The 1994 Eastside screens large-tree harvest limit: review of science relevant to forest planning 25 years later

In 1994, a large-tree harvest standard known as the “21-inch rule” was appliedto land and resource management plans of national forests in eastern Oregon andWashington (hereafter, the “east side”) to halt the loss of large, old, live, and deadtrees and old forest patches. These trees and forest patches have distinct ecological,economic, and social values, as reflected in widespread fish and wildlife use,public support for protecting them, and commercial interest in harvesting them,thus they have been the topic of much discussion and debate. At the request ofregional Forest Service managers, we review the scientific knowledge accruedsince implementation of the 21-inch rule and discuss the rule’s role and relevanceto forest planning today.