(a) Scaling by the Bureau will be used from time to time for administrative reasons. Such reasons would include but not be limited to the following: To improve cruising standards; check accuracy of cruising practices; for volumetric analysis; and for highly defective timber where it is impossible to determine the tree cruise volume within a reasonable degree of accuracy.

(b)

(1) BLM may order third party scaling after determining that all of the following factors exist:

(i) A timber disaster has occurred;

(ii) A critical resource loss is imminent; and

(iii) Measurement practices listed in §5422.1 and paragraph (a) of this section are inadequate to permit orderly disposal of the damaged timber.

(2) BLM may also order third party scaling, only by scalers or scaling bureaus under contract to BLM, for the scaling of density management timber sales when the quadratic mean diameter of the trees to be cut and removed is equal to or less than 20 inches.

(3) Third party scaling volumes must be capable of being equated to BLM standards in use for timber depletion computations, to insure conformance with sustained yield principles.

[35 FR 9785, June 13, 1970, as amended at 71 FR 30294, May 26, 2006]