V-C), highly impacted areas (as discussed in Section VI) and 

 areas of potential intensive development. Resource inventories 

 and evaluations should include: 



(a) soils (stressing limitations, hazards, and productivity); 



(b) hydrology - surface and groundwater; 



(c) revegetation potential (habitat types may be appropriate); 



(d) climate; 



(e) geology 



(f) such other information as may be necessary for specific areas 

 to adequately characterize the site. 



(2) Encourage evaluations and analyses to assess impacts of various 

 silviculture practices with goal of developing practices that 

 prevent or minimize impacts to Montana's soil and Water resources. 

 For example, specific watersheds should be evaluated to determine 

 relationship between harvesting and increased streamflow in 

 receiving drainages. Section VI demonstrates that several streams 

 have been impacted by increased flows resulting from harvesting. 

 The U.S. Forest Service has developed models for evaluating this 

 relationship on several National Forests, however, this system has 

 been subject to some criticism. The Forest Service methodologies 

 should be evaluated, refined, and expanded to develop a workable, 

 comprehensive system to determine when harvesting should be limited 

 in a specific drainage to minimize impacts due to increased flow. 

 After this system has been proven, it should be implemented. It 

 is recommended that development of this system be prepared by a 

 joint Federal (FS, BLM), state (Div. of Forestry, WQB), and private 

 task force. 



