Top Ten Carbon Storing National Forests in America

Top 10 Carbon Storing Forests map

 
According to United States Forest Service data, the ten national forests that store the most carbon per forested acre are all located in western Oregon, western Washington, and southeast Alaska.

Recent Wilderness Society analysis explains how these tremendous carbon-storing forests can play an important role in defending against climate change.

These are the top 10 carbon storing forests in the United States:
 

Willamette National Forest

Proxy Falls in Three Sisters Wilderness, Willamette National Forest, Oregon. Photo by Ljmajer, Wikimedia Commons.The Willamette National Forest is located in Oregon’s central Cascades. The forest’s 1.675 million acres include the headwaters of the Willamette River, eight Wilderness Areas, seven volcanic peaks, and one of the clearest lakes in the world, Waldo Lake. Recreation opportunities abound in this national forest: mountaineering, kayaking, whitewater rafting, and hiking are just a few of the activities visitors can enjoy.

 

 

 

Olympic National Forest

Panorama from Southwest slope of Mt. Zion in Olympic National Forest, Washington. Photo by Gregg M. Erickson, Wikimedia Commons.Olympic National Forest, located in Washington’s northwest corner on the Olympic Peninsula, surrounds most of Olympic National Park. Within its 633,677 acres, the forest contains five distinct landscapes: temperate rain forests, mountain ranges, lowland lakes, rivers and saltwater beaches and tidelands. The Forest’s more than 250 miles of trails include many hikes at low elevation which can be enjoyed year round.

Umpqua National Forest

Calapooya Mountains in Umpqua National Forest, Oregon. Photo by USFS, Wikimedia Commons.Located on the west-side of the Cascade mountain range in southwestern Oregon, the Umpqua National Forest encompasses nearly 985,000 acres. The name “Umpqua” can be translated as “thundering waters,” an apt name for this forest includes many waterfalls such as 272-foot Watson Falls. Visitors can enjoy whitewater rafting on the Wild & Scenic North Umpqua River, which has the most rapids per miles of any river in Oregon.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington. Courtesy Gifford Pinchot Task Force.Defined by Mount Saint Helens to the west, Mount Adams to the east, Mount Rainier to the north and the Columbia River to the south, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest covers 1.368 million acres. Named for the first United States Forest Service chief, the Gifford Pinchot is one of the oldest national forests in the United States. The Forest includes the Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument, established in 1982, which allows scientists to study a naturally-regenerating landscape in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption of May 1980. The monument also provides education and recreation opportunities.

Siuslaw National Forest

Oregon coast looking south from Cape Perpetua in Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon. Photo by Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons.The Siuslaw National Forest is located on the central Oregon coast, stretching over 630,000 acres from Tillamook to Coos Bay in the Coast Range. The Siuslaw is one of only two national forests with beachfront property, allowing access to tidepooling, beachcombing, and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The Forest also includes the highest point in the Coast Range, Mary’s Peak, at an elevation of 4,097 feet.
 

Mount Hood National Forest

Trillium Lake in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. Photo by Kelvin Kay, Wikimedia Commons.Just twenty miles east of the city of Portland, the Mount Hood National Forest stretches south from the Columbia River Gorge to the slopes of Mount Jefferson. The Forest’s 1.607 million acres include 11,240 foot Mount Hood, which 10,000 people attempt to climb each year. Other recreational opportunities include rafting the Clackamas River, cross-country skiing at Trillium Lake, and hiking, biking, or riding the more than 1,000 miles of trails in the Forest.

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Hikers headed to Bearscount Mountain in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington. Photo by Andrea Imler.One of the most visited forests in the country, the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is located in northwestern Washington. The Forest is located on the west side of the Cascade crest, and stretches from the Canadian border in the north to the border of Mount Rainier National Park in the south. There are more glaciers and snowfields found in this forest than in any other national forest outside of Alaska. The snow and ice give rise to rivers such as the Skagit, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Stilliguamish and many more that provide an abundance of recreation opportunities and clean drinking water to communities on the west side of the Cascades.

Siskiyou National Forest

Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon. Courtesy KSWild.The Siskiyou National Forest is located in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California, between Interstate 5 and the Pacific Ocean, and has a total area of 1.094 million acres. The Siskiyou Mountains’ interesting geologic history has created an ecosystem with incredible biodiversity, ranging from coastal forests which receive more than 100 inches of precipitation per year to the arid interior which supports species such as the Ponderosa Pine. The Wild & Scenic Rogue River is a popular stretch of river for whitewater rafters.

Tongass National Forest

Admiralty Island in the Tongass National Forest, Alaska. Photo by Dennis Hamilton, Wikimedia Commons.At 17 million acres, the Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States. The Tongass is located in southeast Alaska and includes nineteen wilderness areas totaling an area of 5.75 million acres, the most of any other national forest. The Forest Service describes the Tongass as “a forest of islands and trees and rain. LOTS of islands and trees and rain,” which makes this forest perfect for enjoying a sea kayak trip or observing bears, bald eagles, and salmon in their natural habitat. The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, just 13 miles outside of Juneau, provides information and exhibits on the Mendenhall Glacier, and was the first visitor center to be built in a national forest.

Rogue River National Forest

River rafting in the Rogue River National Forest, Oregon. Courtesy KSWild.The Rogue River National Forest is located in southern Oregon along the Cascade mountain range. The 628,443 acres of this Forest include the headwaters of the Rogue River and the deeply incised canyons of the Middle Fork of the Rogue and Little Butte Creek. The cone-shaped Mount McLoughlin, at 9,495 feet, is a shield volcano in the Cascade Range, and the highest point in the Rogue River National Forest.

 

photos:
Proxy Falls in Three Sisters Wilderness, Willamette National Forest, Oregon. Photo by Ljmajer, Wikimedia Commons.
Panorama from Southwest slope of Mt. Zion in Olympic National Forest, Washington. Photo by Gregg M. Erickson, Wikimedia Commons.
Calapooya Mountains in Umpqua National Forest, Oregon. Courtesy USFS, Wikimedia Commons.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington. Courtesy Gifford Pinchot Task Force.
Oregon coast looking south from Cape Perpetua in Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon. Photo by Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons.
Trillium Lake in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. Photo by Kelvin Kay, Wikimedia Commons.
Hikers headed to Bearscount Mountain in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington. Photo by Andrea Imler.
Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon. Courtesy KSWild.
Admiralty Island in the Tongass National Forest, Alaska. Photo by Dennis Hamilton, Wikimedia Commons.
River rafting in the Rogue River National Forest, Oregon. Courtesy KSWild.