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reduced quantity of LWD. Long-term degradation of habitat (20- 

 200 years) can result from closure of the second-growth canopy, 

 reduced input of LWD by the second-growth trees, changes in 

 stream channel morphology, and chronic sedimentation from 

 streambank erosion, landslides, and roads. 



The NMFS policy advocates the use of a minimum 3 0-meter buffer on 

 each side of all salmon streams and their tributaries as a 

 recommended method of curtailing both short-term and long-term 

 detrimental impacts on fish habitat from timber harvest. Land 

 managers should recognize that the minimum 3 0-meter zone of 

 riparian vegetation adjacent to salmon streams and tributaries 



represents the "out-of-stream" habitat required to protect and 



< 

 maintain "in-stream" habitat at optimum levels. NMFS established 



the 30-meter minimum because buffers less than 30 meters will not 



adequately maintain fish habitat. Buffers wider than 30 meters 



may be needed in some situations to protect the "minimum" from 



particular hazards such as blowdown, braided stream channels, or 



landslides. 



The NMFS Policy of protecting the riparian habitat of all 

 anadromous streams and their tributaries by retaining a minimum 

 30-meter no-harvest buffer zone applies to all Class I, most 

 Class II, and a few Class III streams in southeast Alaska. These 

 categories are defined as follows: 



