Nez Perce National Forest
{{Short description|National forest in Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Nez Perce National Forest
| photo = Crooked Creek in Gospel Hump Wilderness.jpg
| photo_caption = Crooked Creek in Gospel Hump Wilderness
| map = USA
| relief = 1
| map_caption =
| location = Idaho County, Idaho, U.S.
| nearest_city = Grangeville, Idaho
| coordinates = {{coord|45|27|N|115|55|W|region:US|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coords_ref =
| area_acre = 2,224,091
| established = July 1, 1908
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body = U.S. Forest Service
| website = {{URL|www.fs.usda.gov/nezperceclearwater}}
}}
The Nez Perce National Forest is a {{convert|4,000,000|acre|km2|adj=on}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/nezperceclearwater/#:~:text=Welcome%20to%20the%20Nez%20Perce,located%20in%20north%2Dcentral%20Idaho |title=Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests - Home |publisher=Fs.usda.gov |date= |accessdate=2022-09-16}} United States National Forest located in west-central Idaho.[http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/lar/2007/TABLE_6.htm Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County] - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007 The forest is bounded on the east by the state of Montana, on the north by the Clearwater National Forest, on the west by a portion of the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest and on the south by the Payette National Forest.
The mountains in this forest provide wildlife habitat for timber wolf, raccoon, moose, black bear, coyote, cougar, elk, two species of fox, bald eagle, pika, beaver, flammulated owl, pine marten, white-tailed and mule deer, muskrat, river otter, peregrine falcon, mink, marmot, fisher, and mountain goat.
History
The Nez Perce National Forest was established on July 1, 1908, by the U.S. Forest Service with {{convert|1946340|acre|km2}} from parts of Bitterroot National Forest and Weiser National Forest. On October 29, 1934, part of Selway National Forest was added.{{citation|url=http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Places/National%20Forests%20of%20the%20U.S.pdf|title=National Forests of the United States|date=September 29, 2005|author=Davis, Richard C.|publisher=The Forest History Society|access-date=July 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028014355/http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Places/National%20Forests%20of%20the%20U.S.pdf|archive-date=October 28, 2012|url-status=dead}}
In 2012, Nez Perce National Forest and Clearwater National Forest were administratively combined as Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, with headquarters in Kamiah, Idaho.{{cite web |title=About the Forest |url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/nezperceclearwater/about-forest |access-date=6 June 2016 |publisher=Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests}} There are local ranger district offices in Elk City, Grangeville, Kooskia, and White Bird.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ufwda.org/pdfs/USDAForestServiceRangerDistricts.pdf |title=USFS Ranger Districts by State |access-date=2009-04-14 |archive-date=2012-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119235755/http://www.ufwda.org/pdfs/USDAForestServiceRangerDistricts.pdf |url-status=dead }}
In 2018, the Penman Mine in Nez Perce served as a filming location for Discovery Channel's Gold Rush. During this filming, on October 5, 2018, Raw TV production staff member Terrance Woods Jr. (27) was reported as missing, as was Connie Johnson (76), a cook for Richie Outfitters last seen October 2. Johnson's border collie, Ace, was recovered alive at the Moose Creek ranger station three weeks later, but as of 2022, neither Johnson nor Woods have been found.{{cite news |url=https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/tag/The+strange+disappearance+of+Terrence+Woods |title=The shockingly weird disappearance of Terrence Woods |website=strangeoutdoors.com |access-date=January 31, 2022}}{{cite news |url=https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/tag/Fog+Mountain+Idaho |title=The Strange disappearance of Connie Johnson from Big Fog Mountain |website=strangeoutdoors.com |access-date=January 31, 2022}}
Wilderness areas
There are four officially designated wilderness areas within Nez Perce National Forest that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Three of these are partly or mostly in neighboring National Forests (as indicated).
- Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness (only 4.68% lies within Nez Perce NF; mostly in either Payette National Forest, Challis NF, Salmon NF, Boise NF, or Bitterroot NF)[http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=acreage&WID=194 Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness acreage breakdown, Wilderness.net]
- Gospel Hump Wilderness
- Hells Canyon Wilderness (mostly in Wallowa National Forest; partly in Payette National Forest, Whitman National Forest, or BLM land)
- Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (partly in Bitterroot NF; Clearwater National Forest; Lolo NF)
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Nez Perce National Forest}}
- [http://www.fs.usda.gov/nezperceclearwater/ Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests]
{{National Forests of the United States}}
{{Protected Areas of Idaho}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:National forests of Idaho
Category:Protected areas of Idaho County, Idaho