Kootenai National Forest
Encyclopedia
Kootenai National Forest is located in the far northwestern section of Montana
and the northeasternmost lands in the Idaho
panhandle, United States
along the Canadian
border. Of the 2.2 million acres (9,000 km2) administered by the forest, less than 3 percent is located in the state of Idaho. Forest headquarters are located in Libby, Montana
. There are local ranger
district offices in Eureka
, Fortine
, Libby
, Trout Creek
, and Troy
. The 93,000 acre (375 km2) Cabinet Mountains Wilderness
area is located within the forest. Wilderness
designation prohibits motorized
and mechanical
travel, including bicycle
s and eliminates logging
, mining
, road
and or building
construction.
Snowshoe Peak
in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness at 8,738 feet (2,700 m) is the highest peak within the forest. Mountain ranges included in the forest include the Whitefish, Purcell
, Bitterroot
, Salish
, and Cabinet
ranges.
The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail traverses the Forest. More than 90 miles of the 1,200 mile long trail are within the Kootenai.
The Kootenai
and the Clark Fork river
are the major rivers and are fed by abundant rainfall that is more than double that amount found elsewhere in Montana. Three major hydroelectric dam
s exist in the Kootenai National Forest with Libby Dam on the Kootenai river creating a 90 mile (145 km) long lake known as Lake Koocanusa
(a play on Kootenai-Canada-United States of America), which extends into Canada. The shores of the lake are all forest land with no private property easements. The lowest elevation in Montana is where the Kootenai River leaves the state (1,832 feet/ 560 m). Other rivers in the forest include the Yaak
, Fisher, Tobacco and Vermillion, with water flowing from over 100 lake
s.
The climate of the Kootenai has been described as "modified Pacific maritime" in character, meaning that compared to the remainder of Montana, this area's climate resembles that found along the Pacific coast. The character becomes "modified" by occasional intrusions of arctic air masses, more commonly found in the remainder of the State, which can bring winter temperature
s down to -30 °F (-34 °C). with heavy snowfalls in the mountains.
Access into the Forest is via U.S. Highway 2 and U.S. Highway 93 and Montana State Highways 37, 56, 200 and 508.
The forest is located overwhelmingly (almost 95%) in Lincoln County, Montana
, but extends into neighboring counties. In descending order of forestland area they are Flathead County
in Montana, Bonner
and Boundary
counties in Idaho, and Sanders County
in Montana.
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and the northeasternmost lands in the Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
panhandle, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
along the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
border. Of the 2.2 million acres (9,000 km2) administered by the forest, less than 3 percent is located in the state of Idaho. Forest headquarters are located in Libby, Montana
Libby, Montana
Libby is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,626 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Libby is located at , along U.S. Route 2....
. There are local ranger
National Park Ranger
National Park Service Rangers are among the uniformed employees charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System by the United States Congress and/or the President of the United States...
district offices in Eureka
Eureka, Montana
Eureka is a town in Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,017 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Eureka is located at , approximately from Kalispell....
, Fortine
Fortine, Montana
Fortine is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 169 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fortine is located at ....
, Libby
Libby, Montana
Libby is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,626 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Libby is located at , along U.S. Route 2....
, Trout Creek
Trout Creek, Montana
Trout Creek is a census-designated place in Sanders County, Montana, United States. The population was 261 at the 2000 census. Trout Creek was proclaimed "Huckleberry Capital of Montana" by the state's legislature in 1981.-Geography:...
, and Troy
Troy, Montana
Troy is a city in Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 957 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Troy is located at ....
. The 93,000 acre (375 km2) Cabinet Mountains Wilderness
Cabinet Mountains Wilderness
The Cabinet Mountains Wilderness,created by an act of Congress in 1964,is located in the U.S. state of Montana. Protecting the wildest portions of the Cabinet Mountains and an integral part of Kootenai National Forest and Kaniksu National Forest, the wilderness had enjoyed more limited protection...
area is located within the forest. Wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
designation prohibits motorized
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
and mechanical
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
travel, including bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s and eliminates logging
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
and or building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
construction.
Snowshoe Peak
Snowshoe Peak
Snowshoe Peak is the highest peak in the Cabinet Mountains of Northwestern Montana and Idaho....
in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness at 8,738 feet (2,700 m) is the highest peak within the forest. Mountain ranges included in the forest include the Whitefish, Purcell
Purcell Mountains
The Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. They are located on the west side of the Rocky Mountain Trench in the area of the Columbia Valley, and on...
, Bitterroot
Bitterroot Mountains
The Northern and Central Bitterroot Range, collectively the Bitterroot Mountains, is the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains, located in the panhandle of Idaho and westernmost Montana in the Western United States...
, Salish
Salish Mountains
The Salish Mountains are located in the northwest corner of the U.S. State of Montana....
, and Cabinet
Cabinet Mountains
The Cabinet Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains, located in northwest Montana and the Idaho panhandle, in the United States. The mountains cover an area of 2,134 square miles...
ranges.
The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail traverses the Forest. More than 90 miles of the 1,200 mile long trail are within the Kootenai.
The Kootenai
Kootenay River
The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
and the Clark Fork river
Clark Fork (river)
The Clark Fork is a river in the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho, approximately long. The largest river by volume in Montana, it drains an extensive region of the Rocky Mountains in western Montana and northern Idaho in the watershed of the Columbia River, flowing northwest through a long...
are the major rivers and are fed by abundant rainfall that is more than double that amount found elsewhere in Montana. Three major hydroelectric dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s exist in the Kootenai National Forest with Libby Dam on the Kootenai river creating a 90 mile (145 km) long lake known as Lake Koocanusa
Lake Koocanusa
Lake Koocanusa is a reservoir in British Columbia and Montana formed by the damming of the Kootenai River by the Libby Dam in 1975....
(a play on Kootenai-Canada-United States of America), which extends into Canada. The shores of the lake are all forest land with no private property easements. The lowest elevation in Montana is where the Kootenai River leaves the state (1,832 feet/ 560 m). Other rivers in the forest include the Yaak
Yaak River
The Yaak River is a tributary of the Kootenay River in the U.S. state of Montana and the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:...
, Fisher, Tobacco and Vermillion, with water flowing from over 100 lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s.
The climate of the Kootenai has been described as "modified Pacific maritime" in character, meaning that compared to the remainder of Montana, this area's climate resembles that found along the Pacific coast. The character becomes "modified" by occasional intrusions of arctic air masses, more commonly found in the remainder of the State, which can bring winter temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
s down to -30 °F (-34 °C). with heavy snowfalls in the mountains.
Access into the Forest is via U.S. Highway 2 and U.S. Highway 93 and Montana State Highways 37, 56, 200 and 508.
The forest is located overwhelmingly (almost 95%) in Lincoln County, Montana
Lincoln County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail *Flathead National Forest *Kaniksu National Forest *Kootenai National Forest -Demographics:...
, but extends into neighboring counties. In descending order of forestland area they are Flathead County
Flathead County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail * Flathead National Forest * Glacier National Park * Kootenai National Forest * Lolo National Forest * Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
in Montana, Bonner
Bonner County, Idaho
Bonner County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1907, it was named for Edwin L. Bonner, a ferry operator. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 40,877. The county seat and largest city is Sandpoint.-History:Bonner County was formed...
and Boundary
Boundary County, Idaho
Boundary County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 10,972. The county seat and largest city is Bonners Ferry....
counties in Idaho, and Sanders County
Sanders County, Montana
Sanders County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of 2010, the population was 11,413. Its county seat is Thompson Falls.-Geography:According to the U.S...
in Montana.