Kaibab National Forest
The Kaibab National Forest is a National Forest in the State of Arizona under the administration of the United States Forest Service . The area has a total area of around 6500 km².
The Kaibab National Forest was founded in 1909 and consists of three separate regions known as the Ranger Districts . The North Kaibab Ranger District is located on the Kaibab Plateau north of the Grand Canyon National Park . The Tusayan Ranger District connects to the Grand Canyon on the south rim. The Williams Ranger District is set further south around Williams .
Description and usage
The areas ranged from an elevation of 1,676 m in the southwest to an altitude of 3,175 m at Kendrick Peak in the Williams Ranger District . In the Kaibab National Forest is also the mountain Red Butte , which is considered a holy place by the Havasupai Indians .
Inside the national forest there are four wilderness areas , the strictest class of nature reserves in the USA. Two are located in the North Kaibab Ranger District on the Kaibab Plateau, the Kanab Creek Wilderness at the eponymous Kanab Creek and the Saddle Mountain Wilderness above Marble Canyon in the east of the national park. The Kendrick Mountain Wilderness is in the Williams Ranger District . The Sycamore Wilderness is only a small part of the Williams Ranger District and protrudes into the neighboring national forests Coconino National Forest and Prescott National Forest .
Like all national forests, the Kaibab Forest is primarily for commercial use. The forestry is essentially limited to the economically important tree species ponderosa pine and Douglas fir . Deciduous trees such as the American aspen are also used to a lesser extent . After the Second World War, abundant deposits of uranium were found in the region and developed with initially primitive means and with severe environmental damage. In the 1960s, the mines became economically unattractive until price increases in the late 20th century and new technologies in the 21st century led to new applications for use. The region north of the Grand Canyon was closed to all uranium mining for at least 20 years in 2012 due to the direction of the groundwater flows from north to south in order to protect the river and tourism. South of the canyon, the Canyon Mine in the Tusayan Ranger District was approved for use in 2015 based on an operating license from 1986.
The national forest is also of great importance for tourism. The largest campsite in the region is located in the forest near Tusayan, which also serves as a reserve when the national park's infrastructure is overcrowded. Primitive campsites on the north side of the canyon are accessible all year round when the north rim of the canyon and the north part of the national park are closed in winter. In addition, uses are permitted in the national forest that are not permitted in the national park, so that visitors can escape into the forest.
Web links
- US Forest Service: Kaibab National Forest (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ New York Times: US to Block New Uranium Mines Near Grand Canyon , January 6, 2012
- ↑ Bureau of Land Management: Proposed Mineral Withdrawal near Grand Canyon National Park , Jan. 9, 2012
- ↑ World Information Service on Energy: Canyon Mine (accessed April 13, 2015)
Coordinates: 35 ° 57 '16 " N , 112 ° 9' 27" W.