OAR 603-110-0500: Criteria To Evaluate Adequacy Of A Landowner Management Plan To Meet Purpose Of Rules

(1) The management plan will include provisions to protect or conserve fish and wildlife habitat, water resources, and soil resources appropriate to the property and consistent with landowner objectives. (2) The management plan will be reviewed against the following criteria (a)–(c) to determine whether the landowner is implementing management actions that exceed regulatory requirements for the conservation, restoration, and improvement of fish and wildlife habitat or water quality. (a) Management actions to conserve, restore, and improve fish and wildlife habitat (A) Specific conservation goals for fish and wildlife habitat are established. (B) Alignment with Oregon’s ‘Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy’, an adopted subbasin plan, and/or other watershed or landscape-scale conservation plan is demonstrated. (C) Invasive species are identified, controlled, and where possible, eliminated. (D) Threatened, endangered, and at-risk species and associated habitats are protected, enhanced, or restored. (E) Food, water, and shelter components of habitat for fish and wildlife are provided (e.g. snags, nesting trees, downed wood, side-channels, bat/bird/bee boxes hedgerows, field edges, etc.). (F) Crop selection and/or management accommodates fish and wildlife habitat needs. (G) Native habitat is restored and enhanced, consistent with historic vegetative patterns. Restoration includes diverse native species, structure, and age of vegetation appropriate to the site and its regional context. (H) Special consideration is given to native habitats known to be uncommon, rare or at risk (i.e. prairie, oak woodland, bottomland hardwood forest). (I) Natural hydrology is restored to provide habitat for native fish and other aquatic species. (J) Where feasible, natural disturbance processes like fire and flooding are allowed to function. (K) Road disturbances to fish and wildlife habitat are minimized. (L) Fish passage limitations are addressed. (M) Water diversions are screened or otherwise managed to provide fish passage and prevent entrapment. (N) Water withdrawals are managed to enhance the needs of fish and wildlife habitat. (b) Management actions to conserve, restore and improve water resources (A) Riparian vegetation is protected, managed, or restored to provide erosion control, sediment and nutrient filtering, and other functions of a properly functioning riparian area. (B) Sediment runoff and animal wastes are controlled at the source to prevent ground and/or surface water contamination. (C) Vegetation and soils are managed to conserve water by encouraging infiltration and storage of rainfall in the soil. (D) Irrigation and drainage systems are managed to prevent waste of water and to protect water quality. (E) Road systems are managed to reduce or eliminate sediment delivery to streams and to prevent catastrophic failure. (F) Cultural and biological pest prevention strategies are used to reduce or eliminate the need for pesticide applications (e.g. Integrated Pest Management). (G) Precautions are taken to prevent leaks or spills of pesticides or petroleum products, such as fuel, motor oil, and hydraulic fluid, from reaching waters of the state and sensitive native habitats. (c) Management actions to conserve, restore, and improve soil resources (A) Tillage practices minimize degradation of soil quality and conserve organic matter and soil aggregation. (B) Soils are protected from erosion by optimizing plant cover or residue throughout the year. Practices include but are not limited to: permanent vegetative cover in orchards, nurseries, and vineyards, mulch in row crops, and by using pastures and appropriate intensity, duration, and frequency of livestock grazing. (C) Crop rotations that include cover crops are used to build soil organic matter and productivity. (D) Soil disturbance and compaction during timber harvest is minimized. (E) A comprehensive nutrient management plan or other means are used to conserve and recycle nutrients by converting organic wastes into productive uses and by seeking ways to generate nutrients on farm. Practices that can be used include but are not limited to: cover cropping, on-farm composting, and integrating livestock into farm production. (F) Land management on steep slopes and fragile soils is conducted in a manner to reduce or eliminate impacts to the site.