Klamath National Forest is a
national forest National Forest may refer to:
* National forest or state forest, a forest administered or protected by a sovereign state
** National forest (Brazil)
** National forest (France)
** National forest (United States)
** State Forests (Poland)
** The N ...
, in the
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains are a rugged and lightly populated mountain range in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the western United States. As a mountain system within both the greater Pacific Coast Ranges and the California Coast R ...
and
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
, located in
Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County ( ) is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,076. Its county seat is Yreka and its highest point is Mount Shasta. It falls within the Casca ...
in northern
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, but with a tiny extension (1.5 percent of the forest) into southern
Jackson County in
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. The forest contains continuous stands of
ponderosa pine
''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine, is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is t ...
,
Jeffrey pine
''Pinus jeffreyi'', also known as Jeffrey pine, Jeffrey's pine, yellow pine and black pine, is a North American pine tree. It is mainly found in California, but also in the westernmost part of Nevada, southwestern Oregon, and northern Baja Califo ...
,
Douglas fir
The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is the tallest tree in the Pinaceae family. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Or ...
,
red fir
''Abies magnifica'', the red fir or silvertip fir, is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. It is a high-elevation tree, typically occurring at elevation, though only rarel ...
,
white fir
''Abies concolor'', the white fir, concolor fir, or Colorado fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Sierra Nevada and southern Rocky Mountains, and int ...
,
lodgepole pine
''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpin ...
, Baker Cypress (
Cupressus bakeri
''Hesperocyparis bakeri'', previously known ''Cupressus bakeri'',[incense cedar
''Calocedrus'', the incense cedar (alternatively spelled incense-cedar), is a genus of coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae first described as a genus in 1873. Three species are native to eastern Asia and one to western North Ame ...]
.
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...
is estimated to cover some of forest land.
Forest headquarters are located in
Yreka, California
Yreka ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States, near the Shasta River; the city has an area of about , most of it land. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,807, reflecting an increase from 7, ...
. 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. 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
Butte Valley National Grassland is a United States National Grassland located in northern California. Administered by the United States Forest Service, Klamath National Forest, it is located in northern Siskiyou County, near the Oregon border, ...
.
Wilderness areas
There are four officially designated
wilderness area
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural) are Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human activity, or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally ...
s in Klamath National Forest that are part of the
National Wilderness Preservation System
The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federal government of the United States, federally managed Wilderness, wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally ...
. Two of them extend into neighboring national forests, and one of those into land managed by the
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
.
*
Marble Mountain Wilderness
*
Russian Wilderness
The Russian Wilderness is a wilderness area of located approximately northeast of Eureka, California, Eureka in northern California. It is within the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County and is managed by the US Forest Service. It was add ...
*
Red Buttes Wilderness
*
Siskiyou Wilderness (mostly in
Six Rivers NF)
*
Trinity Alps Wilderness
The Trinity Alps Wilderness is a designated wilderness located in northern California, roughly between Eureka and Redding. It is jointly administered by Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Six Rivers National Forests. About are administered by t ...
(mostly in
Trinity NF; partly in
Shasta NF, Six Rivers NF, and BLM land)
Local activism
Between 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.
See also
*
List of national forests of the United States
The United States has 154 protected areas known as national forests, covering . National forests are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The first national forest was established as the Yellows ...
References
External links
Klamath National Forest official websiteMid Klamath Watershed Council websiteSalmon River Restoration Council website* Pictures:
* Panoramic Videos:''
Outskirts of Klamath National ForestDrone footage of the Klamath National Forest
National forests of California
National forests of Oregon
Klamath Mountains
Klamath River
Protected areas of Jackson County, Oregon
Protected areas of Siskiyou County, California
Protected areas established in 1905
1905 establishments in California
1905 establishments in Oregon
{{Oregon-protected-area-stub