How will streams be protected under the PTEIR?
Stream protection under the PTEIR is stricter than the Forest Practices Rules, even after the 2009 adoption of the Anadromous Salmonid rules. There are larger “no-harvest” areas around streams (including a complete no-harvest buffer of 75 feet on either side of fish-bearing streams, and a 30-foot buffer on either side of Class II streams, which support aquatic life but not fish), reduced allowances for road construction, higher standards for stream crossings, and stricter limitations on operating on steep slopes. Perhaps most importantly, the PTEIR includes several policies to steer logging away from unstable slopes — the best way, we have concluded, to avoid triggering landslides or other “mass-wasting” events that are responsible for the bulk of sediment entering Mattole streams.
