Prescriptions for Areas of Concern Sample Clauses

Prescriptions for Areas of Concern. An area of concern (AOC) is a defined geographic area within the areas selected for operations which is adjacent to an identified value(s) within the planning area landbase as per the MNR’s Natural Resources and Values Information System (NRVIS) used in the currently approved forest management plan for the Timiskaming Forest. Using the OMNR approved guidelines and implementation manuals, a detailed prescription was developed for each AOC in order to prevent, minimize or mitigate adverse effects of forest management operations on the value. Prescriptions have been prepared for either individual AOC or groups of AOC’s sharing a common value and selected prescription for protection. The prescriptions include reserves (i.e. no operations allowed), modified operations (i.e. specific conditions or restrictions on operations), or regular operations (i.e. in accordance with the silvicultural ground rules), individually or in combination. The selected prescriptions for all AOC’s within the areas available for operations are found in Table 10 of the Forest Management Plan for the Timiskaming Forest and have been included in this document (refer to Appendix 4 as the prescriptions are the same.) The AOC’s are also clearly shown on the forest resource inventory operational maps in Appendix 2 where values mapping exists. In the case of a value encountered prior to, or during operations, appropriate prescriptions will be followed. All areas of concern associated with water quality and fisheries concerns have reserves that are to be measured from the normal high water xxxx. This area is defined as the point where seasonal flooding resulting from spring run-off will not scour/erode the soil. Estimating the normal high water xxxx will be guided by the following principles: ▪ AOC reserves will be measured from the normal high water xxxx, which is considered to be the point where woody stems such as willow, dogwood and alder occur. ▪ Normal high water is defined as the outside edge of an open muskeg or grassland. The measurement of area of concern widths (i.e. regular, modified) will be made by measuring from the normal high water xxxx to determine where regular and/or modified operations are permitted. ▪ All wetlands (i.e. grasslands and open muskeg site types) which extend above the normal high water xxxx, within allocated stands, have had a standing timber riparian AOC prescribed. It is recognized that these wetlands provide the same protection from erosion, sedimentation,...