Gallatin National Forest

Coordinates: 45°16′21″N 110°22′06″W / 45.27250°N 110.36833°W / 45.27250; -110.36833
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Gallatin National Forest
Map showing the location of Gallatin National Forest
Map showing the location of Gallatin National Forest
Map showing the location of Gallatin National Forest
Map showing the location of Gallatin National Forest
LocationMontana, United States
Nearest cityBozeman, Montana
Coordinates45°16′21″N 110°22′06″W / 45.27250°N 110.36833°W / 45.27250; -110.36833
Area2,129,194 acres (8,616.54 km2)[1]
EstablishedFebruary 10, 1899[2]
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service
WebsiteCuster-Gallatin National Forest

The Gallatin National Forest (now known as the Custer-Gallatin National Forest) is a United States National Forest located in South-West Montana. Most of the Custer-Gallatin goes along the state's southern border, with some of it a part of North-West Wyoming.

Geography

The forest area comprises a total of 3,411,239 acres (13,804.79 km2) with around 2,129,194 acres (8,616.54 km2) located in the Gallatin Forest area and 1,282,045 acres (5,188.25 km2) within the Custer. Most of the Gallatin borders Yellowstone National Park and is a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, an area which encompasses almost 20,000,000 acres (81,000 km2) in and around the park. The Custer National Forest is spread out along Eastern Montana and the North-West side of Wyoming, with most of its land being held in Montana.[3] The forest stretches through about six counties, including Park, Gallatin, Sweet Grass, Madison, Carbon, and Meagher.

There are six separate

Great Plains to the east. The forest includes two wilderness areas, the Absaroka–Beartooth and the Lee Metcalf, along with some of the tributaries for the Yellowstone, Madison, and Missouri
rivers.

Wilderness Areas

Wildlife and vegetation

While the lower elevations are often covered in grasses and

gray wolf and black bear
.

Many species of fish inhabit the numerous rivers and other bodies of water, including

western mosquitofish, mottled sculpin, and gamefish such as Yellowstone cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish, and the introduced rainbow trout, brown trout, and brook trout.[4] Various subspecies of trout are plentiful in the streams and they contribute to the forest being one of the preeminent fly fishing regions in the United States. The population of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in and near Gallatin National Forest have been at risk of hybridization with rainbow trout.[3]

History

The forest is a cross roads and homelands of a number of Indian tribes, and subject to the treaties, cultural traditions and practices of various tribes.[5]

The forest was founded in 1899 as a part of the Northern U.S. Forest Service, eventually being named after Albert Gallatin (1761–1849), a U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and scholar of Native American languages and cultures.

In 1959, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in Madison Canyon outside of Yellowstone National Park, resulting in a massive landslide that blocked the Madison River and formed what we know as Quake Lake.

As of 2014, the Gallatin National Forest and Custer National Forest were merged administratively in order to combat rising costs, with a new management plan created for both national forests in 2020.[6]

Management

Since 2014, the Gallatin and Custer National Forests are managed together as the Custer–Gallatin National Forest with a headquarters in Bozeman, Montana and an additional office in Billings.[3] There are seven local ranger district offices for the forest, with locations in West Yellowstone, Livingston, Bozeman, Gardiner, Ashland, and Red Lodge for Montana and Camp Crook for South Dakota.

Access

U.S. Route 212
), July 2002

There's access to the forest off Interstate 90 South on U.S. Highway 89 from Livingston, Montana, to Gardiner, Montana, or South on U.S. 191 from Bozeman, Montana, to West Yellowstone.

Over 2,290 mi (3,690 km) of

precipitation
falls in the form of snow with some places averaging over 33 ft (10 m) annually.

  • Daisy Pass near Cooke City, Montana
    Daisy Pass near Cooke City, Montana
  • A view of Gallatin National Forest in 1921
    A view of Gallatin National Forest in 1921
  • A photograph taken of the Forest in 1962
    A photograph taken of the Forest in 1962
  • Yellowstone National Park, seen from Gallatin
    Yellowstone National Park, seen from Gallatin
  • The remains of a building damaged by the 1959 Yellowstone earthquake
    The remains of a building damaged by the
    1959 Yellowstone earthquake

See also

References

  1. ^ "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. October 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  2. ^ "The National Forests of the United States" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 28, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 25, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  4. OCLC 34618216
    .
  5. ^ Bergstrom, Mike (February 16, 2017). Assessment, Forest Plan Revision, Final Areas of Tribal Importance Report (PDF) (Report). Custer Gallatin National Forest.
  6. ^ Lundquist, Laura (November 14, 2014). "Custer and Gallatin forests finalize merger". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved May 24, 2022.

External links