Relevant Literature

 

The California Forest Practice Act and Rules (Title 14, California Code of Regulations) are designed in large part to protect water quality and aquatic habitat in non-federal forested watersheds during and after silvicultural activities.  The critical questions are (1) what are the rates of proper implementation of the water quality-related Forest Practice Rules (FPRs)?; and, (2) when properly implemented, how effective are they in protecting water quality?. Forest Practice Rules Implementation and Effectiveness Monitoring (FORPRIEM) addressed these two questions using forensic monitoring data collected on a random sample of harvesting plans and sites within those plans. Overall, this study found that the rate of compliance with FPRs designed to protect water quality and aquatic habitat is generally high, and that they are effective in preventing erosion, sedimentation, and sediment transport to channels when properly implemented.

This report was a collaborative effort between the Pacific Southwest Research Station and CAL FIRE’s Watershed Protection Program that is geared toward practitioners with a goal of reducing sedimentary impacts with post-fire salvage logging. This is the first report of its kind synthesizing research results into operational recommendations, and emphasizes understanding post-fire processes, the effects of logging on those processes, and the interactions between these disturbances.