Goethe State Forest
{{Short description|State forest in Florida, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Goethe State Forest
| photo = Goethe State Forest.jpg
| photo_caption = Goethe State Forest as seen from FL 121 westbound, March 2019
| map = Florida#USA
| location = Levy and Alachua counties, Florida, U.S.
| nearest_city = Dunnellon
| coords = {{coord|29.218703|N|82.577477|W|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| area = 53,398 acres (216.19 km2)
| established =
| administrator = Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
}}
The Goethe State Forest is in the U.S. state of Florida. The {{convert|53398|acre|km2|0|adj=on}} forest is located near the gulf coast, northwest of Dunnellon. Four trailheads are located on County Road 337. The main trail usage is equestrian, both riders and carts. Goethe is known for its population of red cockaded woodpeckers, a rare bird endemic to the longleaf pine forests of the southeastern coastal plain.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Goethe-State-Forest|title=Goethe State Forest|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}
History
The forest was established in 1992 and named for James Tillinghast Goethe (1897–1993),[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154570350/james-tillinghast-goethe James Tillinghast Goethe (Find-A-Grave)] a local lumber company owner who donated most of his land to the state for preservation.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=18892031&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjMyNTY1ODM0MCwiaWF0IjoxNjI5Nzc0MzIxLCJleHAiOjE2Mjk4NjA3MjF9.dnJA62iTSxiHDwY8u1Ds8uIUEwzc4AkJKRdlNRyQHik Lumberman's Business a "Hobby," by Larry Schuster (The Tampa Tribune; Citrus County Edition; November 10, 1986)] Other tracts of the land were purchased separately in 2010.
The main tract of the forest is also co-managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which declares it the Goethe Wildlife Management Area.[https://ocean.floridamarine.org/HGMSearch/BrochureDetails.aspx?srctype=pfs&title=goethe WMA Brochure Search - Goethe (FWC)] The Watermelon Pond tracts were purchased by the FWC in 2007 and merged with the forest in 2010.[https://myfwc.com/recreation/lead/watermelon-pond/ Watermelon Pond Wildlife and Environmental Area (FWC)]
Nearby wildlife management areas assisting in the preservation of land in southwestern Levy County includes Gulf Hammock Wildlife Management Area, Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park, Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve, and Devils Hammock Wildlife Management Area.
Gallery
Image:Goethe State Forest Florida sign01.jpg|Eastern entrance
Image:Goethe State Forest Florida01.jpg|SR 326 into the forest
Image:Goethe State Forest Florida02.jpg|SR 326 into the forest
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Goethe State Forest}}
- [https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Goethe-State-Forest Florida Forest Service- FDACS]
{{Protected areas of Florida}}
Category:Florida state forests
Category:Protected areas of Alachua County, Florida
Category:Protected areas of Levy County, Florida
Category:Protected areas established in 1992
Category:1992 establishments in Florida
{{AlachuaCountyFL-geo-stub}}
{{LevyCountyFL-geo-stub}}