TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST
The Shasta-Trinity National Forest (part of the Pacific Southwest Region) is located in the central part of Northern California between the interior Coast Range on the west and the Cascade Range on the east. Elevations range from 1,000 feet along the southern and eastern edges of the Forest to 14,162 feet at the summit of Mt. Shasta.
The Shasta National Forest was established in 1905 and the Trinity National Forest in 1907 by proclamations of President Theodore Roosevelt. The two Forests were combined into one administrative unit in 1954.
The Shasta-Trinity National Forest lies within portions of Humboldt, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity Counties. The Forest is divided into seven ranger districts. In the last few years, the districts have been combined into 'management units.'
Although the Shasta-Trinity National Forest is not home to any Threatened or Endangered plants listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), we do have a responsibility to ensure that none of the activities authorized, funded, or carried out by the Forest Service contribute to the need for listing of any native plant under ESA.
This philosophy of prevention is the basis for the Forest Service Sensitive Plant program. A "sensitive" plant is simply one whose viability is of concern, because of low numbers, restricted range, habitat sensitivity, or some other factor. Plants whose geographic range is restricted to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest are called "endemics." Potential effects to these plants are analyzed during the project planning (NEPA) process, so that adverse effects can be avoided or mitigated during project design. Our goal is to keep healthy, well-distributed populations of all our native plants across the landscape.
