George Washington and Jefferson National Forests

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George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)

Location:	Virginia, West Virginia, & Kentucky, USA
Nearest city:	Roanoke, VA
Coordinates:	38°30′0″N, 79°00′0″W
Area:	1.8 million acres (7,300 km²)
Established:	1995
Governing body:	U.S. Forest Service

The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are U.S. National Forests that combine to form one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. They cover 1.8 million acres (7,300 km²) of land in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The forest extends the along the entire length of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Alleghany Mountains to the North Carolina border. Just over one third of the forest is actively used for timber harvesting, with the bulk of that used for furniture manufacturing and pulp for paper products. Approximately one million acres (4,000 km²) of the forest are remote and undeveloped and 89,862 acres (363.66 km²) have been designated as wilderness areas, which eliminates future development.

There are over 500 species of trees and plants and the forest is dominated by various species of oaks and hickory with maple and pine also common. The black bear is relatively common, enough so that there is a short hunting season to prevent overpopulation. White-tailed deer, bobcat, bald eagles, weasel, otter, and Marten are also known to inhabit the forest.

The forests are popular hiking, mountain biking, and hunting destinations. The Appalachian Trail extends for 330 miles (530 km) from the southern end of Shenandoah National Park through the forest and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The forest is within a two hour drive to over 10 million people and receives heavy visitation, especially in the region closest to Shenandoah National Park.

George Washington National Forest was established in 1917, and Jefferson National Forest was established in 1936. The two forests were administratively combined in 1995. North of the James River the forest is called George Washington National Forest. South of the James River it is called Jefferson National Forest.

[edit] Notable features

The northern portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway which is separately administered by the National Park Service runs through the Forest.
Over 2,000 miles (3,000 km) of hiking trails go through the Forest.
Virginia's highest point, Mount Rogers, is located in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area that is part of the Forest. Other notable mountains include Elliott Knob which has one of the last remaining fire lookout towers in the eastern U.S. and White Top Mountain.