N.J. Admin. Code § 18:15-2.10

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 11, June 3, 2024

Section 18:15-2.10 - Criteria of a woodland management plan

(a) An owner of land subject to the additional conditions set forth in N.J.A.C. 18:15-2.7 shall submit a woodland management plan prepared in accordance with the following criteria:

1. A cover page for the plan must be provided delineating the following:

i. The owner's name and mailing address;

ii. The municipality and county where the subject woodland is located;

iii. The block(s) and lot(s) of the property that includes the subject woodland;

iv. The amount of acreage of the subject woodland;

v. The name and address of the approved forester who prepared the plan, if not prepared by the owner;

vi. The date the plan was prepared; and

vii. The period of time the plan covers, and the starting and end date for the plan's implementation.

(1) For a plan that is approved by the State Forester on or after February 19, 2013, the period of time a woodland management plan covers must not exceed 10 years.

(2) A plan that is approved by the State Forester prior to February 19, 2013, that has a duration of longer than 10 years, but does not exceed 15 years, will remain in effect for its approved duration.

2. A clear and concise statement must be provided describing the owner's overall goals in managing the woodland.

3. A description must be provided of how the property boundaries are or will be marked and delineated.

4. A brief description of past activities that have had an effect on the woodland must be provided in the statement including, but not limited to, wildfire, insect, and disease outbreaks, timber sales, plantings, thinnings, and weedings.

5. A statement describing each defined forest stand shall be provided incorporating the following factors:

i. The number of acres;

ii. The species composition including overstory and understory;

iii. The general condition and quality;

iv. The structure including age classes, DBH classes, and crown classes;

v. The overall site quality;

vi. The condition and species composition of advanced regeneration when applicable; and

vii. The stocking levels, growth rates, and volumes.

6. A description of the woodland owner's forest management objectives for each forest stand must be provided, together with specification of the activities and practices planned to be carried out; and an explanation of how, within the plan's time frame, the sequential implementation of these activities and practices will integrate and coordinate to meet the stated forest management objectives and to provide for the sustainability of the forest. The plan must include an implementation schedule that, under each forest management objective applicable to the stand, indicate the year or range of years in which the activities and practices will be carried out toward the accomplishment of the objective. These activities and practices must be meaningful and measurable and must be designed to be carried out during the time period that the plan covers. Additionally, the plan must include an aggregated management schedule that summarizes in table format all of the activities and practices to be undertaken during the plan period presented, to the extent feasible, in chronological order. The table shall indicate the stand or stands in or for which the activities and practices are to be conducted, their planned extent, and the year or range of years in which they will be carried out.

7. A statement must be provided of average overall productivity capabilities of the woodland.

8. In addition to the map required pursuant to N.J.A.C. 18:15-2.7, a map of the property must be provided that includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:

i. The owner's name, address, and the date the map was prepared;

ii. An arrow designating the north direction;

iii. A scale not smaller than 1:1500 and not larger than 1:200;

iv. A legend defining the symbols appearing on the map;

v. The location of property lines;

vi. An identification of forest stands that are keyed to the activities and practices to be implemented therein;

vii. A delineation of physical features such as roads, streams, structures, etc.;

viii. The soil classifications that apply to the property, based on information obtained from the National Resource Conservation Service's Web Soil Survey at: http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov. (A separate map can be used for this purpose for the first year of application); and

ix. A brief description or a map inset of the land for the purpose of identifying the location of the property in relation to the local area.

(b) An owner of land that includes freshwater wetlands or is located in a flood hazard area who wants to utilize a plan to qualify for an exemption from the permit requirements of the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act rules at N.J.A.C. 7:7A or for a permit-by-rule under the Flood Hazard Area Control Act rules at N.J.A.C. 7:13, must in addition to meeting the criteria set forth in (a) above, meet the additional plan requirements set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:7A or 7:13, as applicable.

N.J. Admin. Code § 18:15-2.10

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 118(b), effective 1/3/2017