Malheur National Forest

Template:Infobox protected area The Malheur National Forest is a National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. It contains more than Template:Convert in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. The forest consists of high desert grasslands, sage, juniper, pine, fir, and other tree species. Elevations vary from about Template:Convert to the Template:Convert peak of Strawberry Mountain. The Strawberry Mountains of eastern Oregon extend east to west through the center of the forest. U.S. Route 395 runs south to north through the forest, while U.S. Route 26 runs east to west.

Overview

File:Monument Rock Wilderness landscape.jpg

Monument Rock in Malheur NF

The forest was established by President Theodore Roosevelt on June 13, 1908, and is named after the Malheur River, from the French, meaning "misfortune". It is managed by the United States Forest Service for timber extraction, cattle grazing, gold mining and wilderness use. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated the extent of old growth in the forest at Template:Convert.<ref name = "1993OldGrowthEstimates">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In descending order of land area, the forest is located in parts of Grant, Harney, Baker, and Malheur counties.<ref>Desolation Butte quadrangle, Oregon : 7.5-minute series. U.S. Forest Service.</ref> There are three ranger districts in the forest, with offices in John Day, Prairie City, and Hines.

Armillaria—among the largest organisms on earth

The Malheur National Forest contains the largest known organism (by area) in the Northern Hemisphere: an Armillaria ostoyae (fungus) that spans Template:Convert and is located high on a ridgeline immediately west of Clear Creek (Template:Coord).<ref>Beale, Bob. April 10, 2003. Humungous fungus: world's largest organism? at Environment & Nature News, ABC Online. Accessed June 25, 2008.</ref>

Wilderness

There are two wilderness areas in the Malheur National Forest.

• Strawberry Mountain Wilderness at Template:Convert
• Monument Rock Wilderness at Template:Convert, located partially within the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest

Climate

The hottest temperature recorded in the Malheur National Forest was Template:Convert on July 23, 2003, while the coldest temperature recorded was Template:Convert on January 22–23, 1962.<ref name = NOWData />

See also

• Vinegar Hill-Indian Rock Scenic Area, a high-elevation scenic area in the northeast portion of the forest
• Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a federally protected refuge to the south of the forest
• List of national forests of the United States

External links

• Malheur National Forest home page
• Template:Usurped