Tate's Hell State Forest
Tate's Hell State Forest | |
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Location | Franklin and Liberty counties, Florida |
Nearest city | Carrabelle, Florida |
Coordinates | 29°55′13.52″N 84°49′29.11″W / 29.9204222°N 84.8247528°W |
Area | 202,000 acres (82,000 ha) |
Created | 1994 |
Tate's Hell State Forest is 202,000 acres (819 km2) of land in
During a 40-year period of private ownership prior to the state's acquisition in 1994, over 800 miles (1,300 km) of forest roads and ditches were constructed on the property to accommodate intensive commercial forest management operations. Most of the area was planted with pine
Name
Local legend attributes the forest's unusual name to Cebe Tate, a local homesteader who became lost in the woods in the mid 1870s. He had ventured into the woods with his hunting dog in order to shoot a panther that had attacked his livestock. The legend is often recounted with Tate becoming separated from his dogs and lost for seven days and seven nights before coming to a clearing near Carrabelle, where he lived only long enough to say to a passerby, "My name is Cebe Tate, and I just came from Hell", before collapsing.[2]
Restoration
Since its acquisition by the State of Florida Department of Forestry in 1994, 12 restoration projects have been undertaken to restore some of the natural drainage and natural communities. These projects include removal or planting of some road beds, restoring natural water flow, and alteration of planted species. As of 2007, eight of the 12 projects had been completed at a cost of $1.446 million and affecting 39,070 acres (158.1 km2) of the State Forest. It will however, take a much longer time for the forest to return to a more natural state. The Florida Department of Forestry and North West Florida Water Management District continue to study and plan for future restoration of the Forest.[needs update]
Animals and plant life
Many endangered or threatened animals live in Tate's Hell State Forest, including the
References
- ^ Councilforqualitygrowth.org[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Tate's Hell State Forest / State Forests / Our Forests / Florida Forest Service / Divisions & Offices / Home - Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services". Archived from the original on 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2017-06-09.