for Timber Production per FS
2409.13 and 36 CRS 219.14 and where to record forest land suitability:
Suitability Criteria
Is land forested?
[FSH 2409.13-21.1 &
36 CFR 219.14(a)(1)]
Yes
Is land withdrawn from
timber production?
(FSH 2409.13-21.3)
No
Is land capable of
producing crops of
industrial wood?
(FSH 2409.13-21.3)
Yes
Is irreversible damage
likely to occur?
[FSH 3409.13-21.41 &
36 CFR 219.14 (a) (2)]
No
Can area be restocked
within five years?
[FSH 2409.13-21.42 &
36 CFR 219.14 (a) (3)]
Yes
Is adequate response
information available?
(FSH 2409.13-21.5)
Yes
Then land is tentatively
suitable for timber
production.
(FSH 2409.13-21.6)
% Nonstockable
tentatively suitable
forest land.
Why Unsuitable
TRI & GIS
Suitability Code
No
Non-forest land
N
Yes
Withdrawn from
production.
W
No
Land incapable of
producing industrial
wood.
I
Yes
Irreversible damage
is likely to occur.
T
No
Restocking cannot be
assured.
R
No
Adequate response
information is
lacking.
O
S
Not applicable.
Wallowa-Whitman Supplement 2409.13-93-1
Effective 05/01/93
21-21.6
Page 5 of 5
DEFINITIONS
= Land at least 10% occupied by forest trees
= Canopy cover of live forest trees at maturity
= Woody plants with well developed stem and usually
>12 feet in height at maturity.
Forest Land
Occupied
Forest Trees
The minimum area for classification of forest land is one acre or greater, consistent
with Regional mapping standards. Regional and Forest minimum area is five acres.
Withdrawn
= Lands designated by the Congress, the Secretary, or the Chief for
purposes that preclude timber production. Examples are wilderness and
research natural areas.
Industrial
Wood
= All commercial roundwood products, except fuel wood, from
forest trees common to Wallowa-Whitman except:
limber pine
whitebark pine
all junipers
all hardwoods
Determination will be based on plurality of stocking in live trees
and plant association or community type.
Irreversible
damage
= Activities involved in timber production (harvest, slash disposal and
regeneration) on forest land that would cause irreversible resource
damage to soil productivity or watershed conditions. Must be
determined by an interdisciplinary team. Notify the district
silviculturist if this is the apparent reason for unsuitability.
Restocking
= Determination that there is reasonable assurance that it is possible to
restock forest land adequately within five years of final harvest. Must
be determined by a certified silviculturist. Notify the district
silviculturist if this is the apparent reason for unsuitability.
Final harvest
= Five years after selection cutting, clearcutting, and final overstory
removal of a shelterwood or seed tree cut.
Additional Criteria:
Area can be restocked if it can be reforested:
1.
2.
3.
by artificial or natural regeneration;
to a minimum stocking level of 75 TPA of forest tree seedlings expected to survive and grow to
maturity;
using present techniques of:
A. Cutting methods:
clearcut
shelterwood
seed tree
selection
B. Plant:
shovel
hoe
spade
C. Seed:
natural
broadcast
spot
D. Site Prep:
chemical
mechanical
manual
fire
biological
combination
bar
dibble
auger
machine
E. Special Techniques
mulch
shade
deep plant
fertilize
Adequate Response Information = Information is available, based on current research and experience, to project
favorable responses to timber management practices. Will be determined by a certified silviculturist.