Gifford Pinchot National Forest
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Gifford Pinchot National Forest
IUCN Category VI - Protected Area with Sustainable use of Natural Resources |
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 Takhlakh Lake with Mount Adams |
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| location | Washington , United States | |
| Area / extent | 5340 km² / 116 km | |
| Geographical location | 46 ° 45 ′ N , 121 ° 27 ′ W | |
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| Setup date | 1908 | |
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a wooded area that was designated a US National Forest in 1908 . The National Forest is located in the state of Washington , in the northwest of the USA and covers 5340.4 km². It stretches for around 116 km on the western slope of the Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River . It includes the 445 km² area of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, which was established in 1982. Furthermore, several wilderness areas have been part of it since 1964 : Goat Rocks Wilderness (427 km²), Tatoosh Wilderness (63.9 km²), Mount Adams Wilderness (19.1 km²), Indian Heaven Wilderness (82.6 km²) and Trapper Creek Wilderness (24 km²).
history
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest originally belonged to the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve established in 1897 , but was separated as Columbia National Forest in 1908 . It received its current name in 1949 after Gifford Pinchot , the founding director of the United States Forest Service .
In 1984 the Gifford Pinchot Task Force was established to enforce protective measures and keep the public informed. It was originally based in Fort Vancouver , but has since moved to Portland .
A protection program began in 1985 after over 6000 culturally modified trees had been identified in 338 locations , of which only half are under protection. These trees allow insight into the regionally specific use of the trees, the traces of which are systematically recorded and mapped. The research methods, which are now well developed, allow insights into the prescribed cultures of the region, even if there are no archaeological or ethno-historical references.
