Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 13, September 23, 2024
Subpart
1.
In general.
On lands within 200 feet of the normal high water mark of
wild rivers, 150 feet of the normal high water mark of scenic rivers, 100 feet
of the normal high water mark of recreational rivers and lands within 100 feet
of the normal high water mark of tributaries designated in the management plan
and on lands 40 feet landward of the bluffline on wild rivers, 30 feet landward
of the bluffline on scenic rivers, and 20 feet landward of the bluffline on
recreational rivers, the following standards shall apply:
A. Clear cutting, except for any authorized
public services such as roads and utilities, shall not be permitted.
B. Selective cutting of trees in excess of
four inches in diameter at breast height is permitted provided that cutting is
spaced in several cutting operations and a continuous tree cover is maintained,
uninterrupted by large openings. In cases where the existing tree cover has
been interrupted by large openings in the past, selective cutting should be
performed so as to maintain a continuous tree cover in the remaining wooded
areas.
C. The above cutting
provisions will not be deemed to prevent:
(1)
the removal of diseased or insect-infested trees, or of rotten or damaged trees
that present safety hazards;
(2)
pruning understory vegetation, shrubs, plants, bushes, grasses, or from
harvesting crops, or cutting suppressed trees or trees less than four inches in
diameter at breast height.
Subp. 2.
Clear cutting
restrictions.
Clear cutting anywhere in wild, scenic, or recreational river
land use districts is subject to the following standards and criteria:
A. Clear cutting shall not be used as a
cutting method where soil, slope, or other watershed conditions are fragile and
subject to injury.
B. Clear cutting
shall be conducted only where clear-cut blocks, patches, or strips are, in all
cases, shaped and blended with the natural terrain.
C. The size of clear-cut blocks, patches, or
strips shall be kept at the minimum necessary.
D. Where feasible all clear cuts shall be
conducted between September 15 and May 15. If natural regeneration will not
result in adequate vegetative cover, areas in which clear cutting is conducted
shall be replanted to prevent erosion and to maintain the aesthetic quality of
the area. Where feasible, replanting shall be performed in the same spring, or
the following spring.
Statutory Authority: MS s
104.34
