02 NCAC 60B .0702          APPROVED PRACTICES and Sub-Practices

The following practices and sub-practices are eligible for cost-share payments:

(1)           Site Preparation. Preparation of a site for planting, seeding, or natural regeneration of a commercial forest tree species. Site preparation may be accomplished by the following sub-practices used singularly or in combinations:

(a)           Burning. The use of prescribed fire for the purpose of site preparation;

(b)           Chopping. The use of a machine-pulled chopper to crush and chop non-merchantable trees, brush, and other debris for the purpose of site preparation;

(c)           Discing. The use of a machine-pulled disc to crush and destroy non-merchantable trees, brush, and other debris for the purpose of site preparation;

(d)           KG/V-Blade Shear. The use of a sharp-edged, angled blade (KG or V-Blade) mounted on a tractor to shear non-merchantable trees and brush for the purpose of site preparation;

(e)           KG and Pile. The use of a sharp-edged, angled blade (called KG-Blade) mounted on a tractor to shear non-merchantable trees and brush for the purpose of site preparation; this sheared material and other debris are pushed into piles or windrows;

(f)            Rake & Pile. The use of a toothed, rake-type blade mounted on a tractor to push logging debris, but not roots or soil, into piles or windrows;

(g)           Bedding (Single or Double). The use of a bedding plow pulled by a tractor to prepare a bed or ridge for the purpose of site preparation;

(h)           V-Blade Bedding. The use of a sharp angled blade (not a KG-Blade) mounted on a tractor to shear non-merchantable trees and brush and a bedding plow pulled by a tractor to prepare a bed or ridge for the purpose of site preparation in a single pass operation;

(i)            Furrowing. The use of a plow pulled by a tractor to prepare a shallow trench or furrow to reduce competing vegetation for the purpose of site preparation;

(j)            Chemical Control-Site Preparation. The use of aerial or ground chemical applications to reduce competing vegetation for the purpose of site preparation; or

(k)           Other. The use of hand tools or other machines to destroy or reduce competing vegetation for the purpose of site preparation.

(2)           Tree Planting or Seeding. Planting seedlings or applying seed to establish a commercial forest stand includes the following:

(a)           Hand Planting. The use of planting bars or other hand tools to plant forest tree seedlings;

(b)           Machine Planting. The use of a planting machine to plant forest tree seedlings; or

(c)           Machine Plant – Chemical. The combined use of a planting machine to plant forest tree seedlings and application equipment to apply herbicides to reduce competing vegetation in a single pass operation.

(3)           Tree Planting Followed by Site Preparation. Tree planting followed by the use of a herbicide treatment; within one year after planting.

(4)           Release of Seedlings. Reducing or eliminating unwanted vegetation that is competing with the established reproduction of desired tree species to ensure adequate regeneration (at least 300 seedlings) of a commercial timber species. Release of seedlings may be accomplished by one of the following treatments:

(a)           Chemical Control-Release. The use of herbicides, applied from the air or ground, to reduce competing vegetation for the purpose of releasing desirable reproduction; or

(b)           Mechanical Control. The use of hand tools or machines to reduce competing vegetation for the purpose of releasing desirable reproduction.

(5)           Forest Stand Improvement. Practices that improve tree growth and overall forest health to insure maximum growth potential of forest stands to commercial production levels. The practices listed in this Subparagraph and approved for reimbursement will improve immature forest stands for silvicultural purposes:

(a)           Understory Release. Complete removal or deadening of older trees or saplings that have no merchantable value, to improve growing conditions for desirable tree species;

(b)           Release of Seedlings. A mechanical or chemical treatment designed to free young trees from undesirable, usually over-topping, competing vegetation;

(c)           Cull-tree Removal. Complete removal or deadening of trees having no merchantable value because of defects or inferior species. Differs from understory release in that removal is to favor growth on remaining established poles and small sawtimber of better quality and species. This treatment is used only in stands beyond the sapling size class;

(d)           Crop Tree Crown Release. Removal or deadening of cull trees and other undesirable trees to release the crowns of crop trees with commercial value. Crop trees are high value species, which are dominant or co-dominant in position and are well-formed and free of major forest insects and diseases. Cull trees are trees that have little or no economic value due to poor form or presence of insects or disease. Less desirable trees have poorer growth characteristics or are in poorer condition than the crop trees;

(e)           Non-Commercial Thinning. A felling, deadening, or removal of immature trees in a stand (predominately seedlings and saplings) that reduces the stem density to accelerate growth and improve the health and form of the remaining trees;

(f)            Prescribed Burning. The use of fire in a manner that provides silvicultural or forest health benefits; or

(g)           Forest Fertilization. The addition of nutrient elements to the soil at establishment or mid-rotation to overcome nutrient deficiencies to increase tree growth rates on appropriate sites.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 106-22; 106-966; 106-1011; 106-1013; 106-1018;

Eff. August 8, 1978;

Amended Eff. November 1, 2006; August 1, 2002; October 1, 1984;

Transferred from 15A NCAC 09C .0903 Eff. May 1, 2012;

Readopted Eff. April 1, 2018.