Modoc National Forest
Encyclopedia
United States National Forest
National Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
in northeastern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, covering parts of Modoc
Modoc County, California
Modoc County is a county located in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California, bounded by the state of Oregon to the north and the state of Nevada to the east. As of the 2010 census, its population was 9,686, up from 9,449 at the 2000 census. The current county seat is Alturas, the...
(82.9% of forest), Lassen
Lassen County, California
Lassen County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 34,895, up from 33,828 at the 2000 census...
(9.4%), and Siskiyou
Siskiyou County, California
Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
(7.7%) counties. Most of the forest was covered by an immense lava flow millions of years ago. The eastern part of the forest east of Alturas contains a spur of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
to the north known as the Warner Mountains
Warner Mountains
The Warner Mountains are an 85-mile-long mountain range running north-south through northeastern California and extending into southern Oregon in the United States...
. The Warner Mountains drop steeply on the eastern slopes, whereas the western flank has a more gentle topography.
The western side of the brushy foothills consist mostly of bitterbrush and curl-leaf mahogany
Mountain-mahogany
Cercocarpus, commonly known as mountain mahogany, is a small genus of five or six species of deciduous shrubs or small trees in the rose family , native to the western United States and northern Mexico, where they grow in chaparral and semi-desert habitats and climates, often at high altitudes...
. As elevation increases, forests of ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
, white
White Fir
White Fir is a fir native to the mountains of western North America, occurring at altitudes of 900-3,400 m. It is a medium to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 25–60 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m . It is popular as an ornamental landscaping tree and as a Christmas Tree...
and red fir
Red Fir
Abies magnifica, the Red Fir or Silvertip fir, is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. It is a high altitude tree, typically occurring at altitude, though only rarely reaching tree line...
s, incense cedar, and aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
give way to lodgepole
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
and western white pine
Western White Pine
Western White Pine, Pinus monticola in the family Pinaceae, is a species of pine that occurs in the mountains of the western United States and Canada, specifically the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Coast Range, and the northern Rocky Mountains. The tree extends down to sea level in many...
s sprinkle towards the summit. A thorough list of plants may be found in List of plants on the Modoc National Forest. Some 43400 acres (175.6 km²) of the forest have been identified as old growth, with lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, incense cedar, and red fir being common constituents. Forest headquarters are located in Alturas, California
Alturas, California
Alturas is the county seat of Modoc County, California, United States. Alturas is located on the Pit River, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of 4370 feet...
. There are local ranger
National Park Ranger
National Park Service Rangers are among the uniformed employees charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System by the United States Congress and/or the President of the United States...
district offices located in Adin
Adin, California
Adin is a census-designated place in Modoc County, California. It is located southwest of Alturas, at an elevation of 4203 feet...
, Alturas
Alturas, California
Alturas is the county seat of Modoc County, California, United States. Alturas is located on the Pit River, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of 4370 feet...
, Cedarville
Cedarville, California
Cedarville is a census-designated place in Modoc County, California. It is located east of Alturas, at an elevation of 4652 feet ....
, and Tulelake
Tulelake, California
Tulelake is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. It is named after the nearby Tule Lake. The population was 1,010 at the 2010 census, down from 1,020 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tulelake is located at ....
.
Modoc National Forest was established as the Modoc Forest Reserve on November 29, 1904 by the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
. It was named for the Modoc people who traditionally had their territory in this area. In 1905 federal forests were transferred to the U.S. Forest Service, and on March 4, 1907 they became National Forests. On July 1, 1908 Warner Mountains National Forest
Warner Mountains National Forest
Warner Mountains National Forest was established as the Warner Mountains Forest Reserve by the General Land Office in California on November 29, 1904 with . After the transfer of federal forests to the U.S. Forest Service in 1905, it became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 the...
was added to Modoc.