§ 219.28 - Determination of land suitable for timber harvest.

(a) Lands where timber may not be harvested. The plan must identify lands within the plan area where timber may not be harvested. These lands include:

(1) Lands where timber harvest would violate statute, Executive Order, or regulation and those lands that have been withdrawn from timber harvest by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Chief of the Forest Service;

(2) Lands where technology is not available for conducting timber harvesting without causing irreversible damage to soil, slope, or other watershed conditions or produce substantial and permanent impairment of the productivity of the land; and

(3) Lands where there are no assurances that such lands can be adequately restocked within 5 years after harvest;

(b) Lands where timber may be harvested for timber production. The responsible official may establish timber production as a multiple-use plan objective for lands not identified in paragraph (a) of this section if the costs of timber production are justified by the ecological, social, or economic benefits considering physical, economic, and other pertinent factors to the extent feasible. Lands where timber production is not established as a plan objective are deemed not suited for timber production. These lands must be reviewed by the responsible official at least once every 10 years, or as prescribed by law, to determine their suitability for timber production considering physical, economic, and other pertinent factors to the extent feasible. Based on this review, timber production may be established as a plan objective for these lands through amendment or revision of the plan.

(c) Lands where timber may be harvested for other multiple-use values. Except for lands identified in paragraph (a) of this section, timber may be harvested from land where timber production is not established as a plan objective if, based on a site-specific analysis, the responsible official determines and documents that such timber harvest would contribute to achievement of desired conditions and ecological sustainability, and is necessary to protect multiple-use values other than timber production.