Riparian area management: themes and recommendations

The quote above alludes to the difference between forest management and riparian forest management. Riparian forest management is concerned with the water as well as the forest. The combination of water and forest is both a feature of the landscape, and a priority in our values that has focused resource management on riparian issues. Riparian management has passed from a history of intense exploitat ion a century ago, through recent decades of neglect , to the intense demand for shared decisions we see today. Protecting the essential links between land and water ensures quali ty water and quali ty aquatic habitats. Best Management Practices, which govern logging activit ies and tree removals in and around riparian areas, are a good example of how we design management options to reduce impacts on water quality. Silvicultural prescriptions to meet Desired Future Conditions for riparian areas give primary consideration to protection of water temperature and contributions of part iculate matter and coarse woody debris to aquatic habitats. Managing for recreation in riparian areas addresses the impacts on water quali ty and impacts on our perception of a quali ty personal experience at the water’s edge.