Common use of Skidding and Landings Best Management Practices Clause in Contracts

Skidding and Landings Best Management Practices. The Buyer shall construct no more landings or skid trails than are necessary for efficient harvesting and are commensurate with causing the least possible damage to the forest, land, improvements, and watershed of the sale area. The Timber Sale Administrator may temporarily suspend the Buyer's operations or terminate the Buyer's contract if, in the Timber Sale Administrator's opinion, the Buyer is in violation of this guideline. Landings: Landings shall be planned by the Professional Timber Harvester trained logger to facilitate safe and efficient operations while causing the least damage to the soil and surrounding forest. Landings should be no larger than needed to facilitate an efficient harvesting operation. Landing location and use must follow the current Missouri Watershed Protection Practices guide. All non-merchantable products at the landing must be removed OR returned and scattered throughout the interior of the sale area. All bark and wood chips left on the landing must be scraped off. The landing should then be back-bladed or prepped for seeding. Skid Trails: Skid trails shall be planned by the Professional Timber Harvester trained logger to facilitate skidding with minimal damage to the residual stand. This may include flagging of both primary and secondary skid trails. Skid trails should be kept as straight as possible. Pivot trees should be identified and should be trees that are designated for cutting. Any non-pivot tree along a skid trail must be protected by a bumper log to protect the tree from damage. All trees must be topped prior to skidding (unless authorized by the Timber Sale Administrator). Skid trails shall be established and maintained using Best Management Practices and shall be water-barred according to the guidelines in the current Missouri Watershed Protection Practices guide. Water bars are needed on skid trails when 50% or more of the duff layer has been removed, exposing bare, mineral soil OR if ruts of any depth are present. Tree tops may be used in conjunction with water bars but not as a substitute for water bars. Skid Trail Ruts: The maximum allowable depth and length of a rut is eight (8”) inches deep for a length of fifty (50’) feet. Hauling and Roads Best Management Practices Roads will be kept passable at all times. Maximum acceptable road ruts are (8”) eight inches deep and may not exceed a length of (50’) fifty feet. Roads will be left in a condition that will prevent erosion and shall comply with standards found in the current Missouri Watershed Protection Practices guide. The Timber Sale Administrator may temporarily suspend hauling and/or skidding operations should these operations be causing or likely to cause damage beyond the point of ordinary wear and tear. The number of working days that the Buyer's operations are temporarily suspended for this reason or other acts of God shall be added to the term of this contract. The Buyer shall return all roads, in the opinion of the Timber Sale Administrator, to a condition that is comparable to or better than the condition prior to the Buyer's operations. The Buyer shall only construct additional roads that meet the approval of the Timber Sale Administrator. These roads should remain open and drivable until specified by the Timber Sale Administrator. Haul roads, improved MDC roads, county roads, and State highways may have visual management zones included in this contract. Logging slash within these zones must be treated as specified in Article VI Sale Specific Provisions.

Skidding and Landings Best Management Practices. The Buyer shall construct no more landings or skid trails than are necessary for efficient harvesting logging and are commensurate with causing the least possible damage to the forest, land, improvements, and watershed of the sale area. The Timber Sale Administrator may temporarily suspend the Buyer's operations or terminate the Buyer's contract if, in the Timber Sale Administrator's opinion, the Buyer is in violation of this guideline. Landings: Landings shall be planned by the Professional Timber Harvester trained logger to facilitate safe and efficient operations while causing the least damage to the soil and surrounding forest. Landings should be no larger than needed to facilitate an efficient harvesting logging operation. Landing location and use must follow the current 2020 Missouri Watershed Protection Practices guide. All non-merchantable products at the landing must be removed OR or returned and scattered throughout the interior of the sale area. All bark and wood chips left on the landing must be scraped off. The landing should then be back-bladed or prepped for seeding. Skid Trails: Skid trails shall be planned by the Professional Timber Harvester trained logger to facilitate skidding with minimal damage to the residual stand. This may include flagging of both primary and secondary skid trails. Skid trails should be kept as straight as possible. Pivot trees should be identified and should be trees that are designated for cutting. Any non-pivot tree along a skid trail must be protected by a bumper log to protect the tree from damage. All trees must be topped prior to skidding (unless authorized by the Timber Sale Administrator). Skid trails shall be established and maintained using Best Management Practices and shall be water-barred according to the guidelines in the current 2020 Missouri Watershed Protection Practices guide. Water bars are needed on skid trails when 50% or more of the duff layer has been removed, exposing bare, mineral soil OR if ruts of any depth are present. Tree tops may be used in conjunction with water bars but not as a substitute for water bars. Skid Trail Ruts: The maximum allowable depth and length of a rut is eight (8”) inches deep for a length of fifty (50’) feet. Hauling and Roads Best Management Practices Roads will be kept passable at all times. Maximum acceptable road ruts are (8”) eight inches deep and may not exceed a length of (50’) fifty feet. Roads will be left in a condition that will prevent erosion and shall comply with standards found in the current 2020 Missouri Watershed Protection Practices guide. The Timber Sale Administrator may temporarily suspend hauling and/or skidding operations should these operations be causing or likely to cause damage beyond the point of ordinary wear and tear. The number of working days that the Buyer's operations are temporarily suspended for this reason or other acts of God shall be added to the term of this contract. The Buyer shall return all roads, in the opinion of the Timber Sale Administrator, to a condition that is comparable to or better than the condition prior to the Buyer's operations. The Buyer shall only construct additional roads that meet the approval of the Timber Sale Administrator. These roads should remain open and drivable until specified by the Timber Sale Administrator. Haul roads, improved MDC roads, county roads, and State highways may have visual management zones included in this contract. Logging slash within these zones must be treated as specified in Article VI Sale Specific Provisions.