Davy Crockett National Forest

Davy Crockett National Forest
IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
Location	Houston County and Trinity County, Texas, USA
Nearest city	Lufkin, TX
Coordinates	31°20′00″N 95°05′00″W
Area	161,842 acres (655 km2)
Established	1935
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service

Davy Crockett National Forest is off U.S. Highway 69 lying west of Lufkin, Texas and east of Crockett. It is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture National Forest Service local headquarters in Lufkin. There are local ranger district offices located in Ratcliff.

The forest covers a total of 161,842 acres (252.9 sq mi; 655.0 km²) in two counties - Houston 94,481 acres (147.6 sq mi; 382.4 km²) and Trinity 67,361 acres (105.3 sq mi; 272.6 km²).

The national forest is managed on a multiple-use philosophy and are used for lumbering, grazing, oil production, hunting, and recreation. In fiscal year 1994, 93.8 million board feet of timber was harvested from the national forests in Texas, providing 2,098 jobs and $73,108,000 in income to the surrounding Texas communities. In addition, Texas ranchers with special permits could graze their cattle in the national forests. At the Davy Crockett National Forest, 386 head of cattle grazed in fiscal year 1994. Davy Crockett National Forest, which is bordered on the northeast by the Neches River, includes the 45-acre (180,000 m²) Ratcliff Lake. The area is pine-hardwood woodlands with flat to gently rolling terrain. Recreational facilities at this national forest include a bathhouse, camping and picnicking areas, boat ramps, and hiking trails.

External links

• Davy Crockett National Forest USDA Forest Service - National Forests & Grasslands in Texas
• Davy Crockett National Forest from the Handbook of Texas Online