Bitterroot National Forest
Bitterroot National Forest
IUCN Category VI - Protected Area with Sustainable use of Natural Resources |
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The Trapper Peak in the Bitterroot National Forest |
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location | Montana and Idaho , USA | |
surface | 6,421 km² | |
Geographical location | 46 ° 14 ' N , 113 ° 58' W | |
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Setup date | 1907 | |
administration | US Forest Service |
The Bitterroot National Forest is a western Montana and eastern Idaho situated National Forest . The almost 6500 km² forest is part of the northern Rocky Mountains . The height of the forest ranges from 975 m at the northern end of the Bitterroot Valley to 3096 m on Trapper Peak. The grass and bush landscape in the valley is predominantly the habitat for yellow pines , with increasing altitude common Douglas firs ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ), coastal pines ( Pinus contorta ), West American larches ( Larix occidentalis ), Engelmann spruces ( Picea engelmannii), rocky mountains Firs (Abies lasiocarpa), rocky mountain larches (Larix lyallii) and white-stemmed pines (Pinus albicaulis) make up the landscape. The forest is a habitat for mule deer , white-tailed deer , elk , bighorn sheep , mountain goats , American black bears and pumas , among others .
The Bitterroot National Forest was first settled by humans at least 8,000 years ago. It is the former tribal area of the Flathead , but was also frequented by the Nez Percé . The Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805 was the first documented contact of Euro-Americans with the forest. The discovery of gold in the 1860s led to increased immigration to the area. In 1907 the Bitterroot Forest Reserve became a National Forest. The seat of the forest is in Hamilton .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Table 4 - Areas by State. United States Department of Agriculture , accessed August 30, 2015 .
- ↑ a b About the Forest. United States Department of Agriculture , accessed August 30, 2015 .
- ^ History of the Bitterroot National Forest. United States Department of Agriculture , accessed August 30, 2015 .
- ^ Bitterroot National Forest. Official Idaho Vacation and Travel Planning Guide, accessed August 30, 2015 .