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National Environmental Policy Act |
An act passed in 1969 to declare a national policy that encourages
productive and enjoyable harmony between humankind and the environment,
promotes efforts that will prevent or eliminate damage to the
environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of
humanity, enriches the understanding of the ecological systems and
natural resources important to the nation, and establishes a Council on
Environmental Quality. (FEMAT,
IX-22)
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| National Park Service |
The agency of the US Department of the Interior responsible for
the administration of Nation Parks, Monuments, and Historic Sites. It is
distinct from the USDA Forest Service both administratively and by mission.
(FS People's Glossary of Eco
Mgmt Terms) |
| natural barrier |
A natural feature, such as a dense
stand of trees or downfall,
that will restrict animal travel. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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natural condition
|
Early-successional forests will regenerate by different processes
during a different time period than existing
late-successional
forests. Silviculturally created stands may look and function
differently from current old-growth stands that developed over the last
1,000 years.
Late-successional
reserves represent a network of existing old-growth forests that
are retained in their natural condition with natural processes,
such as fire, allowed to function to the extent possible. (From Standards
and Guidelines for Management of Habitat for Late-Successional and
Old-Growth Forest Related Species within the Range of the Northern
Spotted Owl 1994 [B - 4].)
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natural disturbance
|
See disturbance.
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| natural range of variability |
See
range of variability. |
| natural resource |
A feature of the natural environment that is of value in serving
human needs. (FS People's
Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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NEPA
|
See National Environmental Policy Act. |
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nest survey
|
A way to estimate the size of a bird population by counting the number
of nests in a given area. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
| NFLRMP (National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan) |
Also called the Forest Plan or just the Plan, this document
guides the management of a particular National Forest and establishes
management standards and guidelines for all lands of that National Forest.
(FS People's Glossary of Eco
Mgmt Terms) |
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NFMA (National Forest Management Act)
|
A Law passed in 1976 as an amendment to the Forest and Rangeland
Renewable Resources Planning Act, requiring the preparation of forest
plans and the preparation of regulations to guide that development.
(FEMAT,
IX-22) |
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NFRS
|
National Forest recreation sites that have been inventoried. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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no action alternative
|
The most likely condition expected to exist in the future if management
practices continue unchanged. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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noncommercial vegetative treatment
|
The removal of trees for reasons other than timber production. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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non-consumptive use
|
The use of a resource that does not reduce the supply. For
instance, bird watching is a non-consumptive use of wildlife.
Boating and fishing are non-consumptive uses of water. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
|
nongame wildlife
|
All wild vertebrate and invertebrate animals not subject to sport hunting.
(FEMAT,
IX-23)
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nonpoint source pollution
|
Water pollution that does not result from a discharge at a specific,
single location (such as a single pipe) but generally results from land
runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, or percolation and
normally is associated with agricultural,
silvicultural, and urban runoff, runoff from construction
activities, etc. Such pollution results in the human-made or
human-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological,
radiological integrity of water. (FEMAT,
IX-23) |
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non-renewable resources
|
A resource whose total quantity does not increase measurable over time,
so that each use of the resource diminishes the supply. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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notice of intent
|
A notice in the federal register of intent to prepare an environmental
impact statement on a proposed action. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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nutrient cycling
|
Circulation of exchange of elements such as nitrogen and carbon between
non-living and living portions of the environment. Includes all
mineral and nutrient cycles involving mammals and vegetation. (FEMAT,
IX-23) |
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O
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| old growth
forest |
A forest stand usually at
least 180-220 years old with moderate to high
canopy closure; a multilayered,
multispecies canopy dominated by large overstory trees; high
incidence of large trees, some with broken tops and other indications of old and
decaying wood (decadence); numerous large snags; and heavy
accumulations of wood, including large logs on the ground. (FEMAT,
IX-24) (Also see
definitions of Old Growth Forest) |
| organic soil |
Soil at least partly derived from living matter, such as decayed
plant material. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
| ORV (off-road vehicle) |
Any motorized track or wheeled vehicle designed for
cross-country travel over natural terrain (e.g., motorcycles, all-terrain
vehicles, four-wheeled drive vehicles, and snowmobiles). (FEMAT,
IX-24) |
|
overmature stands |
Trees of an age at which they decline in vigor and
soundness. (FEMAT,
IX-25) |
| overstory |
a) Trees that provide the uppermost layer of
foliage in a forest with more than one roughly horizontal layer of foliage. (FEMAT,
IX-25)
b) The upper canopy layer; the plants below comprise the
understory. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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P
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PAC |
Provincial Advisory Committee |
| parent material |
The mineral or organic matter from which the upper layers of
soil are formed. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
| park-like structure |
Stands with large scattered trees and open growing conditions,
usually maintained by ground fires. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
| partial retention |
A visual quality objective which, in general, means man's
activities may be evident but must remain subordinate to the characteristic
landscape. (FS People's
Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
| patch |
A small (20-60 acre) part of the forest. This
term is often used to indicate a type of clearcutting (patch cut) associated with the
"staggered setting" approach to distributing harvest units across landscape. (FEMAT,
IX-25) |
| patch cut |
A clear-cut that creates small openings in a
stand of trees,
usually between 15 and 40 acres in size. On the Dixie National Forest
and elsewhere, patches are used to provide the disturbance needed to
regenerate aspen. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
| percolation |
Downward flow or infiltration of water through the pores or
spaces of rock or soil. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
| perennial stream |
A stream that typically has running water on a
year-round basis. (FEMAT,
IX-26) |
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permitted grazing
|
Grazing on a Nation Forest range allotment under the terms of a grazing
permit. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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personal use
|
The use of a forest product, such as firewood, for home use and not for
commercial use. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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planning area
|
All of the lands within a federal agency's management boundary
addressed in land management plans. (FEMAT,
IX-26) |
|
PIEC |
Provincial Interagency Executive Committee |
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planning period
|
The 50 year time frame for which goods, services, and effects were
projected in the development of the Forest Plan. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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pole
|
The stage of forest succession in which trees are between 3 and 7
inches in diameter and are the dominate vegetation. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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pole timber
|
Trees at least 5 inches in diameter, but smaller than the minimum size
for sawtimber. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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PNV
|
See present net value.
|
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pre-commercial thinning
|
The practice of removing some of the trees less than merchantable size
from a stand so that remaining trees will grow
faster. (FEMAT,
IX-27) |
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predator
|
Any animal that preys externally on others by hunting, killing, and
generally feeding on a succession of hosts, i.e., the prey. (FEMAT,
IX-27) |
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pre-existing use
|
Land use that may not conform to a zoning ordinance but existed prior
to the enactment of the ordinances. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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preparatory cut
|
The removal of trees near the end of a rotation to open the canopy so the
crowns of seed bearing trees can enlarge. This improves seed
production and encourages natural regeneration. (See
rotation.) (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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prescribed fire
|
a) A fire burning under specified conditions that will accomplish
certain planned objectives. The fire may result from planned or
unplanned ignitions. (FEMAT,
IX-27) b)
Fire set intentionally in wild-land fuels under prescribed conditions
and circumstances. Prescribed fire can rejuvenate
forage for
livestock and wildlife or prepare sites for natural regeneration of
trees. (FS People's
Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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prescription
|
Written direction for forest vegetation management, including
timber harvest and regeneration activities. For fire, a document
that describes the conditions (including but not limited to area, fuel
moisture, and weather) under which a fire for resource benefits may be
permitted to burn. (S&G Jan
2001, p. 81) |
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present net value (PNV) or present net worth
|
The measure of the economic value of a project when costs and revenues
occur in different time periods. Future revenues and costs are
"discounted" to the present by an interest rate that reflects
the changing value of a dollar over time. The assumption is that
dollars today are more valuable than dollars in the future. PNV
is used to compare project alternatives that have different cost and
revenue flows. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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pre-suppression
|
Activities organized in advance of fire occurrence to ensure
effective suppression action and/or to minimize risk to humans and
resource damage. (FEMAT,
IX-27) |
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primitive ROS (Recreation Opportunity Spectrum)
|
A classification of wilderness and recreation opportunity. It is
characterized by an essentially unmodified environment, where trials
may be present but structures are rare, and where it is highly probable
to be isolated from the sights and sounds of people. (See
ROS). (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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productive
|
The ability of an area to provide goods and services and to sustain
ecological values. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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prognosis
|
A computer model for timber growth and yield. It projects
per-acre growth and volume yield for commercial timber stands. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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public domain
|
The territory ceded to the Federal government by the original thirteen
states, plus additions by treaty cession, and purchase. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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public land
|
Land for which title and control rests with a government - Federal,
state, regional, county, or municipal. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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public involvement
|
The use of appropriate procedures to inform the public, obtaining early
and continuing public participation, and consider the views of
interested parties in planning and decision making. (FS
People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms) |
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Last updated
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
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