Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest

Last updated
Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest
Entrance to Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest on Forestry Rd., Cobb, CA.jpg
Entrance to Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest on Forestry Rd., Cobb, CA
Relief map of California.png
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Location Lake County, California
Nearest city Cobb, California
Coordinates 38°49′N122°41′W / 38.82°N 122.69°W / 38.82; -122.69
Area3,433 acres (14 km2)
Established1949
Governing body Calfire

Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest is a state forest in Lake County, California that covers the northwest of Boggs Mountain. It was founded in 1949, and came into operation in 1950 when most of the site had been clear cut. The purpose was to demonstrate good practices in restoring and managing a forest. The state forest was open for recreational use, including camping, hiking, mountain biking etc. The 2015 Valley Fire destroyed 80% of the trees. The state forest as of 2021 was replanting saplings.

Contents

Location

The forest is roughly halfway between Clear Lake and Calistoga. [1] It is near the town of Cobb, about 10 miles (16 km) north of Middletown on Highway 175. [2] It is about 50 miles (80 km) from the Pacific Ocean to the west, and about 75 miles (121 km) as the crow flies from San Francisco to the south. [3]

Boggs Mountain is a prominent feature at the southeast end of the Clear Lake Volcanic Field. [4] It is an elongated rolling highland. [5] The mountain takes the form of a simple ridge crest from which long spurs run southeast to Putah Creek. [6] Around 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level the topography levels out. The upper part of the mountain is similar to a plateau cut by several drainage channels. [7] The terrain of the state forest is gently rolling, with peaks at the north and south ends. It covers almost 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of the mountain. Volcanic rock is visible in most parts of the forest. [3]

Vegetation

Lower down, most of the vegetation is chaparral, and manzanita is the most common species. Higher up there is (or was) a mixed forest of coast range Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ) and sugar pine ( Pinus lambertiana ). [3] There are also small quantities of incense cedar ( Calocedrus ) and MacNab cypress ( Cupressus macnabiana ). [2] Deciduous trees include canyon live oak ( Quercus chrysolepis ), black oak ( Quercus kelloggii ), dogwood ( Cornus ), and madrone ( Arbutus ). [3]

History

In December 1949 the California Department of Forests (CDF), now officially renamed Cal-Fire, purchased 3,432 acres (13.89 km2) of land and timber on the mountain for $38,000. [8] [9] The price was so low because the land held no timber of commercial value. [10] The state bought the land from the Calso Company for $20,600, and bought most of the timber between 16 and 29 inches (410 and 740 mm) diameter at breast height from the Setzer Forest Products Company for $18,100. [9]

Setzer completed cutting the remaining timber in 1950, and In 1954 all timber interests and titles were conveyed to the state. [9] In the early years the state undertook limited inventory and mapping, but no timber was harvested. Cliff Fago became the first permanent forest manager in 1965, and completed the inventory. Between 1966 and 1976 the remaining old growth timber was removed. [9]

The Valley Fire of 6 October 2015 burned many of the trees. [11] The fire killed about 80% of the mature trees on the mountain and 95% of the regeneration growth in the understory. Cal-Fire undertook a reforestation plan of 3,100 acres (1,300 ha) of the state park. [3] Thousands of dead trees were logged. Those with lumber value were sold, and the others piled up for burning in the future when conditions were safe. [12] Natural regeneration included bracken, coffeeberry ( Frangula californica ), wild rose ( Rosa californica ), squaw carpet ( Ceanothus prostratus ), yerba buena, wild iris, dogwood ( Cornus ), madrone ( Arbutus ), and non-native, invasive Scotch broom ( Cytisus scoparius ). [12]

In March 2017 about 312,000 eight-inch (200 mm) seedlings of Douglas fir, ponderosa pine and sugar pine had been planted, spaced at 13 feet (4.0 m) intervals. This was about one third of the planned plantings for the next two years. It would take ten years before the trees reached heights of 10 feet (3.0 m). [12] In all, Cal-Fire planted almost 703,000 tree seedlings. including ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, sugar pine, incense cedar, and giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ). [3]

Operations

Bogg Mountain State Forest, Cobb Mountain in background Cobb Mountain.jpg
Bogg Mountain State Forest, Cobb Mountain in background

The California Department of Forestry (CDF) uses Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest to experiment with forest management techniques, which include firefighting and logging. [1] The forest management program has aimed for a managed all-age forest, and has included studies of disease control, fertilization and reforestation. [9] The state forest has an active timber sale program, and is managed so as to yield timber sustainably. [13]

As of 1993 there was an interpretive nature trail beside the Cobb Elementary School. Group tours of the forest could be arranged with the forest manager. [2] CDF also maintains a helicopter base at Boggs Mountain which was established in 1972 for fire and rescue operations and provides coverage for Mendocino National Forest to the north, San Francisco Bay Area to the south and the Sacramento Valley to the east. [14]

Research

Between 1952 and 2005 ten 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) plots had each been measured ten times, with all trees more than 11 inches (280 mm) diameter at breast height being mapped. Tree heights were sampled. There were also four continuous forest inventory (CFI) measurements of these plots at five year intervals from 1991 to 2006. [15] As of 1993 two harvests had used horses to skid logs so as to minimize damage to the remaining trees. Horse logging was also in part used to monitor how timber harvesting affects the spread of black stain root disease. Studies have been made of the occurrence, spread and control of annosus root disease. Research has been conducted into precommercial thinning, including use of machinery to thin and release ponderosa pine. [2]

Bark beetles ( Dendroctonus brevicomis and Dendroctonus ponderosae ) mostly breed in unhealthy trees. Vulnerability to infection may be caused by drought, flooding, fire and air pollution, and possibly by needle casts, dwarf mistletoe ( Arceuthobium ), true mistletoe ( Phoradendron ) and root pathogens. [16] A 1965 study showed that Boggs Mountain had moderate but chronic mortality from bark beetles in ponderosa pine. [17] 71.2% of beetle-infested trees had root diseases, but few trees with root diseases died until they became infested by bark beetles. [18] The fungus Heterobasidion annosum was the only fungus found at Boggs Mountain is association with bark beetles. [19]

Sugar pine scale ( Matsucoccus paucicicatrices ) has been found on two sugar pine saplings in the state forest. It was causing twig- and top-kill of the saplings that resembled white pine blister rust ( Cronartium ribicola ) cankers. [20] The disease may predispose trees to bark beetle attack. [21]

Obsidian hydration occurs when the surface of a piece of obsidian is exposed, and obsidian hydration dating is often used in archaeology. In the spring of 1998 experiments were made to find the effect of forest fires on obsidian hydration bands. Samples of obsidian with measured hydration bands were placed on the ground in the path of small broadcast burns and a slash pile burn. The experiments showed that hydration bands were indeed damaged, and that the severity of the fire might be a more important factor than its intensity. [22]

Recreation

As of 2021 the mountain was open for day use, with limited overnight camping at Calso Camp. The other group campgrounds were closed. Pets must be leashed and under control. [3] Boggs Mountain is open all year for hiking, and is accessible through a system of easy roads and trails. [11] The 14.8 kilometres (9.2 mi) Boggs Mountain Loop is rated moderate, with an elevation gain of 439 metres (1,440 ft). It is not heavily used, and is open to dogs and horses. [23] For mountain bikers the forest's single-track trails are moderately difficult and moderately aerobic. Most of the biking terrain is at an elevation of 3,000 feet (910 m), and the trails run through open woods and meadows, with some short, steep hills. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas fir</span> Species of tree

The Douglas fir is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three varieties: coast Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Mexican Douglas-fir.

<i>Pseudotsuga menziesii <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> glauca</i> Variety of plants

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, or Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, is an evergreen conifer native to the interior mountainous regions of western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta in Canada southward through the United States to the far north of Mexico. The range is continuous in the northern Rocky Mountains south to eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, Idaho, western and south-central Montana and western Wyoming, but becomes discontinuous further south, confined to "sky islands" on the higher mountains in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, with only very isolated small populations in eastern Nevada, westernmost Texas, and northern Mexico. It occurs from 600 m altitude in the north of the range, up to 3,000 m, rarely 3,200 m, in the south. Further west towards the Pacific coast, it is replaced by the related coast Douglas-fir, and to the south, it is replaced by Mexican Douglas-fir in high mountains as far south as Oaxaca. Some botanists have grouped Mexican Douglas-fir with P. menziesii var. glauca, but genetic and morphological evidence suggest that Mexican populations should be considered a different variety.

<i>Quercus kelloggii</i> Species of oak tree

Quercus kelloggii, the California black oak or Kellogg oak, is an oak in the red oak section native to western North America. Although genetically separated from them for more than 20 million years, its leaves are remarkably similar in appearance to several other members of the red oak section including the red oak and the black oak found in eastern and central North America.

<i>Pinus albicaulis</i> Pine tree species found in North America

Pinus albicaulis, known by the common names whitebark pine, white bark pine, white pine, pitch pine, scrub pine, and creeping pine, is a conifer tree native to the mountains of the western United States and Canada, specifically subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, Pacific Coast Ranges, and Rocky Mountains. It shares the common name "creeping pine" with several other plants.

<i>Pinus lambertiana</i> Pine tree found in North America

Pinus lambertiana is the tallest and most massive pine tree, and has the longest cones of any conifer. The species name lambertiana was given by the Scottish botanist David Douglas, who named the tree in honour of the English botanist, Aylmer Bourke Lambert. It is native to coastal and inland mountain areas along the Pacific coast of North America, as far north as Oregon and as far south as Baja California in Mexico.

<i>Pinus ponderosa</i> Species of large pine tree in North America

Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine, is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the most widely distributed pine species in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain pine beetle</span> Species of beetle

The mountain pine beetle is a species of bark beetle native to the forests of western North America from Mexico to central British Columbia. It has a hard black exoskeleton, and measures approximately 5 millimetres, about the size of a grain of rice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tahoe National Forest</span> U.S. National Forest in California

Tahoe National Forest is a United States National Forest located in California, northwest of Lake Tahoe. It includes the 8,587-foot (2,617 m) peak of Sierra Buttes, near Sierra City, which has views of Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta. It is located in parts of six counties: Sierra, Placer, Nevada, Yuba, Plumas and El Dorado. The forest has a total area of 871,495 acres. Its headquarters is in Nevada City, California. There are local ranger district offices in Camptonville, Foresthill, Sierraville and Truckee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plumas National Forest</span> National Forest in northern California, United States

Plumas National Forest is a 1,146,000-acre (4,640 km2) United States National Forest located at the northern terminus of the Sierra Nevada, in northern California. The Forest was named after its primary watershed, the Rio de las Plumas, or Feather River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultus Lake (Oregon)</span> Natural lake in Deschutes County, Oregon

Cultus Lake is a natural lake in Deschutes County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Formed by a glacier, it is located in the high Cascade Range in the Deschutes National Forest. The name is from the Chinook Jargon and means variously bad or worthless, or simply "in vain". In the early 19th century, the lakes in this area abounded with beavers. The earliest explorers to this area were primarily on a quest for furs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swanton Pacific Ranch</span>

Swanton Pacific Ranch is a 3,200-acre (1,300 ha) ranch in Santa Cruz County, California, outside the town of Davenport. The ranch is owned and operated by California Polytechnic State University for educational and research in sustainable agriculture. The ranch encompasses rangeland, livestock, and forestry operations for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, comprises a significant part of the community of Swanton, and includes the lower Scott Creek watershed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laminated root rot</span> Fungal plant disease

Laminated root rot also known as yellow ring rot is caused by the fungal pathogen Phellinus weirii. Laminated root rot is one of the most damaging root disease amongst conifers in northwestern America and true firs, Douglas fir, Mountain hemlock, and Western hemlock are highly susceptible to infection with P. weirii. A few species of plants such as Western white pine and Lodgepole pine are tolerant to the pathogen while Ponderosa pine is resistant to it. Only hardwoods are known to be immune to the pathogen.

An experimental forest, or experimental range, as defined by the United States Forest Service, is "an area administered ... 'to provide for the research necessary for the management of the land.'"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecology of the Rocky Mountains</span> Ecology of the Rocky Mountain range in North America

The ecology of the Rocky Mountains is diverse due to the effects of a variety of environmental factors. The Rocky Mountains are the major mountain range in western North America, running from the far north of British Columbia in Canada to New Mexico in the southwestern United States, climbing from the Great Plains at or below 1,800 feet (550 m) to peaks of over 14,000 feet (4,300 m). Temperature and rainfall varies greatly also and thus the Rockies are home to a mixture of habitats including the alpine, subalpine and boreal habitats of the Northern Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and Alberta, the coniferous forests of Montana and Idaho, the wetlands and prairie where the Rockies meet the plains, a different mix of conifers on the Yellowstone Plateau in Wyoming, the montane forests of Utah, and in the high Rockies of Colorado and New Mexico, and finally the alpine tundra of the highest elevations.

<i>Pseudotsuga menziesii <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> menziesii</i> Variety of conifer

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii, commonly known as Coast Douglas-fir, Pacific Douglas-fir, Oregon pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer native to western North America from west-central British Columbia, Canada southward to central California, United States. In Oregon and Washington its range is continuous from the Cascades crest west to the Pacific Coast Ranges and Pacific Ocean. In California, it is found in the Klamath and California Coast Ranges as far south as the Santa Lucia Mountains with a small stand as far south as the Purisima Hills, Santa Barbara County. In the Sierra Nevada it ranges as far south as the Yosemite region. It occurs from near sea level along the coast to 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) in the California Mountains. Further inland, coast Douglas-fir is replaced by Rocky Mountain or interior Douglas-fir. Interior Douglas-fir intergrades with coast Douglas-fir in the Cascades of northern Washington and southern British Columbia.

LaTour Demonstration State Forest is a state forest totaling 9,033 acres in the southern Cascade Range and Shasta County, in northern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park</span> State park in California, United States

Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park is a state park in California in the United States. It occupies nearly two miles of the western shore of Lake Tahoe and a total of about 1,000 hectares of forested mountains in El Dorado County. Originally called Sugar Pine Point State Park, its name was changed in 2003 to honor Edwin L. Z'berg, a California state assemblyman who specialized in environmental legislation and worked to develop state parks and other natural areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ponderosa pine forest</span> Plant community where Pinus ponderosa is common

Ponderosa pine forest is a plant association and plant community dominated by ponderosa pine and found in western North America. It is found from the British Columbia to Durango, Mexico. In the south and east, ponderosa pine forest is the climax forest, while in the more northern part of its range, it can transition to Douglas-fir or grand fir, or white fir forests. Understory species depends on location. Fire suppression has led to insect outbreaks in ponderosa pine forests.

<i>Dendroctonus adjunctus</i> Species of beetle

Dendroctonus adjunctus, the roundheaded pine beetle, is a species of bark beetle in the family Curculionidae found in North America. A parasite, the roundheaded pine beetle feeds on and eventually kills pine trees of several species in Guatemala, Mexico, and the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boggs Mountain</span> Mountain in the state of California

Boggs Mountain is a mountain the Mayacamas Mountains in Lake County, California. Part of the mountain holds the Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest. About 80% of the trees were burned in the September 2015 Valley Fire.

References

Sources