Oregon's streamside rules: achieving public goals on private land

Abstract

Enforcement of rules for forest operations often is insufficient to ensure broad compliance, so voluntary cooperation is necessary. The 1994 Oregon Water Protection Rules, which include new requirements for fish habitat, are substantially more complex than previous rules, with many more stream classes and required targets. Although complex, the new rules also introduce a variety of options for streamside management. The perceptions among users of the new rules as well as progress toward fish habitat objectives were researched. Our project consisted of two efforts: clarifying the level of support, and the factors important for support, by rule users, including industry foresters, logging operators, and nonindustrial private forest owners, and comparing the postharvest condition of riparian stands with conditions under the previous rules.