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Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture
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1.0 |
DEFINITION |
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Land clearing is the process of removing
trees, stumps, brush, stones and other obstacles from an area as required
to increase the size of the crop producing land base of an existing farm
or to provide land for a new farm operation. The newly cleared land must
be ready for cultivation, including liming and leveling to meet acceptable
crop rotation and soil conservation goals. |
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2.0 |
SITE SELECTION |
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2.1 |
Soil
suitability for agricultural production will be determined using NB
Soil Survey Reports or may be determined by providing on-site soil
boring test holes (recommended 2 tests per acre) and a soil boring
report prepared indicating surface texture, depth to compact layer,
depth to bedrock, drainage capability, percent slope, percent
stoniness, percent surface stone, and percent rock
outcrops. |
2.2 |
Soils
suitability will be based on the soil report (Sec. 2.1) and the soil
selection criteria in section 2.3. Soils having components falling
within the Not Recommended category of table in section 2.3 shall
not be cleared. |
2.3 |
Table -
Soil Suitability Selection Criteria |
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SOIL FACTORS |
GOOD |
FAIR |
NOT
RECOMMENDED |
Surface
Texture |
Sandy Loam, Loam, Silt Loam |
Loamy Sand, Clay Loam |
Sand, Gravel Silty Clay
Loam |
Depth to Compact Layer |
Greater than 40 cm
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20 to
40 cm
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less than 20 cm |
Depth
to Bedrock |
Greater than 75 cm
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40 to
75 cm
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less
than 40 cm |
Drainage |
Well,
Moderately |
Rapid,
Imperfect |
Poor |
Slope
(%)
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Less
than 5% |
5% to
10%
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Greater
than 10% |
Stoniness (%) |
Less
than 20% |
20% to
30%
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Greater
than 30% |
Surface
Stone (%) |
Less
than 0.1% |
0.1% to
3%
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Greater
than 3% |
Rock
Outcrops (%) |
0% |
Less
than 10% |
Greater
than 10% |
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2.4 |
The
Department reserves the right to carry out a Stem Analysis
Evaluation as specified in standard "Preliminary Stem Analysis for
Agricultural Land Clearing Projects" to determine stand category.
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3.0 |
GENERAL |
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3.1 |
Land
shall not be cleared on slopes above 10% unless it can be fully
integrated within an existing erosion control (terracing)
conservation system to prevent erosion from the affected
area. |
3.2 |
Land
cleared adjacent to an existing field shall not increase the overall
up and down field row length unless soil conservation practices are
implemented as required to prevent an increase in soil erosion from
the effected area. |
3.3 |
Land shall not be cleared within
30 meters (100 ft) of a watercourse unless approved by a
NB Department of Environment Watercourse Alteration Permit. The
NB Department of Environment Watercourse Alteration Regulations and
Guidelines will apply to all projects including Regulation 90-80 and
90-120 under the Clean Water Act as revised in 1993. |
3.4 |
All tree
growth, stumps, large stones and other obstacles to the normal
operation of farm equipment shall be completely removed. The land
shall be sufficiently level to permit the normal operation of farm
equipment and the area must be ready for seed bed
preparation. |
3.5 |
Land
clearing method shall limit the loss of topsoil removed from the
area being cleared. Debris piles shall also be free from mud and
topsoil (maximum allowance of 10% topsoil). |
3.6 |
The
location of the land shall be within a reasonable distance of the
farm base. |
3.7 |
All
debris must be in clean piles and disposed of by burning or hauled
to a disposal site as approved by the project engineer or
designate(preferably within the property boundary). |
3.8 |
Whenever
possible, wood debris shall be disposed of by piling and burning
within the clearing area. All necessary permits for burning must be
obtained. |
3.9 |
Debris
shall not be shoved off to areas adjacent to the field being
cleared. |
3.10 |
Newly
cleared land shall be properly limed according to NBDARD Soil lab
recommendations. |
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4.0 |
CLEARING METHODS |
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4.1 |
For
clearing standing timber, the method used shall be the walk-down and
pile; the uprooting and pile; or the cutting and pile
method. |
4.2 |
For
clearing clear-cut areas, the method used shall be the grubbing and
piling; the grubbing, piling, and turning; or the heavy moldboard
plow or heavy breaking disc method. |
4.3 |
For
clearing light growth and ground brush, the method used shall be the
grubbing and piling; the rotary or flail mower; the heavy moldboard
or breaking disc; or the rotary plow method. |
4.4 |
Whatever
the clearing method used, debris piles shall be topsoil and mud free
(maximum allowance of 10%) and well packed to ensure that they can
be easily burned or loaded and hauled off the field. |
4.5 |
Debris piles shall not be placed
closer than 30 meters (100 ft) to adjacent cleared or wooded areas.
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4.6 |
The
burning method will be exempt only in designated regions where
burning permits cannot be obtained and will be reviewed on a case by
case basis. |
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5.0 |
CLEARING EQUIPMENT |
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5.1 |
Proper
and well maintained industrial clearing equipment and skilled
operators shall be used for land clearing. |
5.2 |
Piling
blades used with crawler tractors shall meet or exceed the NBDARD
Piling Blade Standard. |
5.3 |
Piling
rakes used with excavators shall meet or exceed the NBDARD Piling
Rake Standard. |
5.4 |
The
primary land clearing equipment shall be one of the
following: |
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5.4.1 |
Crawler tractors with piling blades, cutting blades or
earth blades. Cutting blades shall be used only for cutting
and piling method. Earth blades shall only be used for
walking-down standing timber. |
5.4.2 |
Excavator with piling
rake. |
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5.5 |
Generally, auxiliary land clearing equipment shall be
breaking discs and breaking plows pulled by crawler
tractors. |
5.6 |
Generally land clearing equipment
used for debris cleanup operations shall be wheel rakes, power drum
rakes, specialized reel head rock pickers and debris pickers powered
by farm tractors. |
5.7 |
Brush
cutters (rotary brush mowers) powered by farm tractors, may be used
for clearing light growth and ground brush, if normal cultivation
can proceed after brush cutting. |
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6.0 |
PROJECT COMPLETION |
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6.1 |
Upon
notification of project completion, the project engineer or
designate will carry out final inspection and report of land
clearing site. |
6.2 |
Land
clearing projects will only be consider complete if they meet these
standards and work is suitable to the project engineer or
designate. |
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7.0 |
REFERENCES |
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7.1 |
The
Atlantic Committee on Agricultural Engineering (A.C.A.E.)
Publication No. 7, 1985 - Land Clearing for Agricultural Production
contains additional information on clearing rationale, methods and
equipment and should be referred to prior to commencing a land
clearing project. |
7.2 |
Watercourse Alteration Guidelines issued by the N.B. Department
of Environment and Local Government. |
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The New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture reserves the right to revise the above standard at any time.
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