Chapter III – Protection of aquatic environments, riparian areas, wetlands and soils
Division V – Soils
Section 45
The ruts created in the falling and hauling trails during forest operations must not appear over more than 25% of the length of trails per total cutting area.
For the purposes of this section, a rut is a trace dug in the ground by the wheels or tracks of logging machines assigned to land preparation or to operations to harvest, haul, pile or load timber, and that is at least 4 m in length. On organic soil, a torn vegetal cover is considered as a rut. On mineral soil, a rut is more than 200 mm deep, measured from the mineral soil that it not disturbed by the logging machine.
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Objectives
- To preserve the natural drainage of the soil
- To avoid disturbing the soil
- To avoid a reduction in soil productivity
Figure 45A Limitation of rutting in felling and hauling trails
Figure 45B Measuring rut depth
Figure 45C Measuring rut depth on slopes
