Wayne National Forest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wayne National Forest is located in southeastern Ohio, U.S.A., in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. It is the only national forest in Ohio.
The forest comprises three administrative and purchase units: Athens, Marietta, and Ironton. Many of the lands included in the forest are former coal-mining lands, and much of this land is owned by the federal government without the mineral rights, those having been retained by former owners.
As of January 1, 2002, the Wayne has over 232,900 acres (943 km²) within a Forest boundary of 834,000 acres (3,375 km²).
The Athens Unit is located in Athens, Hocking, Morgan, Perry, and Vinton Counties, and includes 67,224 acres (272 km²) as of 1-1-2002.
The Marietta Unit is located in Monroe, Noble and Washington Counties, and includes 63,381 acres (256 km²) as of 1-1-2002, with over half of the total being within Washington County.
The Ironton Unit is located in Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence and Scioto Counties, and includes 99,049 acres (401 km²) as of 1-1-2002, with over two-thirds of the total being within Lawrence County.
The area of Ohio included within the Forest is based on late Paleozoic geology, heavy in sandstones and shales, including redbeds, with many coal beds. The topography is typically very rugged, with elevation changes typically in the 200-400 foot range.
