Klamath National Forest is a 1,737,774-acre (2,715 sq mi; 7,033 km2) national forest, in the Klamath Mountains and Cascade Range, located in Siskiyou County in northern California, but with a tiny extension (1.5 percent of the forest) into southern Jackson County in Oregon.[1] The forest contains continuous stands of ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, Douglas fir, red fir, white fir, lodgepole pine, Baker Cypress (Cupressus bakeri), and incense cedar. Old growth forest is estimated to cover some 168,000 acres (680 km2) of forest land.[2] Forest headquarters are located in Yreka, California. There are local ranger district offices located in Fort Jones, Happy Camp, and Macdoel, all in California. The Klamath was established on May 6, 1905.[3] This forest includes the Kangaroo Lake and the Sawyers Bar Catholic Church, which are located within the boundaries of the Forest. The Forest is managed jointly with the Butte Valley National Grassland.
Klamath National Forest | |
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![]() Little Elk Lake in Klamath National Forest | |
Map of the United States | |
Location | Siskiyou County, California / Jackson County, Oregon |
Nearest city | Yreka, California |
Coordinates | 41°30′01″N 123°20′00″W / 41.50028°N 123.33333°W |
Area | 1,737,774 acres (7,032.52 km2) |
Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
Website | Klamath National Forest |
Wilderness areas
editThere are four officially designated wilderness areas in Klamath National Forest that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Two of them extend into neighboring national forests, and one of those into land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
- Marble Mountain Wilderness
- Russian Wilderness
- Red Buttes Wilderness
- Siskiyou Wilderness (mostly in Six Rivers NF)
- Trinity Alps Wilderness (mostly in Trinity NF; partly in Shasta NF, Six Rivers NF, and BLM land)[4]
Local Activism
editBetween the late 1980s and 2010, the Klamath Forest Alliance played major roles in the "timber wars" in the Klamath/Siskiyou Bioregion of Northwest California and Southwest Oregon, including timber sale appeals and litigation to defend roadless areas, the Northern Spotted Owl controversy, and efforts to protect Ancient Forests through federal legislation.[5]
References
edit- ^ Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007
- ^ Warbington, Ralph; Beardsley, Debby (2002), 2002 Estimates of Old Growth Forests on the 18 National Forests of the Pacific Southwest Region, United States Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
- ^ Davis, Richard C. (September 29, 2005), National Forests of the United States, The Forest History Society, archived from the original (PDF) on February 12, 2013
- ^ Trinity Alps Wilderness acreage breakdown, Wilderness.net
- ^ Klamath Forest Alliance Collection. Arcata, CA: Humboldt State University Special Collections, Humboldt State University.
External links
edit- Media related to Klamath National Forest at Wikimedia Commons
- Klamath National Forest official website
- Mid Klamath Watershed Council website
- Salmon River Restoration Council website
- Pictures: Wilderness in the Klamath Mountains
- Panoramic Videos: Outskirts of Klamath National Forest Drone footage of the Klamath National Forest