A. Corridor Management Plan. Within any riparian corridor area, no construction, development, use, activity, or encroachment shall be permitted unless a corridor management plan is submitted and approved by the Township Board of Supervisors and the effects of such development are mitigated by the implementation of the corridor management plan. The corridor management plan shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Existing conditions, including the boundaries of Zones One and Two, steep slopes, swales, wetlands, streams, ponds, floodplains, woodlands, other vegetation, and existing structures. A written description of unusual or significant conditions should also be included.
(2) Proposed activities, including a scaled plan which shows all proposed activities in Zone 1, Zone 2, and land adjacent to the corridor. The plan shall differentiate areas that will be disturbed from those that will be protected and preserved.
(3) Proposed management, including a discussion of how the purposes of this chapter will be met given the proposed activities. The plan shall specify when the construction, planting, or other activities are to begin and end and shall address long and short-term maintenance, and improvement activities necessary for preservation of the corridor, removal of invasive plants, spacing and types of newly planted trees and shrubs, mowing schedules, farming practices, and other related functions.
B. Management, Mitigation, and Restoration Measures. The proposed management plan shall also comply with the management and restoration measures outlined below. The following management practices shall be integrated into the plan.
(1) Existing woody and other vegetation shall be preserved.
(2) Fallen branches and other organic material shall be allowed to remain where they have fallen.
(3) Fencing shall be used to keep livestock away from streams and waterways.
(4) Corridor crossings shall be done at a 90° angle to the crossing.
(5) An undisturbed vegetative strip shall be kept between agricultural uses and stream corridors.
(6) Agricultural uses shall follow accepted conservation and nutrient management practices, as promulgated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, and other regulatory agencies.
C. The management plan shall address the following restoration measures:
(1) Stabilization of waterway banks in accordance with a plan approved by Township.
(2) Restoration of degraded landscapes in accordance with a plan approved by the Township.
(3) The restoration plan shall include the following in addressing the stabilization of waterway banks, degraded landscapes and degraded woodlands. Planting within the riparian corridor should be with three distinct layers of vegetation: (a) canopy trees, such as Oak, Hickory, Maple, Gum, Beech, Sycamore, Spruce, Hemlock, Pine and Fir; (b) shrubs that provide an understory such as Elderberry, Viburnum, Azalea, Rhododendron, Holly, Laurel, and Elders; and (c) Herbaceous plants that serve as ground cover, including ferns, soil, Trillium, Violet Virginia Creeper, Nettle, Phlox, Aster and worts. All three layers shall be planted at a density sufficient to create a fully functioning naturalized riparian corridor. No invasive species may be proposed or planted.
D. Restoration and Conversion of Landscapes.
(1) Landscapes shall be restored by removing invasive vines, removing invasive trees, cleaning out trash, correcting soil erosion problems, planting appropriate plants, and properly maintaining all new plantings.
(2) Landscapes shall be converted to a more effective landscape by removing existing incompatible vegetation, planting plants that are appropriate for the proposed landscape type and the site, and maintaining and protecting the plantings from invasive plants, deer, and other long-term problems.
(3) Vegetation Selection.
(a) Native or similar appropriate vegetation approved by the Township must be used in landscaping and replanting efforts. Three layers of vegetation are required when replanting the riparian corridor. The three layers include herbaceous plants that serve as ground cover, understory shrubs, and trees that form an overhead canopy. A revegetation plan shall be prepared by a qualified professional, such as a landscape architect or engineer and shall comply with the following minimum requirements. The re-vegetation plan shall be subject to Township approval.
(b) Ground Cover. Ground cover consisting of native seed mix extending a minimum of 25 feet in width from the edge of the stream bank must be provided along the portion(s) of the stream corridor where little or no riparian vegetation exists. Appropriate ground cover includes native herbs and forbs exclusive of noxious weeds as defined by the Pennsylvania State Department of Agriculture. The twenty-five-foot wide planted area shall be designated on the plan as a "no mow zone" and shall be left as natural cover except in accordance with maintenance instructions stated on the plan.
(c) Trees and Shrubs. These plants layers include trees that form an overhead canopy and understory shrubs. Overstory trees should be deciduous or evergreen trees that include Oak, Hickory, Maple, Gum, Beech, Sycamore, Hemlock, Pine and Fir. Permitted evergreen and deciduous herbs include elderberry, viburnum, azalea, rhododendron, holly, laurel and alders. Other tree and shrub species shall be subject to approval by the Township. Plantings shall be in an informal manner clustered within the riparian buffer. The plantings shall be provided at a rate of at least one overstory tree and three shrubs for every lineal foot of waterway and shall extend 25 feet in width from the edge of the waterway unless the Township approves a lesser distance because of topographic and other features.
(d) In addition to the above, those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions including swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas, including wetlands, shall also be subject to the provisions.
(e) Diseased or damaged vegetation and invasive plant and tree species (including: bush honeysuckle, grape, Japanese honeysuckle, multiflora rose, Norway maple, oriental bittersweet, porcelain berry, thistle) should be removed whenever possible. Areas of removed vegetation shall be promptly restored and replaced with appropriate riparian corridor plants.
(4) The conversion of existing landscapes within the riparian corridor to more desirable landscapes is encouraged. Lawns and pastures within the riparian corridor can be improved by landscaping with shrubs and adding vegetation consistent with a healthy meadow (native grasses, annual rye, oats, and native wildflowers). Conversion of lawns and pastures to meadow may be facilitated by reducing and eliminating mowing.
