Modoc National Forest


The Modoc National Forest is a national forest in northeastern California.

Geography

The Modoc National Forest protects parts of Modoc, Lassen, and Siskiyou counties. Most of the forest was covered by immense lava flows occurring over the last 500,000 years.
The eastern part of the forest east of Alturas contains the Warner Mountains. The Warner Mountains drop steeply on the eastern slopes, whereas the western flank has a more gentle topography.

Ecology

Due to the elevation and precipitation differences, the forests hosts a large number of plant species. The western side of the brushy foothills consist mostly of bitterbrush and curl-leaf mahogany. As elevation increases, forests of ponderosa pine, white and red firs, incense cedar, and aspen give way to lodgepole and western white pines sprinkle towards the summit. Some of the forest have been identified as old growth, with lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, incense cedar, and red fir being common constituents.

History

Modoc National Forest was established as the Modoc Forest Reserve on November 29, 1904 by the General Land Office. It was named for the Modoc people who traditionally had their territory in this area. In 1905 federal forests were transferred to the U.S. Forest Service, and on March 4, 1907 they became National Forests. On July 1, 1908 Warner Mountains National Forest was added to Modoc. The South Warner Wilderness lies within the forest.

Management

Forest headquarters are located in Alturas, California. There are local ranger district offices located in Adin, Alturas, Cedarville, and Tulelake.