Colville National Forest
The Colville National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in northeastern Washington state. It is bordered on the west by the Okanogan National Forest and the Kaniksu National Forest to the east. The forest itself also contains Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge and the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.
The forest encompasses a mountainous area consisting of the Kettle River and Selkirk mountain ranges, and the upper reaches of the Columbia River. Wildlife include Grizzly and black bears, grey wolves, bighorn sheep, Cougars, bald eagles, lynx, moose, beaver, loon, and the last remaining herd of caribou in the lower 48.
The forest has a total area of 1.1 million acres (1 718.75 sq mi, or 4 451.54 km²). A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the Forest was 212,488 acres (85,991 ha).[1] In descending order of forestland area it is located in parts of Ferry, Pend Oreille, and Stevens counties. The forest headquarters is located in Colville, Washington. There are local ranger district offices located in Kettle Falls, Metaline Falls, Newport, and Republic.
Other Protected Areas
The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail passes through the Colville National Forest. It enters the forest on the east side within the Salmo-Priest Wilderness, crosses the Pend Oreille at Boundary Dam, passes through Leadpoint and Northport, then traverses the Kettle Range and exits the Colville near Republic.
References
- ^ Bolsinger, Charles L.; Waddell, Karen L. (1993), Area of old-growth forests in California, Oregon, and Washington (PDF), United States Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Resource Bulletin PNW-RB-197
