Section 20.02.01.020 - GENERAL RULES01.Compliance. Operators must comply with practices contained within a rule to accomplish the purpose of the rule. a. If conditions of sites or activities require application of practices which differ from those prescribed by the rules, the operator must obtain a variance according to the following procedure:i. The operator must submit a written request for variance to the Department. The request must include a description of the site and particular conditions which necessitate a variance and a description of proposed practices which, if applied, will result in a violation of the rules.ii. The Department will evaluate the request and notify the operator in writing within fourteen (14) calendar days whether the variance is granted or denied.iii. All authorized variance practices must provide for results over the long term which are equivalent or better than those from rule to ensure site productivity, water quality and fish and wildlife habitat. A variance may be applied only at approved sites.b. Practices must also be in compliance with the Stream Channel Protection Act (Title 42, Chapter 38, Idaho Code); Idaho Water Quality Standards and Waste Water Treatment Requirements (Title 39, Chapter l, Idaho Code); the Idaho Pesticide Law (Title 22, Chapter 34, Idaho Code), and the Hazardous Waste Management Act of 1983 (Title 39, Chapter 44, Idaho Code), and rules promulgated thereunder.c. Water may be diverted from a stream and used at any time to carry out Idaho forest practices and for forest road dust abatement, provided that: 1) The total daily volume diverted is no greater than two-tenths (0.2) acre-feet (65,170 gallons) from a single stream; and2) The rate of diversion is no greater than twenty-five percent (25%) of the rate of flow then available in the stream at the point of diversion for these purposes. i. No person may, under this Section 020, divert water from an irrigation canal, irrigation reservoir, or other irrigation facility while water is lawfully diverted, stored, captured, conveyed, used or otherwise physically controlled by an irrigator, irrigation district or canal company.ii. No person may, under this Section 020, divert water from a stream within a water district, or from which an irrigation delivery entity diverts water, without first providing notice to the watermaster of the intent to divert.iii. Water diversion intakes used for diversions under Subsection 020.01 must be screened with a maximum screen mesh size as follows:1) fish-bearing Class I streams: 3/32 inch, and2) all other streams: 1/4 inch.d. Any alternative conservation measure having received a favorable Biological Opinion or Incidental Take Permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service or US Fish and Wildlife Service will be considered as complying with these rules.02.Conversion of Forest Lands. Prior to converting forest lands to another use, the person converting the lands must file a written notification with the Department. These rules will continue to apply to the conversion and converting lands, except those relating to reforestation. On converted parcels larger than one (1) acre, acceptable vegetative cover sufficient to maintain soil productivity and minimize erosion must be planted. Cover must be established within one (1) year of forest practice completion, except that the Director may grant an extension of time if weather or other conditions interfere. Within three (3) years of forest practice completion, the Director will determine if the conversion has been accomplished by:a. The presence or absence of improvements necessary for use of land for its intended purpose;b. Evidence of actual use of the land for the intended purpose.c. If the conversion has not been accomplished within three (3) years of harvest completion, supplemental reforestation Subsection 050.06 applies.03.Annual Review and Consultation. The Director will, at least annually, meet with other state agencies and the Forest Practices Advisory Committee and review recommendations for amendments to or repeal of these rules. He will then provide the Board a summary of any meetings, together with recommendations regarding these rules.04.Consultation. The Director may consult with other state agencies where expertise from such agencies would be helpful or necessary. a. These rules are approved best management practices under IDAPA 58.01.02, "Water Quality Standards." The Water Quality Standards describe a procedure for modifying the practices based on monitoring and surveillance. The Director will review petitions from Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for changes or additions to these rules and make recommendations for modification to the Board.05.Notification of Forest Practice.a. Before commencing a forest practice or a conversion of forest lands the operator must notify the Department as required in Paragraph 020.05.b. The notification may be provided by the timber owner or landowner.b. The notification required by Paragraph 020.05.a. must be on forms provided by the Department, will identify each forest practice to be conducted, and include the name and address of the operator, timber owner, and landowner; the legal description of the operating area; whether the forest practice(s) borders an outstanding resource water and other information the Department considers necessary for administration of the rules. No forest practice may begin until the applicable notification is formally accepted by the Department. No later than fourteen (14) calendar days after formal acceptance of the notice, the Department will send a copy of the notice to the operator, timber owner, and landowner.c. The operator, timber owner, or landowner that filed the original notification, must notify the Department of any subsequent change in information contained in the notice within thirty (30) calendar days of the change. No more than fourteen (14) calendar days from receipt of the notice, the Department will send a copy of the notice to the operator, timber owner, and landowner.d. The notification is valid for the same period as the certificate of compliance under Section 38-122, Idaho Code. If the forest practice is continuing when the notification expires, the notification must be renewed using the same procedures provided for in this subsection.e. If the notification required by Paragraph 020.05.a. of this subsection indicates that the forest practice will be continuing at the notification's expiration, the operator, timber owner, or landowner must notify the Department and obtain a renewal of the notification at least thirty (30) calendar days prior. No more than fourteen (14) calendar days from receipt of the request, the Department will send a copy of the renewed notification to the operator, timber owner, and landowner.06.Notification Exception. A notification is required for all forest practices except:a. Routine road maintenance, recreational uses, grazing by domestic livestock, cone picking, culture and harvest of Christmas trees on lands used solely for the production of Christmas trees, or harvesting of other minor forest products.b. Non-commercial cutting and removal of forest tree species by a person for their own personal use.c. Clearing forest land for conversion to surface mining or dredge and placer mining operations under a reclamation plan or dredge mining permit.07.Emergency Forest Practices. No prior notification is required for emergency forest practices. Within forty-eight (48) hours after commencement of such practice, the operator, timber owner, or landowner must notify the Director and explain why emergency action was necessary. Such emergency forest practices are subject to the rules herein, except that the operator, timber owner, or landowner may take any reasonable action to minimize damage to forest lands, timber, or public resource from the direct or indirect effects of the catastrophic event.08.Duty of Purchaser. Before purchasing, contracting to purchase or accepting delivery of a forest tree species harvested from forest lands in Idaho, the initial purchaser must receive and keep on file a copy of the notification of forest practice for the harvesting practice applicable to the acquired forest tree species. The notice must be available for inspection upon request by the Department at all reasonable times.09.State Divided into Regions. For the purpose of administering the Act and these rules, the State is divided into two (2) forest regions: one (1) north of the Salmon River and one (1) south of the Salmon River.10.Regions Divided into Forest Habitat Types. For administration purposes, the forest regions can be divided into Habitat Types.Idaho Admin. Code r. 20.02.01.020