Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

	Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest IUCN Category VI - Protected Area with Sustainable use of Natural Resources
	View of Berry Meadow in the National Forest
location	Montana , USA
surface	13,588.64 km²
Geographical location	46 ° 8 ′ N , 112 ° 50 ′ W Coordinates: 46 ° 8 ′ 0 ″ N , 112 ° 50 ′ 0 ″ W
Setup date	July 1, 1908
administration	US Forest Service

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is the largest national forest in Montana with a total area of 13,588.64 km² . Like all national forests, it is federally owned and is used intensively for forestry purposes.

There are various leisure and recreational activities within the protected area. In addition to several campsites, the forest offers many opportunities for fishing and hunting. The various lakes and rivers are popular places for water sports. In the area of the forest there are several ghost towns, some of which have been turned into tourist attractions.

Flora and fauna

The area includes forests, grasslands and mountain landscapes. With a maximum elevation of 3,400 m, it offers a diverse landscape.

Over 2,000 different plant species can be identified in the protected area. The forests are dominated by yellow pines and various types of spruce , fir and juniper . Around a third of the protected area is not overgrown by forests. Plants of the genus Artemisia and sweet grasses mainly occur here. In places even cacti can be found.

Around 246 species of birds, 85 species of mammals and 15 species of reptiles and amphibians also live here. Wolves , grizzly bears , bald eagles and lynxes can be observed in the reserve .

Protected areas within the forest

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has two total reserves that are designated as Wilderness Area :

Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness (Part of the Bitterroot National Forest ).
Lee Metcalf Wilderness (Part of the Gallatin National Forest for the most part ).

The Lemhi Pass is also a National Historic Landmark in the reserve.

history

In 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition at Lemhi Pass in the Beaverhead Mountains first saw the water of the Columbia River and had thus reached the western United States.

On July 1, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt set up the administrative structures of the Beaverhead and Deaelodge National Forest. Especially in the area of the Beaverhead National Forest one wanted to counter the increasing environmental pollution by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company . The two forest areas were initially managed separately from each other. In 1996 they were merged to form the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.