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 applied
to land and resource management plans of national forests in eastern Oregon and
Washington (hereafter, the “east side”) to halt the loss of large, old, live, and dead
trees 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 of
regional Forest Service managers, we review the scientific knowledge accrued
since implementation of the 21-inch rule and discuss the rule’s role and relevance
to forest planning today.