Management Guidelines for Riparian Forests 



By Robert Pfister^ and Kim Sherwood^ 



Background 



This general study was initiated in 1987 by 

 the Montana Riparian Asscx:iation and the 

 Mclntire-Stennis Cooperative Research Pro- 

 gram to develop improved management guide- 

 lines for riparian/wedand forests of Montana. 

 Experienced professionals from several disci- 

 pUnes were invited to join a Management Guide- 

 lines Working Group in 1988. 



Three linkages to other current studies were 

 established during 1988 which redirected some 

 aspects of this study: 



(1) State Environmental Quality Council 

 (EQC)/Best Management Practices 

 (BMPs) to meet 319 Water Quality 

 Regulations. 



(2) Watershed risk assessment (Potts and 

 Lull). 



(3) BMP Site Audit study (Potts and Ehin- 

 ger). 



Revised Objectives — July 1989 



Based on discussions with the Working 

 Group, developments in other studies, and the 

 Flathead Basin Cooperative Program, the ob- 

 jectives of this study were revised to: 



( 1 ) Review and revise management infor- 

 mation for forest riparian/wetiand habi- 

 tat types by: 



(a) Field review by Flathead Basin 

 BMP audit teams, 



(b) Incorporate field review com- 



ments with current revision of clas- 

 sification and management infor- 

 mation by Boggs and others, and 

 (c) Review of management informa- 

 tion in Boggs and others ( 1990) by 

 the Management Guidelines 

 Working Group members. 



(2) Develop criteria for consistent and ef- 

 fective designation of Streamside Man- 

 agement Zones by: 



(a) field review of proposed criteria 

 by Flathead Basin BMP audit 

 teams, 



(b) review of criteria by Management 

 Guidelines Working Group mem- 

 bers. 



(3) Develop an expert opinion consensus 

 of relative soil erosion risks of various 

 forestry practices in relation to a soil/ 

 slope classification. 



Objectives (la) and (2a) are directiy related 

 to the Flathead Basin Cooperative Study and 

 were conducted in conjunction with the Flat- 

 head Basin BMP audits. Objective (3) provided 

 an essential tool for conduct of the Geographic 

 Information System Watershed Risk Assess- 

 ment study. 



'Dr. RobertPfisterisaResearch Professor with 

 the University of Montana's School of Forestry in 

 Missoula, Montana. 



^Kim Sherwood was a Research Assistant with 

 the University of Montana's School of Forestry in 

 Missoula, Montana. 



Flathead Basin Cooperative Program Final Report 



Page 91 



