N.J. Admin. Code § 7:3-5.6

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 17, September 3, 2024

Section 7:3-5.6 - Forest stands

(a) All of the property's forest land, identified pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:3-5.5(b) shall be assigned to a stand. The forest stands section shall list the property's stands and, for each stand:

1. Identify the name or number by which the stand is referenced in the plan;

2. State its total acreage, accurate to the nearest hundredth of an acre; and

3. Provide forest inventory information based on a recent survey. This shall include:

i. The species composition of the stand's vegetation, with the overstory and understory described separately;

ii. The stand's forest type;

iii. The structure of the stand, including:

(1) For an even-aged stand, its age class, DBH class, and crown class; and

(2) For an uneven-aged stand, its age-class distribution, DBH-class distribution, and crown-class distribution;

iv. The stocking level of the stand, given as a percentage of full stocking;

v. The stand's volume and rate of growth;

vi. The stand's site index;

vii. If the plan directs that any prescription or practice be carried out in the stand during the plan period, a stand table and a stock table for the stand;

viii. The condition of the stand, including:

(1) The size, growth rate, and vigor of the trees;

(2) The density of the stand, expressed as basal area, and whether any mortality is evident;

(3) The status of native biodiversity within the forest or stand and the extent to which factors that suppress such biodiversity are present, such as browse by deer;

(4) The status of regeneration;

(5) Whether any invasive species impair, or threaten to impair, the stand's ecosystem and, if so, identification of the species and the extent and manner of impairment or potential impairment;

(6) The presence of biotic or abiotic damage-causing agents, such as insect infestations, disease, and/or salt spray;

(7) Evidence of damage-causing events, such as flooding, wildfire, and/or high winds; and

(8) Litter cover; and

ix. If the plan prescribes management of any resource other than trees, the current status of that resource.

(b) For each stand, the forest stands section shall:

1. Give the desired future condition of the stand, and explain how this desired condition has a clear and direct relationship to one or more of the long-term goals set forth in the plan pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:3-5.4(c)1; and

2. Set forth one or more objectives directed toward achieving the desired future condition, specifying in each objective one or more measurable results planned to be achieved within the plan period

(c) For each objective set forth pursuant to (b)2 above, provide the method to be used for monitoring progress toward the planned result and for assessing forest productivity, including:

1. One or more parameters to be measured to determine the amount or extent of the progress toward the planned result;

2. How the parameter will be measured, including any constraints or conditions that are to be observed in taking the measurements;

3. The units to be used in recording the measurements; and

4. The baseline value of each parameter, measured in accordance with (c)1, 2, and 3 above, and the date that the measurement was taken.

(d) As established at N.J.A.C. 7:3-5.2(c), a plan shall prescribe active management. In accordance with (e) below, the plan shall list the prescriptions and practices to be carried out in each forest stand during the plan period, except that a plan may list none for a stand if progress can be made toward the objective(s) for the stand without active management, the property has multiple stands, and the plan prescribes active management for one or more other stands. In such case, the section shall state, for each stand in which there will be no active management, that no prescription or practice will be carried out in that stand during the plan period and provide explanation.

(e) For each stand in which active management will be carried out under the plan, the section shall, for each objective set forth for the stand pursuant to (b)2 above, list the prescriptions and practices to be carried out during the plan period and indicate for each:

1. The rationale for the prescription or practice;

2. The extent to which it will be carried out and the methods anticipated to be used;

3. Whether it will impact, or have the potential to impact, a wetland, a transition area associated with a wetland, a flood hazard area, and/or a riparian zone;

4. Whether it could adversely impact any Federally listed threatened or endangered species identified pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:3-5.5(d)2 or result in destruction or adverse modification of its critical habitat and, if so, identify each measure that will be taken to avoid such adverse impact to the species and/or destruction or adverse modification of its critical habitat;

5. Whether it could adversely impact any additional State-listed threatened or endangered species identified pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:3-5.5(d)1, or its habitat and, if so, identify each measure that will be taken to avoid such adverse impact to the species and/or its habitat; and

6. Whether it could adversely impact any cultural resource identified pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:3-5.5(g) and, if so, identify each measure that will be taken to protect and preserve the cultural resource.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:3-5.6

Adopted by 49 N.J.R. 3824(a), effective 12/18/2017