11 AAC 95.365. Tracked and wheeled harvest systems

(a) A person may not skid timber or operate construction equipment or machinery in a water body catalogued as anadromous under AS 41.14.870 , without written approval of the deputy commissioner, or in any other surface waters, marshes, or non-forested muskegs without prior notice to the division except, that equipment may be operated on frozen surface waters, marshes, or non-forested muskegs without prior notice to the division.

(b) An operator shall comply with the following restrictions on tracked and wheeled harvest systems in riparian areas:

(1) the number of skidding routes through an area must be minimized;

(2) consistent with good safety practices, log skidding must minimize damage to retained trees, stumps, root systems, understory vegetation, and soils; and

(3) one-end suspension of logs is required.

(c) Any debris that may enter surface waters from that part of a winter trail located over those surface waters must be removed by the operator before thaw to the extent necessary to avoid degradation of water quality. During winter logging, substantial concentrations of debris that may enter surface waters must be removed before thaw.

(d) An operator may not use a tracked skidder, a wheeled skidder, or a logging shovel during saturated soil conditions if degradation of surface and standing water quality is likely to result.

(e) An operator shall minimize damage from skidding to the stems and root systems of retained timber.

(f) When using tracked and wheeled vehicles, an operator shall

(1) use puncheon where significant ground disturbances may contribute to sedimentation of surface water;

(2) locate skid trails to minimize degradation of surface water quality;

(3) use water bars or other appropriate techniques as necessary to prevent or minimize sedimentation;

(4) keep skid trails to the minimum feasible width; and

(5) outslope skid trails where feasible, unless an inslope is necessary to prevent logs from sliding or rolling downhill off the skid trail.

(g) Upon the completion of operations at a site, a skid trail shall be water-barred according to the standards set out in 11 AAC 95.315 and 11 AAC 95.320 or otherwise stabilized to prevent erosion from entering surface waters.

(h) An operator may not use a tracked or wheeled skidder on a slope where this method of operations is likely to cause degradation of surface and standing water quality.

History: Eff. 6/10/93, Register 126; am 6/24/2004, Register 170

Authority: AS 41.17.010

AS 41.17.055

AS 41.17.080

AS 41.17.098

Editor's note: As of Register 166 (July 2003), and acting under AS 44.62.125 (b)(6), the regulations attorney made technical changes to 11 AAC 95.365(a) , to reflect Executive Order 107 (2003). Executive Order 107 transferred functions related to protection of fish habitat in rivers, lakes, and streams from the Department of Fish and Game to the Department of Natural Resources.

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