Oregon Administrative Rules
Chapter 629 - DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY
Division 635 - WATER PROTECTION RULES: PURPOSE, GOALS, CLASSIFICATION AND RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT AREAS
Section 629-635-0100 - Purpose and Goals

(1) The leading use on private forestland is the growing and harvesting of trees, consistent with sound management of soil, air, water, fish and wildlife resources. There is a unique concentration of public resource values in and near waters of the state because these areas are critical for the overall maintenance of fish and wildlife and for maintaining water quality. Consequently, the policies of the Forest Practices Act, including encouraging economically efficient forest practices, are best achieved by focusing protection measures in riparian management areas, where the emphasis is on providing water quality and fish and wildlife habitat.

(2) OAR 629-635-0000 through 629-660-0060 are known as the "water protection rules."

(3) The purpose of the water protection rules is to protect, maintain and, where appropriate, improve the functions and values of streams, lakes, wetlands, and riparian management areas. Active management is encouraged where appropriate to meet this purpose. These functions and values include water quality, hydrologic functions, the growing and harvesting of trees, and fish and wildlife resources.

(4) Plans for alternate practices may be used to alter vegetation retention requirements in the water protection rules based on local site conditions. The plans may include but are not limited to site specific vegetation retention prescriptions as described in OAR 629-642-0700, (for streams) and 629-645-0020 (for wetlands). Operators are encouraged to:

(5) General vegetation retention prescriptions for streams, lakes and wetlands apply where current vegetation conditions within the riparian management area have achieved or are likely to achieve the desired future condition in a "timely manner." Landowners are encouraged to manage stands within riparian management areas in order to grow trees in excess of what must be retained so that the opportunity is available to harvest the excess.

(6) Alternative vegetation retention prescriptions for streams allow incentives for operators to actively manage vegetation where existing vegetation conditions are not likely to achieve the desired future condition in a "timely manner."

(7) The overall goal of the water protection rules is to provide resource protection during operations adjacent to and within streams, lakes, wetlands and riparian management areas so that, while continuing to grow and harvest trees, the protection goals for fish, wildlife, and water quality are met.