Chugach National Forest
| Chugach National Forest | |
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IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
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Lost Lake in Chugach National Forest
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 Location of Chugach National Forest in Alaska
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| Location | Alaska, USA |
| Nearest city | Anchorage, AK |
| Coordinates | 60°27′41″N 149°07′34″W / 60.4614912°N 149.1259814°WCoordinates: 60°27′41″N 149°07′34″W / 60.4614912°N 149.1259814°W |
| Area | 6,908,540 acres (27,957.9 km2) |
| Established | July 23, 1907 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Chugach National Forest |
The Chugach National Forest is a 6,908,540-acre (27,958 km2)United States National Forest in south central Alaska. Covering portions of Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and the Copper River Delta, it was formed in 1907 from part of a larger forest reserve. The Chugach includes extensive shorelines, glaciers, forests and rivers, much of which is untouched by roads or trails. It hosts numerous bird, mammal and marine species, including extensive shorebird habitat and a bald eagle population larger than the continental 48 states combined. Human industry in the forest includes extensive tourism and some mining and oil and gas operations.
The area that is now Chugach was settled by Native Americans thousands of years ago. It was discovered by Europeans in the mid-1700s, and soon settled by Russian fur traders, who trapped the native sea otters. In 1867, the US purchased Alaska from Russia and gold was found in 1888. In 1907, the Chugach National Forest was created from a portion of forest reserve, which had been one of the first of its kind, designated in 1892.
It is located in the mountains surrounding Prince William Sound including the eastern Kenai Peninsula and the delta of the Copper River. It is the second-largest (third-largest if the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is considered as one entity) forest in the U.S. national forest system, and is the northern-most and western-most national forest. Approximately 30 percent of the area of the forest is covered by ice. Portions of the Kenai Peninsula make up approximately 21 percent of the forest, and include the southern portion of the Iditarod National Historic Trail. Parts of Prince William Sound make up about 48 percent of the forest. This includes 3,500 miles (5,600 km) of shoreline, 22 tidewater glaciers, and the Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area, which covers 2,200,000 acres (8,900 km2). Portions of the Copper River Delta cover approximately 31 percent of the forest, and include the "largest contiguous wetlands complex on North America's Pacific coast". Despite its huge size, there are only 90 miles (140 km) of Forest Service roads, although there are also over 500 miles (800 km) of designated trails.
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Wikipedia