California Code of Regulations
Title 14 - Natural Resources
Division 1.5 - Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Chapter 4 - Forest Practices
Subchapter 5 - Northern Forest District Rules
Article 11 - Logging Roads, Landings, and Logging Road Watercourse Crossings
Section 943.2 - Design and Location of Logging Roads and Landings

Universal Citation: 14 CA Code of Regs 943.2

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024

Constructed and Reconstructed Logging Roads and Landings shall be designed and located in accordance with their proposed use, maintenance requirements, and the approved Plan.

(a) All Logging Roads and Landings shall:

(1) Avoid or mitigate potential impacts to public safety.

(2) Avoid Unstable Areas and Connected Headwall Swales to the extent Feasible and minimize activities that adversely affect them.

(3) Minimize the size of cuts and Fills to the extent Feasible.

(4) Be outsloped where Feasible and drained with Waterbreaks and/or Rolling Dips in conformance with other applicable Forest Practice Rules.

(5) Be hydrologically disconnected from Watercourses and Lakes to the extent Feasible to minimize sediment delivery from road runoff to a Watercourse, and reduce the potential for hydrologic changes that alter the magnitude and frequency of runoff delivery to a Watercourse. Guidance on methods for Hydrologic Disconnection may be found in "Board of Forestry Technical Rule Addendum Number 5: Guidance on Hydrologic Disconnection, Road Drainage, Minimization of Diversion Potential, and High Risk Crossings" (1st Edition, revised 04/21/15), hereby incorporated by reference.

(6) Include adequate drainage structures and facilities necessary to avoid concentrating and diverting runoff, to minimize erosion of roadbeds, Landing surfaces, drainage ditches, Sidecast and Fills, to minimize the potential for soil erosion and sediment transport, and to prevent Significant Sediment Discharge. Guidance on methods for conformance with this rule section may be found in "Board of Forestry Technical Rule Addendum Number 5: Guidance on Hydrologic Disconnection, Road Drainage, Minimization of Diversion Potential, and High Risk Crossings" (1st Edition, revised 04/21/15), hereby incorporated by reference.

(7) Avoid crossing, or locations on, 100 feet or more of lineal distance over any slopes greater than 65% or within 100 feet of the boundary of a WLPZ on slopes greater than 50% that drain toward the zoned Watercourse or Lake. Where Logging Road or Landing construction or reconstruction is proposed in these areas, specific measures to minimize movement of soil and the discharge of concentrated surface runoff shall be incorporated in the Plan. The Director may waive inclusion of such measures where the RPF can show that slope depressions, drainage ways, and other natural retention and detention features are sufficient to control overland transport of eroded material.

(b) The Director may require removal of deposits of Excess Material if the deposits are in a position to adversely affect the Beneficial Uses of water.

(c) Excess Material excavated during Logging Road and Landing construction shall not be transported to locations where it may result in Significant Sediment Discharge.

(d) In addition to the requirements of subsection (a) above, all Logging Roads to be constructed or to be Reconstructed shall:

(1) Be no wider than a single lane compatible with the largest type of equipment specified for use on the Logging Road, with adequate turnouts provided as required for safety, except where wider road dimensions are required by existing contracts with a federal agency.

(2) Avoid grades greater than 20% or grades greater than 15% that extend greater than 500 continuous feet. Exceptions may be approved where there is no other Feasible access for harvesting of timber or where use of a gradient greater than 20% will serve to reduce soil disturbance.

(e) In addition to the requirements of subsection (a) above, all Landings to be constructed or to be Reconstructed shall:

(1) Be consistent with the Yarding and loading system to be used.

(2) Be no larger than one-half acre.

(3) Avoid construction on slopes greater than 40% where the Landing will exceed one-quarter acre in size.

1. Amendment of first paragraph and subsections (a), (h), (m), (n), (o), (q) and (v); new subsections (b), (c), (f), and (i); deletion of former section (r); and renumbering filed 2-11-91; operative 3-13-91 (Register 91, No. 14).
2. Amendment of subsection (c) and NOTE filed 11-26-97; operative 1-1-98 pursuant to Public Resources Code section 4554.5 (Register 97, No. 48).
3. Amendment of subsection (s) filed 12-1-98; operative 1-1-99 (Register 98, No. 49).
4. Amendment of subsections (r) and (t) filed 11-19-2010; operative 1-1-2011 pursuant to Public Resources Code section 4554.5(a) (Register 2010, No. 47).
5. Amendment of section heading and repealer and new section filed 6-11-2014; operative 1-1-2015 pursuant to Public Resources Code section 4554.5 (Register 2014, No. 24).
6. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (a)(5)-(6) filed 11-26-2014 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2014, No. 48).
7. Amendment of subsections (a)(5)-(6) and amendment of NOTE filed 6-2-2017; operative 1-1-2018 pursuant to Public Resources Code section 4554.5(a) (Register 2017, No. 22).
8. Change without regulatory effect amending section filed 12-20-2017 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2017, No. 51).

Note: Authority cited: Sections 4551, 4551.5 and 4553, Public Resources Code. Reference: Sections 4512, 4513, 4551, 4551.5, 4562.5, 4562.7 and 4597, Public Resources Code; 33 USC 1288(b); and Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. Arcata Natl. Corp. (1976) 59 Cal.App.3d 959, 131 Cal. Rptr. 172.

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