ESTIMATING AREAS AND TIMBER VALUES OF RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT ON FOREST LANDS1

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Buffers, filter strips, and other riparian protection zones are widely accepted practices used to minimize water quality impacts from forest management and other land use activities. Riparian management prescriptions are often developed with limited or inconsistent consideration of the impact they will have on land management opportunities or economics. A combination of factors influences the area and value of riparian management zones (RMZs). A simple tool can determine the percentage of a watershed in RMZs where they comprise only a small fraction of the watershed. For a more detailed analysis, the Oak Creek Watershed in Oregon served as an example of a geographic information system (GIS) assessment. The same watershed can have dramatically different areas and values of timber in RMZs depending on the resolution used to determine the stream network, different stream types (perennial fish‐bearing, perennial nonfish bearing, and nonperennial; small, medium, and large), and different RMZ widths and management restrictions for each stream type. The areas of watershed put into riparian protection for two drainage densities and three RMZ prescriptions were determined. Finally, the volumes of merchantable timber in the RMZs and their subsequent values were determined.