Kisatchie National Forest, the only National forest in

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, United States, is located in the forested piney hills and hardwood bottoms of seven central and northern

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

. It is part of the Cenozoic uplands (some of Louisiana's oldest rocks) and has large areas of

longleaf pine The longleaf pine (''Pinus palustris'') is a pine species native to the Southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from East Texas to southern Virginia, extending into northern and central Florida. In this area it is also known as ...

forests (a forest type that has declined significantly over the last century). It is one of the largest pieces of natural landscape in Louisiana, with some of public land, more than half of which is vital longleaf pine and

flatwoods Flatwoods, pineywoods, pine savannas and longleaf pine–wiregrass ecosystem are terms that refer to an ecological community in the southeastern coastal plain of North America. Flatwoods are an ecosystem maintained by wildfire or prescribed fir ...

vegetation. These support many rare plant and animal species. There are also rare habitats, such as hillside seepage bogs and calcareous prairies. The forest also contains and provides a buffer for the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness, a nationally designated wilderness area that contributes to protecting biodiversity of the coastal plain region of the United States. The forest was designated in 1930 during the administration of

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...

. The name Kisatchie is derived from a tribe of Kichai Indians of the

Caddo The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language. The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, who ...

Confederacy. Kisatchie National Forest plays an important role in protecting representative examples of the landscape of northern Louisiana, particularly those that fall within the South Central Plains Ecoregion. The forest protects habitat for a wide array of plant species, including wild orchids and carnivorous plants. Two examples include the pale pitcher plant and rose pogonia orchid. Biologists have found 155 species of breeding or overwintering birds, 48 mammal species, 56 reptile species and 30 amphibian species. Rare animals include the Louisiana pine snake, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the Louisiana black bear and the Louisiana pearlshell mussel.United States Department of Agriculture. 1999. ''Final Environmental Impact Statement. Revised Land and Resource Management Plan. Kisatchie National Forest.'' Forest Service, Southern Region, Pineville, LA. The forest also offers recreation activities including: bird watching, photography, backpacking, canoeing, all-terrain vehicle trails, boating, camping, cycling, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, mountain biking, picnicking and swimming. The forest has more than 40 developed recreation sites and over of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.

Roads A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. The ...

are known to cause significant damage to forests, prairies, streams and wetlands. Roads are particularly harmful to native populations of amphibians and reptiles that migrate to vernal pools. Kisatchie National Forest contains three significant roadless areas, established to protect native species: Cunningham Brake and Saline Bayou.

Cunningham Brake

Cunningham Brake is a large cypress-tupelo gum swamp that also protects flows in Kisatchie Bayou.

Saline Bayou

Saline Bayou has mixed forests associated with alluvial habitats, ranging from shortleaf pine to tupelo gum.

Kisatchie Hills

A third large roadless area, the Kisatchie Hills, is protected under a different designation, as a

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 ...

. More information of these important areas can be found in the ''Final Environmental Impact Statement'' for Kisatchie, prepared by the Forest Service in 1999.

Prairie

Although forests dominate the landscape, scattered prairies can also be found. Natural prairies have been almost extirpated from Louisiana, mostly by clearing for agriculture. Less than one thousand acres of calcareous prairie may remain in the entire state, three pieces of which are associated with Kisatchie: the Kieffer prairie (769 acres), the historic Tancock Prairie (45 acres), and the historic Bartram Prairie (1,190 acres). The latter two are referred to as "historic" because they were mentioned in 1836 survey records; they have reverted to forest. So thoroughly have the prairies of North America been cleared that remnants such as these are likely to be of national significance. The restoration of a natural fire regimen is the most important priority for maintaining and enhancing these prairies.

Coverage

The forest consists of several large areas; and these are fragmented by private land ownership. The headquarters are in Pineville, but the Kisatchie National Forest has five ranger districts in the north-central area of the state: Calcasieu, Caney, Catahoula, Kisatchie and Winn. The forest lies in parts of seven parishes. In descending order of land area within the forest, they are Grant, Natchitoches, Winn, Rapides, Vernon, Claiborne, and Webster parishes.

Calcasieu Ranger District

The Calcasieu Ranger district is the southernmost district, located between

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, Leesville and DeRidder. The District Office is located on LA 28 West, east of Gardner and west of Alexandria, Louisiana. Wolf Rock Cave, the only known cave in Louisiana, is located just off Parish road 455 (locally known as Johnsonville road) in Vernon Parish. The 70-foot above ground cave is situated beside Bundick Creek and is a protected by two rock overhangs. The district comprises the Evangeline and Vernon units:

Evangeline Unit

This district features Kincaid Lake, Valentine Lake, and The Wild Azalea National Recreation Trail Other areas include the Kincaid Lake Day-Use Area, the Kincaid Lake Group-Use Area, the Valentine Lake Day-Use Areas, Valentine Lake Group-Use Area, the Bayou Boeuf Research Natural Area, and the Castor Creek Scenic Area. The Wild Azalea Seep area is part of the Wild Azalea National Recreation Trail. Campgrounds include three at Kincaid Lake, two at Valentine Lake, the Loran/Claiborne Trailhead Camp, the Evangeline Camp, the Ahtus Melder Camp and the

Boy Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organizatio ...

Camp. The Ahtus Melder Camp is for equestrian riders utilizing the Claiborne Trails. Trails in this district include the Wild Azalea National Recreation Trail, the Claiborne Trails, the Kincaid Lake Trails, the Valentine Lake Trail, the Lamotte Creek Trail, the Ouiski Chitto Creek (sometimes spelled Whiskey Chitto) Recreation Trail and, the Indian Ridge Trail. The Evangeline Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District also encompasses the remains of Camp Claiborne, a U.S. Army post during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Camp Claiborne was the largest

military installation A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and Military operation, operations. A military base always provides ...

in the United States and the third largest city in Louisiana. Today, part of the old camp is used as a U.S. Air Force bombing range.

Vernon Unit

This district features Fullerton Lake, Enduro Trailhead Camp, and Hunter's Camp. Day and group-use opportunities include The Fullerton Lake Day-Use Area, Fullerton Lake Group-Use Area, Little Cypress Day-Use Area, Little Cypress Group-Use Area, Blue Hole Day-Use Area, Blue Hole Group-Use Area, and Government Pond Recreation Area. Some activities have required fees. Boating opportunities include in this district include kayaking and canoeing on Fullerton Lake, Little Cypress, Blue Hole, and Blue Hole Wildlife Viewing Structure. Hiking trails in this area include Big Branch Trail, Ouiska Chitto Trail, Enduro Trail, Fullerton Mill Trail,' Ol Sarge Trail, and Turkey Pen Trail. Other notable activities in the area include Cooter's Bog Special Interest Area, Drake's Creek Special Interest Area, Quiska Chitto Special Interest Area, and the Longleaf Scenic Area. Animals in the area include the

red-cockaded woodpecker The red-cockaded woodpecker (''Leuconotopicus borealis'') is a woodpecker endemic to the southeastern United States. It is a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Description The red-cockaded woodpecker is small- to mi ...

(''Picoides borealis''), often referred to as the RCW, is one of the few birds endemic to the United States and many colonies are in the Vernon Unit. The RCW only nest in cavities of specific trees. Having extremely specific habitat requirements lost by mass deforestation caused large population declines and the extinction of numerous colonies in the 20th century. It was listed as a Federal Endangered Species. All areas in this unit where RCW reside have been identified and are distinctly marked. The markings include a boundary of Department of Forestry Service signs and white paint markings on the boundary trees. Many of these habitats can be observed from the roadside of La-Forestry Rd. 410, known as Bailey Road, that runs from Rosepine to LA 10. The Louisiana Statewide Red-cockaded Woodpecker Safe Harbor Program is a partnership between the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enlist the aid of non-federal property owners to help build and maintain adequate foraging habitat. The

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland game bird native to North America, one of two extant species of Turkey (bird), turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey (''M. g. dom ...

was a very important food animal to Native Americans, but it was eliminated from much of its range by the early 20th century. Large groups of these birds can be observed on or near LA-Forestry rds 430 (Marlow Road) and 431 (Drakes Fork Road) that is off LA 10 just west of Cravens. The Calcasieu's Vernon Unit is frequently used by neighboring

Fort Johnson Fort Polk, formerly Fort Johnson, is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, Vernon Parish, Louisiana, about 10 miles (15 km) east of Leesville, Louisiana, Leesville and 30 miles (50 km) north of DeRid ...

for training and the military leases training access to many areas. Areas affected by military operations will be posted by Fort Johnson and Kisatchie.

Caney Ranger District

The Caney Ranger district is located northeast of

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

south of the

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

state line near

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

, the seat of Claiborne Parish. It boasts the Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail along with Caney Lakes Recreation Area and Corney Lakes. The Caney Ranger District, unlike the rest of the Kisatchie National Forest, began its life in the hands of the Depression-era

Resettlement Administration The Resettlement Administration (RA) was a New Deal U.S. federal agency created May 1, 1935. It relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government. On September 1, 1937, it was succeeded by the Farm S ...

, which bought up marginal upland farmland. The Caney was not turned over to the Forest Service until 1959. The district comprises the Caney Lake Unit, the Middle Fork Unit, and the Corney Lake Unit

Caney Lakes Unit

Camping opportunities in this unit include The Beaver Dam Campground on Upper Caney Lake and the Turtle Slide Campground on Lower Caney Lake in the Caney Lakes Recreation Complex. Trail opportunities include The Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail inside the Caney Lakes Recreation Complex. Day and group-use opportunities include The Caney Lakes Day-Use Area, the Caney Lakes Ski Beach Area, and the Caney Lakes Group-Use Area which are all located on Lower Caney Lake. People desiring boating opportunities can enjoy The Upper Caney Lake Boat Launch Area, the Lower Caney Lake Boat Launch Area, and the South Shore Caney Lake Boat Launch Area. Fees are collected for certain activities in this unit.

Middle Fork Unit

The Middle Fork Unit of the Caney Ranger District has only two designated recreation facilities, both of which are designated hunter's camps and are opened year-around but only maintained for the hunting season. These primitive camps are Bucktail Camp and Turkey Trot Camp. These areas are ideal for wildlife and bird watchers, plant enthusiasts, and nature lovers.

Corney Lake Unit

Camping opportunities include the south shore campground, the north shore camp, and sugar creek hunter's camp. Day and group-use facilities include the south shore day/group-use area and the north shore day-use area. Corney Lake has three separate boat launches. The first is the modern south shore day-use/boat launch, the second is the more primitive north shore boat launch, and the third is the all new Corney Bayou Launch. Unlike other units, there are no designated trails within the Corney Lake Unit. Also, there are no fee areas within the Corney Lake Unit at any of the facilities provided.

Catahoula Ranger District

The Catahoula Ranger district is located north of Pineville. The district features Stuart Lake Recreation Complex; hiking and biking along the Glenn Emery Trail; the original

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

site in Pineville; hunting in the Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge; and two ATV trails located in old Camp Livingston. The remains of Camp Livingston, a World War II-era

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

installation, lie almost completely in the Catahoula Ranger District. Livingston was one of the Army's large training facilities and was at the epicenter of the famed

Louisiana Maneuvers The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of major U.S. Army exercises held from August to September 1941 in northern and west-central Louisiana, an area bounded by the Sabine River to the west, the Calcasieu River to the east, and by the city of ...

. The "Maneuvers," two large war games which took place over the summers of 1940 and 1941, played a key role in the preparation of the U.S. military for World War II combat. Camping opportunities in this district include The Stuart Lake Campground, Bankston Camp, Highway 472 Camp, Pearson Camp, and Saddle Bayou Camp. Opportunities for trails include The Camp Livingston Trails, The Glenn Emery Trail, and the Stuart Nature Trail. The Stuart Lake Day-Use and Group-Use Areas and The Iatt Lake Observation Pier Day-Use Area are intended for day use. The district also houses The Catahoula National Wildlife Management Preserve, consisting of of land set aside for the preservation of land for wildlife habitat. Hunters come from all around during hunting season to the Catahoula Preserve. Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden also resides in the area. Viewable year-around, the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden is best viewed in late spring through early fall. Seasonal butterflies and migratory hummingbirds frequent the garden quite often through the summer months. The Stuart Seed Orchard was built by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

in the 1930s for the purpose of replanting clear-cut areas from the previous 30 years of unsupervised forest harvesting. A by-product of the seed orchard is the Stuart Lake Recreation Complex, built to water the seed orchards before the more modern irrigation systems was built.

Kisatchie Ranger District

The Kisatchie Ranger district is located between Leesville and Natchitoches. Within the district are the

protected areas Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

of a national forest,

national Preserve There are 21 protected areas of the United States designated as national preserves. They were established by an act of Congress to protect areas that have resources often associated with national parks but where certain natural resource–extr ...

, and

national National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

, that contains scenic trails as well as a scenic bayou and waterfalls. Kisatchie Bayou is a tributary of Old River at Isle Brevelle. The bayou runs through a large portion of the national forest and is known for its clear waters, swimming holes and waterfalls. The Man in the Moon (1991 film) was filmed at Kisatchie Bayou. Kisatchie Falls is a waterfall along Kisatchie Bayou in

Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Natchitoches Parish ( or ) is a List of parishes in Louisiana, parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 37,515. The parish seat and most populous municipality is Nat ...

near the border with Vernon Parish. It is one of the few waterfalls and the only Class II rapids in the state. In 2007, the Kisatchie Ranger District was acknowledged with a Secretary of Agriculture award for heroism for actions relating to a 100-year flood that swept the district. The Kisatchie Ranger District contains , that includes the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness Area and the National Red Dirt Wildlife Management Preserve * The Longleaf Scenic Byway is in length. The byway is Forest Highway 59 / Parish Road 830. * The Longleaf Vista Recreation Area which includes the sandstone bluffs. * Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Area with white sandy beaches and rocky rapids of Kisatchie Bayou. This is a camping and day use area. * Kisatchie Hills Wilderness that is a nationally designated wilderness area. The area consist of 8,700 acres bordered on the northwest side by Parish Road 339 (Montrose rd.) and the southwest and southern side by the Longleaf Trail Scenic Byway. The eastern border is mostly the National Forest boundary and on the southwest corner by LA 119 that is the terminus of the scenic byway. Kisatchie Wilderness is one of three wilderness areas in Louisiana. The other two are the 5,000 acre Breton Wilderness, within the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, and the 3345 acre Lacassine Wilderness within the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge. * The Red Dirt National Wildlife Management Preserve borders and is part of Kisatchie Hills Wilderness area. * Sandstone Multi-Use Trail. * Caroline Dormon Trail for horseback, hiking, biking. Named for Caroline Dormon.

Winn Ranger District

The Winn Ranger District encompasses of Winn Parish,

Natchitoches Parish Natchitoches Parish ( or ) is a List of parishes in Louisiana, parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 37,515. The parish seat and most populous municipality is Nat ...

, and Grant Parish in

North Louisiana North Louisiana (), also known locally as Sportsman's Paradise, (a name sometimes attributed to the state as a whole) is a region in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The region has two metropolitan areas: Shreveport-Bossier City and Monroe-West Monr ...

. It is in close proximity to the Winnfield area. Because of this close proximity, the Winn Ranger District and the Catahoula National Wildlife Management refuge has become a very popular destination for hunters during hunting season. Gum Springs Recreation Area, located in an area of hilly terrain and natural springs, exhibits recreation design and construction from the

era of the 1930s while offering basic recreation opportunities of picnicking and camping. Currently being expanded, The Gum Springs Horse Camp and Trail offers activities for peoples interested in horse riding. Cloud Crossing Recreation Complex lies directly on the banks of Saline Bayou and is a put-in/take-out point for boating or canoeing. Approximately of Saline Bayou was designated a

National Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-f ...

because of its unique qualities.

Bald cypress ''Taxodium distichum'' (baldcypress, bald-cypress, bald cypress, swamp cypress; ; ''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a w ...

and other

hardwood Hardwood is wood from Flowering plant, angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostl ...

grow along the banks, often reflected in the bayou's quiet water. Hikers can use The Dogwood Interpretive Trail, sponsored by the ARRP.

Forest research and archaeology

The Palustris Experimental Forest is located within the Calcasieu Ranger District.

Bat research

There are 47 prominent bat species found in the United States, and each species contributes a unique service to their specific ecosystem, such as consuming insect pests, and thereby benefit both humans and livestock. A research investigation found that the occurrence of bats was correlated with the type of forest management implemented on the Kisatchie National Forest. Forest canopies with more open areas tended to increase bat occupancy.

Kisatchie National Forest Heritage Program

The Kisatchie National Forest Heritage Program is a program responsible for protecting

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

sites and historic structures on the forest, including several

structures dating to the 1930s and 1940s such as Gum Springs Recreation Area.

America the Beautiful Quarters

In 2015, the

United States Mint The United States Mint is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bull ...

began issuing the Kisatchie National Forest Quarter from the

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

mints, designed by Susan Gamble. The quarter's design features a wild turkey in flight over blue stem grass with long leaf pine trees in the background.

References

External links

*
Interagency Coordination Center (fire prevention)
* {{Authority control National forests of Louisiana Civilian Conservation Corps in Louisiana Historic American Landscapes Survey in Louisiana Protected areas of Grant Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Winn Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Rapides Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Vernon Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Webster Parish, Louisiana