Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Gifford Pinchot National Forest
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Old Snowy Mountain in Goat Rocks Wilderness
Location	Washington, USA
Nearest city	Amboy, WA
Area	1,321,506 acres (5,347.95 km2)
Established	July 1, 1908
Visitors	1,800,000 (in 2005)
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
www.fs.usda.gov/giffordpinchot

Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a National Forest located in southern Washington, USA, managed by the United States Forest Service. With an area of 1.32 million acres (5300 km²), it extends 116 km along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. The forest straddles the crest of the South Cascades of Washington State, spread out over broad, old growth forests, high mountain meadows, several glaciers, and numerous volcanic peaks. The forest's highest point is at 12,276 ft. at the top of Mount Adams, the second tallest volcano in the state after Rainier. It includes the 110,000-acre (450 km²) Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, established by Congress in 1982.

History

A U.S. Forest Service ranger and cattle grazer permittee on a hillside with cattle in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington in 1949

Gifford Pinchot National Forest is one of the older national forests in the United States. Included as part of the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve in 1897, the area was set aside as the Columbia National Forest in 1908. It was renamed the Gifford Pinchot National Forest on June 15, 1949. In 1985 the non-profit Gifford Pinchot Task Force formed to protect the area. People for over 6,000 years have made an impact in the ecology of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Native Americans hunted in high meadows below receding glaciers. The natives then began to manage the forest to meet their own needs. One method they used was to burn specific areas to help in the huckleberry production. About 338 spots more than 6,000 culturally modified trees were identified, of which 3,000 are protected now. Archaeological investigations on the forest continually find new information to this day about the past lifestyles of the Native Americans.

The forest was named after Gifford Pinchot, an active conservationist, one of the leading figures in the creation of the national forest system of the United States. The forest is home to the Big Tree at the southern flank of Mt Adams, one of the world's largest Ponderosa Trees.

Geography

Map of Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Gifford Pinchot National Forest is located in a mountainous region approximately between Mount St. Helens to the west, Mount Adams to the east, Mount Rainier National Park to the north, and the Columbia River to the south. This region of Southwest Washington is noted for its complex topography and volcanic geology. About 65 percent of the forest acreage is located in Skamania County. In descending order of land area the others are Lewis, Yakima, Cowlitz, and Klickitat. counties.

Major Rivers

Rafting the Wind River

Upper Falls of the Lewis River

The Northwest brings abundant rainfall to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, feeding an extensive network of rivers. The forest has only one river currently designated as Wild and Scenic, the White Salmon River, fed from glaciers high on Mount Adams. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest recommends four rivers to be added to the Wild and Scenic System. They are the Lewis River, the Cispus River, the Clear Fork and the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River. There are an additional thirteen rivers in the forest being studied for consideration into the national Wild and Scenic River System.

Lower Falls of the Lewis River

The following listed are the major streams and rivers of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Many of these provide excellent fishing.

• Cispus River
• Cowlitz River
• White Salmon River
• Little White Salmon River
• Wind River
• Lewis River
• Muddy River
• East Canyon Creek
• Skate Creek
• Iron Creek
• Butter Creek
• Clear Creek
• Siouxon Creek
• Canyon Creek
• Johnson Creek

Major Lakes

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest includes many popular and secluded backcountry lakes. Most of the lakes offers excellent fishing. Goose Lake is known for the best fishing in the State of Washington.

Mount Adams early morning reflection at Takhlakh Lake

Mount Adams above Olallie Lake

Horseshoe Lake

The following table lists the major lakes of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest:

	Lake	Area
1	Spirit Lake	Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
2	Blue Lake	Cispus River Valley
3	Walupt Lake	Base of Goat Rocks
4	Takhlakh Lake	Midway High Lakes Area, below Mount Adams
5	Forlorn Lakes	Indian Heaven Volcanic Field Area
6	Steamboat Lake	Between Indian Heaven Wilderness to the south and Lewis River to the north
7	Goose Lake	Indian Heaven Volcanic Field
8	Indian Heaven Wilderness Lakes	Indian Heaven Wilderness
9	Soda Peaks Lake	Trapper Creek Wilderness
10	Mt. Margaret Backcountry Lakes	Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
11	Mosquito Lakes	North of Indian Heaven Wilderness and Indian Heaven Volcanic Field
12	Lake Scanewa	5 miles (east) from Taidnapam Park (at west end of Riffe Lake)
13	Riffe Reservoir	Cowlitz River
14	Swift Reservoir	Lewis River
15	Mayfield Reservoir	Cowlitz River
16	Olallie Lake	Midway High Lakes Area, below Mount Adams
17	Horseshoe Lake	Midway High Lakes Area, below Mount Adams
18	Council Lake	Midway High Lakes Area, below Mount Adams
19	Tatoosh lakes	Tatoosh Wilderness, south of Mount Rainier National Park
20	Goat Lake	Goat Rocks Wilderness
21	Packwood Lake	large lake at the edge of Goat Rocks Wilderness

Congressional action

Congressional action since 1964 has established one national monument and seven wilderness areas in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

National Monuments

In August 26, 1982, congressional action established the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, after the cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1982.

3,000 ft (1 km) steam plume on May 19, 1982, two years after its major eruption

Wilderness Areas

Congressional action since 1964 has established the following wilderness areas:

Hiker in the Trapper Creek Wilderness

• Glacier View Wilderness - 3,073 acres (12.4 km²)
• Goat Rocks - 108,096 acres (437.4 km²), part of which lies in neighboring Wenatchee NF
• Indian Heaven - 20,782 acres (84.1 km²)
• Mount Adams - 47,078 acres (190.5 km²)
• Tatoosh - 15,725 acres (63.6 km²)
• Trapper Creek - 5,969 acres (24.2 km²)
• William O. Douglas - 169,061 acres (684.2 km²), most of which lies in neighboring Wenatchee NF
• The Shark Rock Wilderness was proposed in the mid-1970s by E.M. Sterling for the 75,000 acre Dark Divide Roadless Area in his book, The South Cascades. It is the largest unprotected roadless area (allowing motorized access) in the Washington Cascades, featuring sharp peaks and deep canyons, old growth forests, and delicate subalpine meadows.

Points of Interest

Summit of Silver Star with Mount St. Helens in the background

The forest also offers the following special areas and points of interest:

• Dark Divide Roadless Area
• Silver Star Scenic Area
• Lava Tubes, Caves, and Casts (notably the Ice Caves)
• Ape Caves
• Midway High Lakes Area
• Big Lava Bed
• Packwood Lake
• Berry Fields, (notably the world-renown Sawtooth Berry Fields)
• Lone Butte Wildlife Emphasis Area

Forest Service management

A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the Forest was 198,000 acres (80,000 ha), some of which is contained within its wilderness areas. The forest supervisor's office is located in Vancouver, Washington. There are local ranger district offices in Randle, Amboy, and Trout Lake. The forest is named after the first chief of the United States Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot. Washington towns near entrances of the forest include Cougar, Randle, Packwood, Trout Lake and Carson.

The Rugged Tatoosh Range from Paradise.

Fauna

Northern Spotted Owl, found in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is the native habitat for several threatened and endangered species. Local endangered species include the bald eagle and the spotted owl as well as multiple species of Northwest fish like the bull trout, chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead salmon.

See also

• Wind River Arboretum

External links

• Official web site
• Gifford Pinchot Task Force