State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan
Riparian Forest Restoration Strategy

A central component of DNR's Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is the riparian conservation strategy. The riparian strategy establishes riparian management zones (RMZs) on all salmonid-bearing streams and along non-fish bearing streams more than 2 feet (0.6m) wide at the ordinary high-water mark. In combination with wetland protection measures, the establishment of RMZs provides the management guidance for approximately 20-30% of all lands covered under the HCP.

• Research documents and reports on riparian forest conservation

During the development of the Habitat Conservation Plan, we identified two conservation objectives for the riparian conservation strategy: 1) to maintain or restore salmonid freshwater habitat on DNR-managed lands, and 2) to contribute to the conservation of other aquatic and riparian obligate species. The Riparian Forest Restoration Strategy (RFRS) provides the guidance to help meet these objectives through the use of both active and passive management techniques. The choice between active management through stand manipulation and passive management will vary depending on stand development expectations. Where appropriate, the RFRS specifies silvicultural treatments such as stand thinning to hasten the development of complex forests without sacrificing short-term ecosystem function. In time, this approach will restore the structurally complex riparian forests that provide the ecological functions to meet conservation objectives.

Riparian Forest Restoration Strategy Implementation Procedures
For Westside Planning Units Excluding the Olympic Experimental State Forest

For those with high-speed connections, the following file is offered.

• Full Document - (11,119KB PDF)

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For those with dial-up connections, the following smaller files are offered.

• Introduction - Cover, Acknowledgements, Commissioner's Letter, Preface, and Table of Contents - (464KB PDF) 
• Section 1 - Context for the Riparian Forest Restoration Strategy - (2,480KB PDF)
• Section 2 - Riparian Management Strategies - (2,363KB PDF)
• Section 3 - Riparian Forest Restoration Procedure - (51KB PDF)
• Section 4 - Monitoring Riparian Restoration - (1,917KB PDF)
• Appendices and References - (1,185KB PDF)

Visit the Riparian Forest Restoration Strategy implementation website to learn more about the strategy, read about current activities, and access additional resources.

To request a print copy of this document, email Richard Bigley.