Huron National Forest

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Huron National Forest

| iucn_category = VI

| photo = Au_Sable_River.jpg

| photo_caption = The Au Sable River in the Huron National Forest

| map_image = MichiganNationalForests.svg

| map_alt =

| map_caption = Map showing National Forests in Michigan

| location = Lower Peninsula, Michigan

| nearest_city =

| coords = {{coord|44.57|-83.99|type:landmark_region:US-MI|display=inline}}

| area = {{convert|438584|acre|km2|-1}} {{cite web |title=Land Areas of the National Forest System |publisher=U.S. Forest Service |date=January 2012 |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/lar/LAR2011/LAR2011_Book_A5.pdf |accessdate=20 June 2012}}

| established = 1909

| visitation_num =

| visitation_year =

| governing_body = United States Forest Service

| website = [http://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/huron-manistee Huron–Manistee National Forests]

}}

The Huron National Forest is a National Forest in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It was established in 1909 after the logging era began to decline. In 1945, it was administratively combined with the Manistee National Forest, to create the Huron–Manistee National Forest. However, these are not connected and are separate forests. It provides recreation opportunities for visitors, habitat for fish and wildlife, and resources for local industry. The headquarters for the forest is located in Cadillac, Michigan.

History

File:United States Statutes at Large Volume 35 Part 2 scan image 1151.png During the Great Depression land was bought by the U.S. Forest Service to help farmers and landowners and to inject money into the economy. However, some landowners only sold the unproductive land and kept the productive areas, thus breaking up the land purchases. The Forest Service established the Huron National Forest in 1909.

The Huron National Forest is {{convert|437287|acre}} spreading {{Convert|70|mi}} east to west and {{Convert|30|mi}} north to south. The forest was renamed in 1929 after an Iroquoian tribe of the Great Lakes Region—the Huron.

Geography

File:Huron National Forest Overlook.jpg

The Huron National Forest is prone to frequent seasonal forest fires, due to ecological and geological factors including the domination of the jack pine in sections the forests, the needles of which are extremely flammable,{{cite web |title=Jack Pine Ecosystem |url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/huron-manistee |website=Huron-Manistee National Forests |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service |access-date=2 March 2017}} sandy soil composition as a result of glacial outwash plain geology of sections of the Huron National Forest,{{cite journal |last1=Albert |first1=Dennis |title=Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin: A Working Map and Classification |journal=General Technical Report NC-178 |date=1995 |pages=137–140 |url=https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr_nc178.pdf |accessdate=2 March 2017 |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service}} and jack pine barrens management practices to create nesting habitat for the Kirtland's warbler resulting in dense, young stands of jack pine that are extremely susceptible to crowning wildfires.{{cite web |last1=Carey |first1=Jennifer |title=Fire Management Considerations |url=https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pinban/all.html |website=Pinus Banksiana Index of Species Information |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service |accessdate=2 March 2017}}

In 2010, the Meridian Boundary Fire burned over {{convert|8500|acre}} in and near the Huron District of the Huron National Forest. The fire destroyed 13 homes, damaged two others, and destroyed or damaged 46 outbuildings.{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Hamilton |url=http://silvis.forest.wisc.edu/research/story/Why-and-where-do-fires-start-Huron-National-Forest |title=Why and where do fires start (in the Huron National Forest)? |publisher=University of Wisconsin–Madison |accessdate=2013-07-24}}

Features

File:Lumbermans Monument Statue.JPG, dedicated to the workers of the early logging industry, is located within the eastern part of the forest near Oscoda.]]

The Bull Gap ORV Trail is located in the Huron National Forest. It contains {{convert|115|mi|km}} of off-road vehicle trails.

The threatened Kirtland's warbler nests in the area, and tours are available, subject to time restrictions.[http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/hmnf/pages/warbtours.htm Tours, Huron-Manistee National Forest].