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6105.0150 VEGETATIVE CUTTING.

Subpart 1.

In general.

On lands within 200 feet of the normal high water mark of wild rivers, 150 feet of the normal high water mark of scenic rivers, 100 feet of the normal high water mark of recreational rivers and lands within 100 feet of the normal high water mark of tributaries designated in the management plan and on lands 40 feet landward of the bluffline on wild rivers, 30 feet landward of the bluffline on scenic rivers, and 20 feet landward of the bluffline on recreational rivers, the following standards shall apply:

A.

Clear cutting, except for any authorized public services such as roads and utilities, shall not be permitted.

B.

Selective cutting of trees in excess of four inches in diameter at breast height is permitted provided that cutting is spaced in several cutting operations and a continuous tree cover is maintained, uninterrupted by large openings. In cases where the existing tree cover has been interrupted by large openings in the past, selective cutting should be performed so as to maintain a continuous tree cover in the remaining wooded areas.

C.

The above cutting provisions will not be deemed to prevent:

(1)

the removal of diseased or insect-infested trees, or of rotten or damaged trees that present safety hazards;

(2)

pruning understory vegetation, shrubs, plants, bushes, grasses, or from harvesting crops, or cutting suppressed trees or trees less than four inches in diameter at breast height.

Subp. 2.

Clear cutting restrictions.

Clear cutting anywhere in wild, scenic, or recreational river land use districts is subject to the following standards and criteria:

A.

Clear cutting shall not be used as a cutting method where soil, slope, or other watershed conditions are fragile and subject to injury.

B.

Clear cutting shall be conducted only where clear-cut blocks, patches, or strips are, in all cases, shaped and blended with the natural terrain.

C.

The size of clear-cut blocks, patches, or strips shall be kept at the minimum necessary.

D.

Where feasible all clear cuts shall be conducted between September 15 and May 15. If natural regeneration will not result in adequate vegetative cover, areas in which clear cutting is conducted shall be replanted to prevent erosion and to maintain the aesthetic quality of the area. Where feasible, replanting shall be performed in the same spring, or the following spring.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 104.34

Published Electronically:

June 11, 2008

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes