[Table of Contents]
4. GREEN-UP
ALASKA
Green-up is not covered in the Act or Regulations. Acceptable minimum stocking levels are defined for reforestation purposes.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Regulations usually will require that green-up must be achieved before adjacent cut blocks can be harvested. "Green-up" normally means that a cut block supports a stand of trees that meets standards set in a higher level plan or is 3 m or greater in height and meets stocking levels set in a silviculture prescription or, if there is no prescription, meets the stocking requirements for the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification specified by the Regional Manager. In some cases, hydrological, wildlife, recreational, scenic or other values and concerns may result in more stringent requirements.
The green-up requirement may be excused in some cases: for example, for some partial cuts (e.g. selection); salvage of fire, insect or wind damaged timber; where doing so would be consistent with biological diversity or visual quality objectives.
CALIFORNIA
Green-up is addressed with respect to defining clearcuts (even aged regeneration units). To be considered greened-up, an area must have an approved report of stocking showing that dominant and co-dominant trees average at least 5 years old or average at least 5 feet tall (1.5m) and 3 years old. If these conditions can be met using residual (advanced) regeneration, then five years must elapse before the area is considered greened-up.
Clearcuts must also be separated by a logical logging unit at least as large as the area proposed to be harvested or 20 acres (8 ha), whichever is less. Clearcuts must also be separated by a distance of at least 300 feet (91 m).
FINLAND
Clearcut sizes or tree heights of neighbouring stands are not legislated. However, guidelines and recommendations are available to all owner groups (private, state, and industry) (J. Heino, pers. comm.). Forestry Centres recommend that cutblocks do not exceed 2 to 3 ha in the south of Finland or 7 to 10 ha in the north (E. Mikkonen, pers. comm.). The new environmental program for forestry limits the size of contiguous blocks to 15 ha in northern Finland and 10 ha elsewhere. These limits may be exceeded if the areas "can be made to blend in adequately with the topography" (Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry, and Environment, 1994).
GERMANY
Federal Republic of Germany
The Federal Forest Law does not regulate forest operation activities.
Baden-Wurttemberg
No specific regulations are contained in the Forest Law governing green-up requirements. However, the maximum 2 ha clearcut rule includes adjacent areas that are not successfully regenerated. No specific seedling height is required before an area is classed as appropriately regenerated.
Bavaria
There are no green-up requirements specified in the Forest Law.
NOVA SCOTIA
Where the total area cut would exceed 50 ha, adjoining cutblocks should not be clearcut until the regeneration in the original clearcut is at least two metres tall (Forest/Wildlife Guidelines, 1988:8).
ONTARIO
The Crown Forest Sustainability Act does not contain a specific green-up statement, however it is implied by the requirement to manage sustainably. Each Forest Management Plan will contain a forecast of the level of activity for tending and renewal operations (e.g. site preparation, planting, seeding, natural regeneration and tree improvement support), planned to be carried out during the five-year term of the plan.
Each Forest Management Plan will contain an estimate of the area of planned harvest which is expected to regenerate to commercial species within a prescribed time period (ie. years to Free to Grow) as specified in the Maximum Allowable Depletion calculation, whether by artificial or natural regeneration methods. A discussion must also be provided concerning the relationship between the area of planned harvest and the area expected to regenerate to commercial species within that time period. The Plan must also contain a discussion concerning any significant difference between the planned level of renewal and tending activity and the level necessary to achieve the timber management objectives for the forest management unit, and the potential implications of those differences for the long-term wood supply (FMPM, 1994:86).
OREGON
Green-up provisions are given in the Act. They provide that no clearcuts should be established within 300 feet of the boundary of a previously clearcut area unless minimum requirements have been reached by regeneration. The requirements are that there should be at least 200 acceptable seedlings per acre (about 500 seedlings per ha) with a minimum height of 4 feet (1.22 m). For planted areas, there is no height requirement but seedlings must be free-to-grow and the plantation must be at least 48 months old.
SWEDEN
Clear-cuts may be a maximum of 20 ha in high elevation areas. Before additional harvesting may occur adjacent to the 20 ha clear-cut, the area must be regenerated to a height of 1.5 m for spruce or 2.5 m for pine (P. Kjellin, pers. comm.). Below the alpine zone recommendations accompanying Section 30 of the Forestry Act state new large harvesting areas should not occur beside another large harvested area until regeneration is greater than 1.3 m in height (P. Kjellin, pers. comm.).
TASMANIA
In dispersed coupes, adjacent areas of native forest should not be harvested until the dominant height of the regeneration of any adjoining coupe is at least 5 m and acceptable stocking standard is achieved (FPC, 1993:23).
UNITED KINGDOM
No specific requirements are set, but green-up is expected before an adjacent area can be logged (Bell, pers. comm.).
U.S. FOREST SERVICE (REGION 6)
Areas adjacent to clearcuts are not to be logged until regeneration in the clearcut is at least 4.5 feet (about 1.4 m) tall and is free-to-grow.
VICTORIA STATE
Where clearcutting is used, maximum size limitations of 40 ha are in place, and must be dispersed as per the Forest Management Plan prescriptions. If harvesting of adjacent cutblocks in successive years is necessary, it must be limited to a maximum of three years or 120 ha (Code, 1989:14, 35).
WASHINGTON
Green-up is addressed under clearcut size limitations [Part II (Timber Harvesting - Washington, Section 3)].
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Coupe dispersal and coupe regeneration guidelines are contained in a Forest Management Plan but green-up is not a term used in Western Australia (Clarke, pers. comm.).
