63Requirements for harvesting in the buffer zones of drainage features

63 Requirements for harvesting in the buffer zones of drainage features

63 Requirements for harvesting in the buffer zones of drainage features

Trees planted in the buffer zone of a drainage feature for the purpose of harvesting (in accordance with clause 17(2)) may only be harvested in accordance with the following requirements—

(a) the person carrying out the harvesting operation must be satisfied that the top 200 millimetres of soil in the area to be harvested is dry enough to allow the operations to be carried out without risk of soil erosion to the edge of the drainage feature,

(b) harvesting and extraction machinery may only enter an area within 5 metres—

(i) of the edge of a drainage line (measured from the top edge of its banks or, if there are no banks, from the edge of its apparent water flow area), or

(ii) of the centre of a drainage depression occurring on soil classed R4,

if this is done in accordance with clause 37 or if entering the 5 metre area will result in less environmental damage than the use of any practicable alternative route that would avoid the 5 metre area,

(c) directional felling must be used to prevent as much as practicable the felling of trees into the defined channel of a wetland, river or drainage line,

(d) if directional felling cannot practicably be carried out, or if trees are accidentally felled into the defined channel of a wetland, river or drainage line, the relevant trees must be removed from the channel, unless the removal is likely to cause more than minimal disturbance to the bed and banks of the channel,

(e) if logs are removed from within a buffer area, the following must be undertaken (so long as weather conditions permit)—

(i) any disturbed area must be restored to 70% groundcover within 7 days of the removal of the logs,

(ii) any furrow created by the removal of the logs must be filled or drained to prevent concentrated flow direct to the drainage feature.