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The timber management objectives for SMZs are: 



1) Maintain SMZs in commercial timber production. 



2) Manage SMZs for profitable (not necessarily maximum profit) 

 timber production. Adequate measures for protecting water 

 values must be of primary importance. 



MANAGEMENT DIRECTION FOR SMZs 



Management direction in SMZs is guided by water resource and timber 

 management objectives. Fisheries and wildlife considerations will be an 

 integrated part of these objectives. Acceptable practices will be selected to 

 meet the objectives. The intent is that all SMZs will be managed, providing 

 adequate measures are taken for protection of water values. 



Silvicultural prescriptions, rotation lengths, species composition, and 

 scheduling of cutting can be manipulated to provide the necessary protection 

 for water quality. 



Most SMZs have not been site specifically determined. They have been 

 estimated on maps, based on topographical features. As project level activ- 

 ities occur, the SMZs will be located and mapped. 



The rotation length in the SMZ will generally be longer than stands 

 outside of the SMZ. Analysis on the Kootenai National Forest showed 180 years 

 to be an optimum rotation age for SMZs (2). 



Timber harvesting within an SMZ should be done under the following 

 guidelines: 



1) Retain riparian zone hardwood species. 



2) Maximize the retention of bank-edge trees which are key to 

 channel stabilization until replacement trees are available. 



3) Re-establish coniferous stands where they originally existed. 



4) Maintain stream temperature within legal limits. 



5) Maintain channel stability within acceptable limits. 



6) Maintain or provide sufficient ground cover to trap sediment. 



7) Avoid the addition of woody debris from logging operations to 

 the stream channel . 



DEVELOPING PRESCRIPTION FOR SMZs 



SILVICULTURE 



Timber production in the SMZ is constrained by the need to 

 manage for water quality. The SMZ may have site characteristics 



