Deschutes National Forest

Deschutes National Forest
Todd Lake area and view of Mount Bachelor
Map showing the location of Deschutes National Forest
Map showing the location of Deschutes National Forest
LocationOregon, USA
Nearest cityBend, Oregon
Coordinates44°00′00″N 121°30′00″W / 44.00000°N 121.50000°W / 44.00000; -121.50000
Area1,596,900 acres (6,462 km2)[1]
EstablishedJuly 1, 1908[2]
Visitors3,162,000[3] (in 2006)
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service
WebsiteDeschutes National Forest

The Deschutes National Forest is a United States national forest (NF) located in Central Oregon, in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties. It was established in 1908, with border changes following in 1911 and 1915. The forest now encompasses almost 1.6 million acres (6,500 km2) along the east side of the Cascade Range. The forest is bordered to the south by the Fremont–Winema NF, to the southwest by the Umpqua NF, and to the west by the Willamette NF.

The Deschutes NF hosts official preservation areas, various biology, and recreational activities.

History

The Deschutes National Forest was established in 1908 from parts of the Blue Mountains, Cascade, and Fremont national forests (NFs).[4] In 1911, parts of the Deschutes were split off to form the Ochoco and Paulina NFs, with parts of the Cascade and Oregon NFs being added to the Deschutes; in 1915, the Paulina NF was absorbed back into the Deschutes.[5]

From 1964 to 1966, NASA used the park's Newberry Volcano as a training location for Apollo astronauts.[6] In 1990, the area around the volcano was designated as a national monument.[7]

Official areas

Map of Oregon national forests (Deschutes in cyan)

The forest covers a total of 1.6 million acres (6,462 square kilometres).[1] Its headquarters are located in Bend, Oregon. There are local ranger district offices in Bend, Crescent, and Sisters. In addition to the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, the park overlays six National Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Metolius Preserve,[8] and the Oregon Cascade Recreation Area.

There are five wilderness areas officially designated by the National Wilderness Preservation System which overlap the forest and are shared administratively with neighboring NFs.

Geology

About 7,700 years ago, the eruption of Mount Mazama (forming Crater Lake, south of the forest) covered the existing soil with about 3 feet (0.9 meters) of volcanic ash and pumice, forming a topsoil fairly inhospitable to plants, though with the underlying soil still being accessible to roots.[10]

The forest contains over 400 caves.[11] The Newberry volcano area contains cinder cones, lava flows, and lava tubes.

The highest point in the park is Paulina Peak, located south of Paulina Lake within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.[5]

Ecology

Within the Newberry Volcano caldera, top (from left to right): Paulina Lake, the central cone, and East Lake; bottom (right): the obsidian flow known as Big Obsidian

A 1993 U.S. Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the forest was 348,100 acres (140,900 hectares),[12] about 21.7% of the park's total area.[1] The endangered whitebark pine can be found in the forest.[13] No other federally endangered or threatened species were known as of 2009.[14] The park also includes at least 460 acres (190 ha) of fen wetland.[15]

Forbs in the forest include Achillea millefolium (yarrow), Antennaria rosea, Carex rossii, Chaenactis douglasii, Ericameria bloomeri, Eriogonum umbellatum, Eriophyllum lanatum, Fragaria virginiana (strawberry), Ipomopsis aggregata, Juncus balticus, Linum lewisii, Lupinus lepidus, Packera cana, Penstemon davidsonii, P. fruticosus, P. humilis, and P. speciosus.[16]

Grasses include Achnatherum hymenoides, Bromus carinatus, Elymus elymoides, Festuca idahoensis, Koeleria macrantha, Leymus cinereus, and Pseudoroegneria spicata.[16]

Shrubs include Arctostaphylos nevadensis, A. patula, Artemisia tridentata, Ceanothus prostratus, C. velutinus, Cercocarpus ledifolius, Chamaebatiaria millefolium, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Cornus sericea, Holodiscus dumosus, Lonicera involucrata, Philadelphus lewisii, Physocarpus malvaceus, Prunus virginiana (chokecherry), Purshia tridentata, Ribes aureum (golden currant), Symphoricarpos albus, Ribes cereum (wax currant), and Rosa woodsii.[16]

The forest also contains matsutake mushrooms. In 2010, in partnership with Oregon State University, the area hosted a first-of-its-kind genetic analysis of soil to locate the fungi.[17] Permits are sold for collecting mushrooms, with commercial picking prohibited in most official areas. Matsutake can be collected for a two-month season beginning on September 5. Other fungi share a permit system with the Fremont–Winema, Umpqua, and Willamette national forests.[18]

Animals found in the forest include elk, deer, and frogs.[13] The forest's caves provides habitat to around 14 species of bats, which consume millions of insects.[11]

Activities

Recreational activities in the forest include boating, fishing, wildlife watching, and hiking, as well as mountain biking (with an extensive trail system).[19] Hiking and skiing can be done on Mount Bachelor, a stratovolcano in the Cascade Range.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 20, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  2. ^ "The National Forests of the United States" (PDF). ForestHistory.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 28, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  3. ^ Revised Visitation Estimates (PDF) - National Forest Service
  4. ^ "Forest History Traced to Early Day Reserves". Bend Bulletin. August 20, 1958. p. 27.
  5. ^ a b "About the Forest" from the United States Forest Service.
  6. ^ Phinney, William C. (2015), Science Training History of the Apollo Astronauts (PDF), NASA, pp. 220–223, NASA/SP-2015-626
  7. ^ Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Oregon, Act, PL 101–522, November 5, 1990, 104 Stat 2288.
  8. ^ Dudley, Byron (October 23, 2018). "The Metolius: A River Like No Other". Deschutes Land Trust. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  9. ^ Mount Thielsen Wilderness acreage breakdown Archived 2011-12-29 at the Wayback Machine, Wilderness.net
  10. ^ Hash, Sarah. "Deschutes National Forest Soil Story" (PDF). Deschutes National Forest. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "White-Nose Syndrome in Bats". Deschutes National Forest. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  12. ^ Bolsinger, Charles L.; Waddell, Karen L. (1993). Area of old-growth forests in California, Oregon, and Washington (PDF) (Report). U.S. Forest Service. p. 14. PNW-RB-197. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 5, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Nature & Science". Deschutes National Forest. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  14. ^ Deschutes National Forest (N.F.), EXF Thinning, Fuels Reduction, and Research Project: Environmental Impact Statement. USDA. 2009. p. 192.
  15. ^ "The Fen Phenomenon: An Elusive Ecosystem" (PDF). Deschutes National Forest. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c "Native Plants". Deschutes National Forest. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  17. ^ "Matsuke: The Mushroom Everyone's Talking About" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 20, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  18. ^ "Mushroom Collection". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  19. ^ Recreation from the U.S. Forest Service.
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