Siuslaw National Forest

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Primeval forest in the Cummins Creek Wilderness in the Siuslaw National Forest

The Siuslaw National Forest is a National Forest in the US state of Oregon . The national forest was established in 1908 and extends in several sections over a total of 217 km along the Oregon coast.

geography

The 2549 km² large national forest covers large parts of the Oregon Coast Range . The altitude extends from sea ​​level to 1249 m, making it one of only two national forests in the continental United States that border an ocean. The national forest extends from the coast up to 44 km inland. There are 30 natural lakes and over 1900 km of streams and rivers in the forest. The four largest rivers that flow from the national forest into the Pacific are the Nestucca , Alsea , Siuslaw, and Umpqua Rivers . Two thirds of the area of ​​the forest is in Lane and Lincoln Counties , the remaining areas are in Tillamook , Douglas , Yamhill , Benton , Coos and Polk Counties .

The US Highway 101 runs parallel to the National Forest along the coast, while the highway 26, 6, 18, 22, 20, 34, 126 and 38, the forest and cross the Coast Range and the coast with Portland and the Willamette Valley connect.

Map of the Siuslaw National Forest

climate

The climate is a maritime climate shaped by the Pacific with up to 2500 mm annual precipitation, which falls mainly in winter. Temperatures in winter are mild at −1 to 4 ° C, so snowfall is rare. Summers are warmer and drier at 16 ° C, while the coast is cooler and often foggy.

Flora and fauna

The abundant rainfall provides the conditions for a temperate rainforest . In the national forest there are two distinct vegetation zones, the Sitka spruce forest and the West American hemlock zone. The Sitka spruce needs a humid and cool climate and only grows up to a distance of up to three miles from the coast in Oregon. In the interior of Oregon it is too warm and dry for them, there, in the mountains of the Coast Range, a forest of West American hemlocks and Douglas firs dominate . Further species are giant arborvitae , red alder and Oregon maple trees .

In the 19th and especially in the 20th century, clear cutting and road construction destroyed a large part of the primeval forests, so that the national forest today mostly consists of secondary forest. The Northwest Forest Plan , which was adopted in 1994 by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management , is intended to convert forest management from clear-cutting to more sustainable forest management that takes into account the remaining primeval forests and endangered animals and plants.

There are 26 species of amphibians and reptiles, 235 species of birds, over 200 species of fish and 69 different mammal species in the national forest. The largest mammals are Roosevelt's elk and black bear , and the endangered spotted owl and bald eagle live in the forests . The numerous rivers and streams are spawning grounds for king and silver salmon and rainbow and cutthroat trout , which swim up the rivers to spawn.

Protected areas and tourist destinations

Mary's Peak

At 1,249 feet (1,249 meters), Marys Peak is the tallest mountain in the Oregon Coast Range and National Forests. The mountain is a designated Scenic Botanical Area because of its rich, unique landscape and flora and the most famous peak west of Corvallis . On a clear day, the view goes from the summit to the ocean to the cascade chain .

Oregon Dunes near Florence

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is located within the National Forest between Florence and Coos Bay . The Oregon Dunes are the largest area of ​​coastal sand dunes in North America. The 31 km² National Recreation Area contains beautiful sandy beaches, 30 lakes, several hiking trails and an impressive coastal landscape.

Cascade Head Scenic Research Area

Cascade Head is a headland on the Oregon coast eight kilometers north of Lincoln City . South of the cape the Salmon River flows into the Pacific.

In 1934, an area of ​​4811 hectares was protected as the Cascade Head Experimental Forest in order to scientifically investigate the typical coastal rainforest made up of Sitka spruce and West American hemlock. In 1936 a weather station was built on the site, which is still an official station of the National Weather Service today. In 1974, the 3,913-acre Cascade Head Scenic Research Area was established, encompassing the western portion of the jungle, the prairie grass headlands of Cascade Head and Hart's Cove, and the mouth of the Salmon River in the south. The combination of the two areas resulted in a diverse research program, which is why the entire area was designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1980 . The diverse ecosystems provide habitat for more than 350 animal species, including the endangered spotted owl, the jellyfish , the silver salmon and the Oregon Silver Spot Butterfly . The renatured Salmon River is a spawning area for salmon and also a habitat for young fish. Alder forests lie along the river and the rainforests of the Oregon coast in the hinterland.

The area is administered by the Forest Service and the Pacific Northwest Research Station of the USDA Forest Service, cooperation partners are the Nature Conservancy , which owns 109 hectares of the area of ​​the Cape, universities in Oregon and Washington and various Oregon authorities.

Sand Lake Recreation Area

The Sand Lake Recreation Area is located on the coast about 15 miles southwest of Tillamook between Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda . The 435 hectare area includes open sand dunes bounded by thick forests and the Pacific coast. The sand dunes begin at a sea bay and extend about 5.6 km northeast. The dunes are surrounded on three sides by a coastal mixed coniferous forest. The dune landscape is an example of an extensive parabolic dune landscape. The vegetation consists of coastal pines and European beach grass . Fishing, crab and clam gathering, swimming, kayaking, hiking and wildlife viewing can be found in and around Sand Lake. There is a campsite in the area, the Recreation Area is open all year round and is especially popular with off-roaders because of the sand dunes.

Panoramic view from Cape Perpetua

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area

The over 240 m high Cape Perpetua is a headland between Newport and Florence. The surrounding 109 km² scenic area is open to tourists with a visitor center and numerous hiking and walking trails. There is a fee to visit the Scenic Area.

A total of 37 km of hiking and walking trails lead through the area. Because of the cool, humid maritime climate, there is a Sitka spruce forest on the cape. One of the oldest Sitka spruces in the region is almost 600 years old, over 56 meters high and over twelve meters in circumference. Several paths lead through the forest and to the seashore, where there are tide pools and rocks, where the sea throws up spectacular water fountains when the sea is rough. From the vantage point on the cape there is a panoramic view of 240 km from Cape Foulweather to Cape Blanco on a clear day . In spring and autumn you can watch gray whales migrate from Cape .

Mountains of mussel shells are reminiscent of the indigenous people of the region. For the Indians, the region with its abundance of fish, mussels, crabs, berries and game was an important source of food. In the 1930s, civilian Conservation Corps workers built a shelter on the Cape. The hut briefly served as a lookout post during World War II.

Wilderness Areas

There are three small wilderness areas in the national forest , which were established in 1984. The three areas with a jungle of Sitka spruce, West American hemlock and Douglas fir and dense undergrowth do not correspond to the typical high alpine wilderness areas. The three coastal jungle areas are quite small, together cover only about 90 km² and have few or no paths and only a few places to stay for hikers.

Drift Creek Wilderness Area

The Drift Creek Wilderness is seven miles north of Waldport and south of Newport. The 23 km² Wilderness Area includes the largest remaining primeval forest on the Oregon Coast Range.

The steep canyon of the rocky Drift Creek and the steep mountain slopes create the impression of a mountainous landscape, but the forested hills actually only rise to a height of just over 450 m. Soaked by more than 3000 mm of annual precipitation, the ground along the streams is covered with up to 15 cm thick cushions of moss.

A total of twelve kilometers of hiking trails lead through the area.

Cummins Creek Wilderness Area

The Cummins Creek Wilderness is 10 miles south of Waldport and 15 miles north of Florence. The 37 km² wilderness area is divided into two halves by the 730 m high Cummins Ridge. Covered by alder and maple trees, Cummins and Bob Creek flow westward through dense rainforest into the Pacific.

The nine-kilometer-long Cummins Ridge Trail is the only path that leads through the Wilderness Area with over 300 m high inclines. The Oregon Coast Trail leads through the adjoining terrain, the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area and Neptune State Park border the Wilderness Area .

Rock Creek Wilderness

The more than 30 km² Rock Creek Wilderness is located on the Pacific coast south of Waldport and north of Florence. The Rock Creek in the center of the area and the Big Creek on the southern border flow through the densely forested area and empty into the Pacific. Oregon Silverspot Butterflys are found on the high ridge between the rivers .

There are no marked paths through the rough terrain.

Web links

Commons : Siuslaw National Forest  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Northwest Forest Plan. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on July 22, 2011 ; Retrieved June 18, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.oregonwild.org
  2. ^ Siuslaw National Forest: A model for the future. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved June 18, 2011 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.oregonwild.org  
  3. ^ Ecological Sciences for Sustainable Development: Cascade Head. Retrieved December 29, 2012 .
  4. ^ Cascade Head. Retrieved June 18, 2011 .

Coordinates: 44 ° 19 '59.4 "  N , 123 ° 55' 4.4"  W.