Site Preparation, Prescribed Burning, and Slash Treatment. Site preparation may be required where accumulations of slash following timber harvesting constitute a physical barrier to effective planting, or where weed species (brush or non-merchantable trees) remaining on the site would comprise severe competition for planted seedlings. In either situation, prescribed burning, machine piling, mechanical scarification, or a combination of these methods may be used to prepare the site for hand planting. Table 2-2. Initial Plan Area acreage per age class. HPA Forested Land by Age Class (acres) Non- Forest (acres) Total 0-20 yrs 21-40 yrs 41-60 yrs 61-80 yrs 81-100 yrs >100 yrs Xxxxx River 9,524 16,852 12,266 1,105 794 1,418 2,220 44,177 Coastal Klamath 19,638 46,283 15,496 530 504 3,842 2,468 88,760 Blue Creek 3,496 8,962 1,108 162 221 624 820 15,393 Interior Klamath 8,491 31,989 15,165 2,370 3,946 2,012 2,168 66,139 Redwood Creek 4,728 15,266 8,746 2,620 703 154 822 33,038 Coastal Lagoons 7,662 6,008 20,456 4,985 180 136 553 39,981 Little River 14,564 3,391 1,156 5,541 1,294 0 96 26,041 Mad River 16,771 4,253 14,435 4,436 3,267 533 5,680 49,376 North Fork Mad River 8,205 5,120 11,270 2,496 260 150 708 28,209 Humboldt Bay 7,640 3,029 3,396 2,000 000 000 176 17,484 Eel River 4,465 695 1,633 1,015 24 0 100 7,933 Total 105,183 141,849 105,126 27,490 12,064 9,012 15,810 416,533 Site preparation is done as soon as possible after completion of logging so that planting will not be delayed. Mechanical site preparation may be done concurrently with logging operations. If prescribed burning is required, it is scheduled during the first spring or fall following completion of timber harvesting. Timing of such xxxxx is predicated upon temperature, wind, humidity, and fuel moisture conditions that will result in low intensity xxxxx. Such conditions minimize the probability of escape and allow retention of large woody debris and the finer organic matter concentrated at the soil/litter interface. Ignition patterns are used that are designed to keep fire from intruding into RMZs. Prescribed burning is used to reduce slash concentrations or to reduce vegetative levels or control species composition. This practice involves the introduction of fire under controlled conditions to remove specified forest elements with little risk of catastrophic fire damage. Fire may be broadcast across large areas, or may be used in specific sites. Prescribed burning is also used for slash control and to reduce fuel concentrations in established stands for...
