| Gifford Pinchot National Forest | |
| Map: | USA Washington#USA |
| Relief: | 1 |
| Location: | Washington, US |
| Nearest City: | Amboy, Washington |
| Coordinates: | 46.1667°N -170°W |
| Coords Ref: | [1] |
| Area Acre: | 1321506 |
| Area Ref: | [2] |
| Established: | July 1, 1908[3] |
| Visitation Num: | 1,800,000 |
| Visitation Year: | 2005 |
| Governing Body: | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website: | https://www.fs.usda.gov/giffordpinchot/ |
Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a National Forest located in southern Washington, managed by the United States Forest Service. With an area of 1.32 million acres (5300 km2), it extends along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. The forest straddles the crest of the South Cascades of Washington State, spread out over broad, old growth forests, high mountain meadows, several glaciers, and numerous volcanic peaks. The forest's highest point is at at the top of Mount Adams, the second tallest volcano in the state after Rainier. Often found abbreviated GPNF on maps and in texts, it includes the 110000acres Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, established by Congress in 1982.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest is one of the older national forests in the United States. Included as part of the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve in 1897, 941440acres was set aside as the Columbia National Forest on July 1, 1908.
In 1855, the US government commissioned Washington Territory to negotiate land cession treaties with tribes around the forest. The Yakama tribe signed a treaty agreement that stipulated their moving to a reservation while maintaining off-reservation resource rights; however, the original treaty was then broken in 1916 when the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that Yakamas' hunting off the reservation had to subscribe to state fish and game laws. Many tribes in the area have continued to use the area's resources while encountering non-Native hunters, fishers, and recreation users.[4]
It was later renamed the Gifford Pinchot National Forest on June 15, 1949, in honor of Gifford Pinchot, one of the leading figures in the creation of the national forest system of the United States. His widow and fellow conservationist, Cornelia Bryce Pinchot, was one of the speakers who addressed the audience assembled that day. In 1985 the non-profit Gifford Pinchot Task Force formed to promote conservation of the forest.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest is located in a mountainous region approximately between Mount St. Helens to the west, Mount Adams to the east, Mount Rainier National Park to the north, and the Columbia River to the south. This region of Southwest Washington is noted for its complex topography and volcanic geology. About 65 percent of the forest acreage is located in Skamania County. In descending order of land area the others are Lewis, Yakima, Cowlitz, and Klickitat counties.[5]
The Pacific Northwest brings abundant rainfall to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, feeding an extensive network of rivers. The forest has only one river currently designated as Wild and Scenic, the White Salmon River, fed from glaciers high on Mount Adams. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest recommends four rivers to be added to the Wild and Scenic System. They are the Lewis River, the Cispus River, the Clear Fork and the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River. There are an additional thirteen rivers in the forest being studied for consideration into the national Wild and Scenic River System.[6]
The following listed are the major streams and rivers of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Many of these provide excellent fishing.[7]
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest includes many popular and secluded backcountry lakes. Most of the lakes offers excellent fishing. Goose Lake is known for the best fishing in the State of Washington.
The following table lists the major lakes of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest:[8]
| Lake | Area | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument | ||
| 2 | Blue Lake | Cispus River Valley | |
| 3 | Walupt Lake | Base of Goat Rocks | |
| 4 | Midway High Lakes Area, below Mount Adams | ||
| 5 | Forlorn Lakes | Indian Heaven Volcanic Field Area | |
| 6 | Steamboat Lake | Between Indian Heaven Wilderness to the south and Lewis River to the north | |
| 7 | Goose Lake | Indian Heaven Volcanic Field | |
| 8 | Indian Heaven Wilderness | ||
| 9 | Soda Peaks Lake | Trapper Creek Wilderness | |
| 10 | Mt. Margaret Backcountry Lakes | Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument | |
| 11 | Mosquito Lakes | North of Indian Heaven Wilderness and Indian Heaven Volcanic Field | |
| 12 | 5 miles (east) from Taidnapam Park (at west end of Riffe Lake) | ||
| 13 | Cowlitz River | ||
| 14 | Lewis River | ||
| 15 | Cowlitz River | ||
| 16 | Midway High Lakes Area, below Mount Adams | ||
| 17 | Midway High Lakes Area, below Mount Adams | ||
| 18 | Council Lake | Midway High Lakes Area, below Mount Adams | |
| 19 | Tatoosh Wilderness, south of Mount Rainier National Park | ||
| 20 | Goat Rocks Wilderness | ||
| 21 | large lake at the edge of Goat Rocks Wilderness |
Congressional action since 1964 has established one national monument and seven wilderness areas in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
On August 26, 1982, congressional action established the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, after the cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
Congressional action since 1964 has established the following wilderness areas:
The forest also offers the following special areas and points of interest:
The forest supervisor's office is located in Vancouver, Washington. There are local ranger district offices in Randle, Amboy, and Trout Lake.[16] The forest is named after the first chief of the United States Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot. Washington towns near entrances of the forest include Cougar, Randle, Packwood, Trout Lake, and Carson.
A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the Forest was 198000acres, some of which is contained within its wilderness areas.
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is the native habitat for several threatened species which include the spotted owl (threatened 2012)[17] as well as multiple species of Northwest fish like the bull trout (threatened 1998),[18] chinook salmon (threatened 2011), coho salmon (threatened 2011) and steelhead (threatened 2011).[19]
People for over 6,000 years have made an impact in the ecology of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.[20] Native Americans hunted in high meadows below receding glaciers. The natives then began to manage the forest to meet their own needs. One method they used was to burn specific areas to help in the huckleberry production. About 338 spots more than 6,000 culturally modified trees were identified, of which 3,000 are protected now. Archaeological investigations are supported by the United States Forest Service.
The forest was home to the Big Tree at the southern flank of Mt Adams, one of the world's largest Ponderosa Trees.