Baseflow: The portion of streamflow which comes from groundwater.

Berm: A low earth fill constructed in the path of flowing water to divert its direction, or constructed to act as a counter-weight beside the road fill to reduce the risk of foundation failure.

Best Management Practices (BMPs): Practical and economically achievable practices for preventing or reducing nonpoint source pollution.

Broad base dip: A surface drainage structure specifically designed to drain water from an access road while vehicles maintain normal travel speeds.

Buffer area: An area of land and/or plants around a stream or waterbody of sufficient width to lessen entrance of pollutants (fertilizers, pesticides, eroded soil and fire retardants) into a waterbody.

Community: A group of plants and animals living in a region or location under relatively similar conditions.

Culvert: A conduit through which surface water can flow under roads.

Cut-and-fill: Process of earth moving by excavating part of an area and using the excavated material to build adjacent embankments or fill areas.

Dips: Economical, relativity trouble free structures for providing effective drainage of woods roads.  Dips are considerably lower in cost than culverts, so time spent in careful construction is well justified.

Disking (harrowing): A site preparation system where a heavy harrow with large disks is pulled over a site in order to eliminate selected vegetation.

Drainage structure: Any device or land form constructed to intercept and/or aid in surface water drainage.

Duff: The accumulation of needles, leaves and decaying matter on the woodland floor.

Erodible soils: Soils that are likely to have high soil loss when exposed to water runoff.  Soils having a Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) erosion hazard rating of “moderate” or “severe” should be considered erodible.  Erosion hazard ratings for different soil types are listed in “Woodland Suitability” tables in NRCS soil survey manuals.  Generally, woodland soils occurring on 15-35% slopes have a moderate rating and soils occurring on greater that 35% slopes have a severe rating.  Contact your local NRCS office for more information.

Erosion: The process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of wind or water in the form of rain drops, surface runoff and waves.

Felling: The process of cutting down standing trees.

Fill slope: The surface formed where earth is deposited to build a road or trail.

Filter strip: An area of land adjacent to a water body which acts to trap and filter out suspended sediment and chemicals before entering surface waters.  Harvesting and other woodland management activities are permitted in the filter strip as long as the integrity of the filter strip is maintained and mineral soil exposure is kept to a minimum.

Fireline: A barrier used to stop the spread of fire, constructed by removing fuel or rendering fuel unflammable by use of water or fire retardants.

Ford: Submerged stream crossing where the streambed may need to be reinforced to bear intended traffic.  A place where a perennial or intermittent stream may be crossed by vehicle.

Grade: The slope of a road or trail expressed as a percent of change in elevation per unit of distance traveled.

Ground water: The subsurface water supply in the saturated zone below the level of the water table.

Harvesting: The felling, skidding, loading and transportation of woodland products, roundwood or logs.

Hydrophytic: Plants that grow in and are adapted to an aquatic or very wet environment.

Integrated pest management (IPM): An ecological approach to pest management in which all available necessary techniques are consolidated into a unified program so that pest populations can be managed in such a manner that economic damage is avoided and adverse side effects are minimized.

Intermittent stream: A stream or portion of a stream that flows only in direct response to precipitation.  It is dry for a large part of the year.

Landing (log deck): A place where trees and logs are gathered in or near the woodland for further transport.

Leaching: Downward movement of a pesticide or other soluble material through the soil as a result of water movement.

Loading: The act of placing material on a vehicle for further transport.

Logging debris (slash): That unwanted, unutilized and generally unmarketable accumulation of woody material in the woodland such as limbs, tops, cull logs and stumps, that remain as residue after timber harvesting.

Mulching: Providing any loose covering for exposed woodland soils, such as grass, straw or wood fibers to protect exposed soil and help control erosion.

Nonpoint source pollution (NPS): Occurs when rainfall or snowmelt runoff moves across the ground carrying debris, sediment and/or pollutants into streams, lakes, wetlands and groundwater.

Nutrients: In the forest context, mineral elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium, that are naturally present or may be added to the woodland environment by woodland practices such as fertilizer or fire retardant applications.  Substances necessary for the growth and reproduction of organisms.  In water, substances that promote growth of algae and bacteria; chiefly nitrates and phosphates.

Ordinary high watermark: The point on the bank or shore up to which the presence and action of the water is so continuous as to leave a distinct mark either by erosion, destruction of terrestrial vegetation, or other easily recognized characteristics.

Outslope: To shape the road surface to cause drainage to flow toward the outside shoulder.

Perennial stream: A stream that maintains water in its channel a majority of the year.

Permanent all-season woodland roads: These roads usually have gravel surfaces and are designed for year-round use.  However, there may be some restrictions on use at various times of the year.

ermanent seasonal roads: These are maintained as part of the permanent road system but are designed for use only when the ground is frozen or firm.  These roads are generally narrower than permanent all-season roads, are built to lower engineering standards and have minimal surface gravel.

Pesticides: Chemical compounds or biological agents used for the control of undesirable plants, animals, insects or diseases.

Prescribed burning: Skillful application of fire to natural fuels that allow confinement of the fire to a predetermined area and at the same time produce certain planned benefits.

Rake: A site preparation tool normally mounted on the front of a crawler tractor, used to remove trees, stumps roots and slash from a future planting site.

Riparian area: See Streamside management area.

Riprap: A layer of boulders or shot rock fragments placed over soil to protect it from the erosive forces of flowing water or waves.

Scarification: The process of disrupting or removing the woodland floor, or mixing it with the mineral soil by mechanical action preparatory to natural or direct seeding or the planting of tree seedlings.

Sediment: Soil material that has been eroded from the land surface, often by overland water flow and then transported and deposited away from its original location.

Silt fence: A temporary barrier used to intercept sediment-laden runoff from small areas.

Silviculture: The theory and practice of controlling woodland establishment, composition, structure and growth.  Silvicultural practices consist of the various treatments that may be applied to woodland stands to maintain and enhance their utility for any purpose.

Site: An area having some capacity to produce a particular type of timber species or other vegetation based on the combination of biological, climatic and soil and soil factors present.  Site expresses the capacity of a given setting to grow timber or other vegetation.

Site preparation: A woodland activity to remove unwanted vegetation and other material and/or to cultivate or prepare the soil for regeneration.

Skidding: The act of moving trees from the site of felling to a loading area or landing.  Skidding may be accomplished by tractors, horses, or specialized logging equipment.

Skid trail: A temporary pathway over woodland soil to drag felled trees or logs to a landing.

Slash: See Logging debris.

Stand: A contiguous group of trees sufficiently uniform in species composition, arrangement of age classes and condition to be considered a unit.

Stream: A water course that:(1) has ordinary high watermark, (2) has beds and banks, (3) flows at least periodically, (4) has an easily identifiable beginning and end, (5) does not loses it character as a water course  even though it may break up and disappear temporarily and reappear down stream.

Streamside management area (SMA): (also commonly referred to as a riparian area)  Land and vegetation areas next to lakes and streams where management practices are modified to protect water quality, fish and other aquatic resources.  These areas are complex ecosystems that provide food, habitat and movement corridors for both aquatic and terrestrial communities as well as helping to minimize nonpoint source pollution impacts to surface water.

Temporary roads: These are the most common type of woodland roads.  They are designed and constructed for short-term use during a specific project such as timber harvesting.  These roads are used only when the  ground is frozen or firm.  When the project is done, the temporary road is closed, all stream crossing structures are removed and the road is naturally or artificially revegetated.

Water bar: A shallow trench and/or hump across a trail or road (generally tied into the uphill side of the slope) for the purpose of carrying water runoff into the vegetation, duff, ditch or dispersion area.  Water bars are used to minimize erosion by diverting the waters potential velocity and volume.

Water course: A channel where water flows either perennially or intermittently.  Can be also used to include bodies of open water

Water pollution: Any introduction of foreign material into water or other impingement upon water which produces undesirable changes in the physical, biological, or chemical characteristic of that water.

Watershed: The common land area that drains into a lake, river or river system.

Waters of the state: Any surface or underground waters, except those surface waters which are not confined but are spread and diffused over the land.  This includes all lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers, streams, ditches, springs and water from underground aquifers, regardless of their size or location.

Wetlands: An area where water is near, at or above the land surface long enough to be capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic (water loving) vegetation and/or which has soils indicative of wet conditions.

Wet line: A wet line is a line of water, or a water and chemical fire retardant, sprayed along the ground, to serve as a temporary fireline which will stop a low-intensity fire.

Wildfires: Uncontrolled fires occurring in forestland, woodland, brushland and grassland.

Woodland floor: All dead vegetative matter on the mineral soil surface in the woodland, including litter and unincorporated humus.

Table of Contents