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George Washington National Forest
Welcome to the George Washington National Forest located in Virginia's spectacular Appalachian Mountains.
Forest History: Before the arrival of European settlers the area that is now George Washington National Forest was home to numerous Native American tribes including the Delaware, Shawnee, Tuscarora, Catawba, and Sioux tribes. Some of the first European settlers included people of German and Scottish heritage who moved to the region to set up farms. In the early 19th century many loggers and miners moved into the region to harvest the timber and mine the region's iron. The long term effect these activities had on the landscape was devastating as erosion and wildfires became a big problem. Species such as wild turkeys and white tailed deer were almost wiped out from the region. The rivers were also feeling the effects of these activities.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries there was a growing interest in Washington DC to protect these lands. In 1891 Congress passed the Forest Reserve act which eventually led to the establishment of the U.S. Forest Service. After seeing many new National Parks and National Forests established in the western United States, Congress passed the Weeks Act in 1911 giving the Government the power to purchase lands in the eastern States. In 1917, three tracts purchased in northern Virginia were combined to form the Shenandoah National Forest, later re-named to George Washington National Forest. The Civilian Conservation Corps helped out in the forest's restoration as well as the building of it's amenities. Over the years, many changes came to the National Forest system such as a spike in visitors after World War II, the passage of the Multipuse-use Sustained Yield Act in 1960 stating that their purpose was to provide recreation and timber as well as protect watersheds and wildlife habitat, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and finally the administrative merging of George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in 1995.
Wildlife: The George Washington National Forest helps protect the home of numerous wild animals including deer, foxes, coyotes, bears, raccoons, beavers, squirrels, bald eagles, and wild turkeys. Please treat their home with respect.
For the lover of the outdoors George Washington National Forest boasts miles of multipurpose trails, many mountains to climb, and so much more. Come on out and explore!
This was RecPlanet place of the day on February 22, 2017 in honor of George Washington's birthay.