Managing Pines for Profit and Wildlife - Virginia Department of ...

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Forestry Best Management PracticesActivities that disturb the land have the potential to negativelyimpact soil and water quality. Road construction, stream channelcrossings, felling and skidding trees and preparing sites for plantingduring timber harvesting will disturb the land, increasing thechances of impacting soil and water quality. At the same time quailrespond well to some soil-disturbing activities. Best managementpractices (BMPs) reduce soil erosion and control water pollutionresulting from forestry activities. The challenge is to shape BMPs toconserve soil and yield quail benefits.Pre-Harvest PlanningPre-harvest planning should be used to outline specific BMP’srequired during timber harvesting. Although the need for someBMP’s will not become apparent until harvesting begins, the needfor many BMP’s can be identified before the first tree is felled.Streamside Management ZonesStreamside Management Zones (SMZ’s) are areas adjacent tostreams that protect water quality. For perennial streams, SMZ’smust be a minimum of 50 feet wide. For intermittent streams, theSMZ must be 25 feet wide. These minimum widths should beincreased as slope increases, or if trout streams or water supplysources are adjacent. Trees can be harvested in SMZ’s. However,the maximum amount of canopy cover that can be removed is50%. You may want to protect valuable mast producing trees orshrubs just outside the SMZ — black gum, oaks, dogwoods,spicebush and viburnums in particular.Haul RoadsRoad construction is generally considered to have the greatestpotential to negatively impact soil and water quality. However,careful planning and construction can minimize these impacts.Roads should follow the contour, avoiding level ridgetops andwet flood plain soils that do not drain well. Gradients should bebetween 2% and 10%. Avoid stream channel crossings wheneverpossible. Properly constructed and appropriately spaced water controldevices (water bars) should be used on all roads. Roadsshould be “daylighted” by harvesting timber along one or bothsides creating a corridor 40–120 feet wide. This allows amplesunlight to reach the road surface. Partridge pea and korean lespedezaare excellent choices for seeding along roads. Orchardgrassand ladino clover are also a good option where wildlife is a priority.On steeper slopes where there is a serious threat of erosion,crown vetch should be included in any seeding mix.Fourteen
(Photo Jim Mehring)Best Management Practices minimizethe environmental impacts of loggingoperations. Leaving a buffer of standingtrees along water courses (StreamsideManagement Zones), revegetating fireguards(Herbaceous Buffers) and reseedinglog roads, skid trails and log decks(Permanent Vegetative Cover) are amongthe practices a professional forester willdesign into a logging operation to insurethat water quality and wildlife are notdamaged, and in many cases evenenhanced. (Photos DOF)Fifteen
Page 1 and 2: Wildlife Information Publication No
Page 3 and 4: MANAGING PINES FORPROFIT AND WILDLI
Page 5 and 6: % COVERAGE100806040OverstoryGround2
Page 7 and 8: # Birds & Bird SpeciesInsect Biomas
Page 9 and 10: Overstocked stands can beprecommerc
Page 11 and 12: VOLUME(thousands of board feet)▲C
Page 13 and 14: The Effect of ThinningBACKGROUND -
Page 15: (Photo Steve Capel)(Photo Dwight Dy
Page 19 and 20: COST-SHARE PROGRAMS FOR MANAGING FO

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