The Basic Principles If you understand the basics of what is trying to be achieved, you are a long way down the track to meeting the permitted activity standards in Marlborough’s Resource Management Plans and also resource consent conditions. The main principles are set out below: Reduce Sediment Sediment can clog streams, rivers, wetlands, the sea bed and can damage and/or kill aquatic animals and plant life. Minimise the potential for sediment getting into water. The main culprit with forest harvesting is sediment in stormwater run-off from roads and skid sites entering waterways. Vehicles and machinery crossing waterways without a properly formed culvert, ford or bridge can also create a lot of sediment in waterways and can also damage the stream bed. Machinery should not be operated in waterways. Minimise Woody Material in Water Too much vegetation and woody debris in water will suck the oxygen out of the water as the wood decomposes, harming aquatic animals and plant life. Woody material can also block waterways resulting in major debris dams and can subsequently blow-out in high intensity rainfall events scouring out waterways and damaging downstream property. Large logs can divert water flows to banks resulting in stream bank erosion. 2