- Bitterroot National Forest
Infobox_protected_area | name = Bitterroot National Forest
iucn_category = VI
caption =
locator_x = 60
locator_y = 30
location = Ravalli and Missoula counties inMontana ; Idaho County inIdaho , USA
nearest_city = Missoula, MT
lat_degrees = 46
lat_minutes = 13
lat_seconds = 58
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 113
long_minutes = 57
long_seconds =49
long_direction = W
area = 1.6 million acres (6,500 km²)
established = 1907
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = U.S. Forest ServiceBitterroot National Forest comprises 1.6 million acres (6,500 km²) in west-central
Montana and easternIdaho , of theUnited States .Founded in 1898, the forest is located in the Bitterroot and the Sapphire mountain ranges with
elevation s ranging from 2,200 feet (650 m) along theSalmon River in Idaho to 10,157 foot (3,100 m) Trapper Peak. Roughly half the forest (743,000 acres, 3,000 km²) make up part or all of three distinctWilderness areas. These areas include the Anaconda-Pintler, Selway-Bitterroot andFrank Church River of No Return Wilderness es. The distinction is that in wilderness areas, noroad s, logging,mining or otherconstruction is permitted and all access must be done either on foot orhorseback ; evenbicycles are not permitted.Hunting however is allowed forest-wide including wilderness areas.History
The
Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through parts of what are now forest lands in 1805. After the discovery ofgold in Idaho and then Montana in the 1860's, numerous mining towns were built, some of which today areghost town s. TheNez Perce National Historic Trail passes through a portion of the forest, following the route of the retreatingNez Perce on their historic path that led from Idaho to north central Montana in 1877. Heavy logging and other resource depletion beginning in the 1880's ledconservationist s to push for the preservation the forest. [cite web | last = Wilderness.net | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Selway-Bitterroot | title = Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness | format = | work = The National Wilderness Preservation System | publisher = | accessdate = 2006-07-08 | accessyear =]The Bitter Root Forest Reserve was established by the
General Land Office on March 1, 1898 with 4,147,200 acres. It was transferred to theU.S. Forest Service in 1906. On July 1, 1908 the name was changed to Bitterroot National Forest, with lands added fromBig Hole National Forest andHell Gate National Forest . Other lands were transferred from Biterroot to Beaverhead, Clearwater, Nez Perce and Salmon National Forests. On October 29, 1934 part ofSelway National Forest was added. [citation|title=PDFlink| [http://www.foresthistory.org/Research/usfscoll/places/National%20Forests%20of%20the%20U.S.pdf National Forests of the United States] |341 KB|date=September 29, 2005|author=Davis, Richard C.|publisher=The Forest History Society]Composition
The forest is a combination of both
grassland s and forested zones.Grazing rights are leased to private landowners in the loweraltitude s where grasses and shrublands are dominant. Higher up,Douglas fir ,larch , andlodgepole pine slowly give way toEngelmann Spruce andwhitebark pine as the altitude increases. Above the treeline at 8,000 feet (2,400 m) the trees abruptly end and alpine flowers and grasses are found. A smallgrizzly bear population is located in the wilderness zones of the forest with black bear,mountain goat ,bighorn sheep ,elk andmoose found forestwide. An active effort to reintroduce the grizzly bear to the region concluded in 2000 with a plan to release 25 bears into the wilderness zones over a five year period beginning in 2003. [cite web | last = U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://www.r6.fws.gov/bitterroot/ | title = Record of Decision and Final Rule for Grizzly Bear Recovery in the Bitterroot | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = 2006-07-08 | accessyear =]There are 1,600 mi (2,500 km) of trails and 18 improved campgrounds within the forest. Outstanding fishing is found in the dozens of rivers and streams and lakes. The forest headquarters is located in
Hamilton, Montana . The largest nearby city isMissoula, Montana . The scenicBlodgett Canyon is but one of many steep canyons located in the forest. U.S. Highway 93 passes through portions of the forest.References
External links
* [http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/bitterroot/ Bitterroot National Forest] - U.S. Forest Service
* [http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=46.23293&lon=-113.96352&s=500&size=l&u=4&datum=nad27&layer=DRG USGS Gird Point (MT) Topo Map] - TopoQuest.com
* [http://www.explorethebitterroot.com/bitterroot_national_forest.htm Bitterroot National Forest Recreation]
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