Mark Twain National Forest
Encyclopedia
Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. National Forest
located in the southern half of Missouri
. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain
, a Missouri native. The MTNF covers approximately 1.5 million acres (6,100 km²), 78,000 acres (320 km²) of which are Wilderness, and National Scenic River area. MTNF spans 29 counties and represents 11% of all forested land in Missouri. MTNF is divided into six distinct ranger districts: Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs, Eleven Point, Houston-Rolla-Cedar Creek, Poplar Bluff, Potosi-Fredericktown, and the Salem. The six ranger districts actually comprise nine overall unique tracts of forests. Its headquarters are in Rolla, Missouri
.
Some unique features of the Mark Twain include Greer Spring
, which is the largest spring on National Forest land, pumping an average of 214 million gallons of water per day. The public can also visit the Glade Top Trail National Scenic Byway, which offers views of over 30 miles (48.3 km) to the Boston Mountains
in Arkansas
.
of the state's native oak, hickory, and pine forests. Lumber mills were commonplace, but by the 1920s they had disappeared, along with much of the state's native forests. Thus, in 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the MTNF into existence. In March 1933, he also created the Emergency Conservation Work Act, better known as the Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC). In the area that would later become Mark Twain National Forest, hundreds of young men at over fifty CCC sites worked at building roads and planting hundreds of acres of pine to preserve and enhance the natural resources of southern Missouri. Many of their contributions can still be visited and enjoyed today.
age, Mark Twain National Forest is located in more counties than any other. As of September 30, 2007, its 1,490,862 acres (2,329.47 sq mi, or 6,033.3 km²) were spread over parts of 29 counties in southern and central Missouri.
United States National Forest
National Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
located in the southern half of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
, a Missouri native. The MTNF covers approximately 1.5 million acres (6,100 km²), 78,000 acres (320 km²) of which are Wilderness, and National Scenic River area. MTNF spans 29 counties and represents 11% of all forested land in Missouri. MTNF is divided into six distinct ranger districts: Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs, Eleven Point, Houston-Rolla-Cedar Creek, Poplar Bluff, Potosi-Fredericktown, and the Salem. The six ranger districts actually comprise nine overall unique tracts of forests. Its headquarters are in Rolla, Missouri
Rolla, Missouri
Rolla is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States, midway between the larger cities of St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The population in the 2010 United States Census was 19,559.It is the county seat of Phelps County...
.
Some unique features of the Mark Twain include Greer Spring
Greer Spring
Greer Spring is a first magnitude spring located in the southeast portion of the Ozark Plateau, in Oregon County in far south-central Missouri within the boundaries of the Mark Twain National Forest...
, which is the largest spring on National Forest land, pumping an average of 214 million gallons of water per day. The public can also visit the Glade Top Trail National Scenic Byway, which offers views of over 30 miles (48.3 km) to the Boston Mountains
Boston Mountains
The Boston Mountains area is a high and deeply dissected plateau located in northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The Oklahoma portion of the range is locally referred to as the Cookson Hills. The rocks of the region are essentially little disturbed, flat-lying sedimentary layers of the Paleozoic...
in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
.
History
In the 1870s, citizens of southern Missouri began an era of extensive loggingLogging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
of the state's native oak, hickory, and pine forests. Lumber mills were commonplace, but by the 1920s they had disappeared, along with much of the state's native forests. Thus, in 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the MTNF into existence. In March 1933, he also created the Emergency Conservation Work Act, better known as the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
(CCC). In the area that would later become Mark Twain National Forest, hundreds of young men at over fifty CCC sites worked at building roads and planting hundreds of acres of pine to preserve and enhance the natural resources of southern Missouri. Many of their contributions can still be visited and enjoyed today.
Wilderness areas
- Bell Mountain WildernessBell Mountain WildernessThe United States Congress designated the Bell Mountain Wilderness in 1980. The wilderness area now has a total of . Bell Mountain is located within the Potosi-Fredericktown Ranger District of the Mark Twain National Forest, south of Potosi, Missouri in the United States...
- Devils Backbone WildernessDevils Backbone WildernessThe Devils Backbone Wilderness is one of eight wilderness areas protected and preserved in the U.S. State of Missouri. The United States Congress designated the wilderness area in 1980, and it now has a total of 6,595 acres...
- Hercules-Glades Wilderness
- Irish WildernessIrish WildernessThe Irish Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Missouri. The United States Congress designated it a wilderness in 1984. The Irish Wilderness is located within the Eleven Point Ranger District, of the Mark Twain National Forest, northeast of Alton, Missouri...
- Paddy Creek WildernessPaddy Creek WildernessThe Paddy Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Missouri, United States. The United States Congress designated it wilderness in 1983. Paddy Creek Wilderness is located within the Houston-Rolla Ranger District, of the Mark Twain National Forest, northwest of Licking, Missouri....
- Piney Creek WildernessPiney Creek WildernessThe Piney Creek Wilderness is an wilderness area in the U.S. state of Missouri. The United States Congress designated it wilderness in 1980. The Piney Creek Wilderness is located within the Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs Ranger District, of the Mark Twain National Forest, east of Cassville, Missouri...
- Rockpile Mountain WildernessRockpile Mountain WildernessThe Rockpile Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Missouri. It takes its name from an ancient circle of granite rock, piled by some earlier man on top of the mountain. It is located in Madison County, Missouri southeast of Bell Mountain and southwest of Fredericktown,...
Counties
Although it is far from being the largest National Forest in acreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
age, Mark Twain National Forest is located in more counties than any other. As of September 30, 2007, its 1,490,862 acres (2,329.47 sq mi, or 6,033.3 km²) were spread over parts of 29 counties in southern and central Missouri.
| County | Hectare Hectare The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2... s |
|
|---|---|---|
| Oregon County Oregon County, Missouri Oregon County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 10,344. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 10,264. Its county seat is Alton... |
104721 | 42,379 |
| Ripley County Ripley County, Missouri Ripley County is a county located in the Ozarks of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 13,509. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 13,485. The largest city and county seat is Doniphan... |
97437 | 39,431 |
| Iron County Iron County, Missouri Iron County is a county located in the Lead Belt region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 10,697. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 9,918. The largest city and county seat is Ironton... |
96047 | 38,869 |
| Carter County Carter County, Missouri Carter County is a county located in the central western portion of the Ozark Foothills Region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. The county was officially organized on March 10, 1859, and is named after Zimri A. Carter, a pioneer settler who came to Missouri from South Carolina in 1812. ... |
90641 | 36,681 |
| Reynolds County Reynolds County, Missouri Reynolds County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the Ozark Foothills Region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 6,689. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 6,388. Its county seat is Centerville... |
89933 | 36,395 |
| Wayne County Wayne County, Missouri Wayne County is a county located in the Ozark Foothills Region of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 13,259. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 12,652. The county seat is Greenville... |
88372 | 35,763 |
| Shannon County Shannon County, Missouri Shannon County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States, and the second-largest by area in Missouri. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 8,324. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 8,423. Its county seat is Eminence. The county was... |
83934 | 33,967 |
| Washington County Washington County, Missouri Washington County is a county located in East Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 25,195. The largest city and county seat is Potosi... |
82133 | 33,238 |
| Dent County Dent County, Missouri Dent County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 14,927. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 15,119. The largest city and county seat is Salem... |
73011 | 29,547 |
| Taney County Taney County, Missouri Taney County is a county located in Southwest Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 39,703. In the 2010 census the counties population was 51,675 Its county seat is Forsyth.... |
65953 | 26,690 |
| Phelps County Phelps County, Missouri Phelps County is a county located in south-central Missouri in the United States.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it includes the mean center of U.S. population in 2000. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 39,825. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 42,205.... |
65379 | 26,458 |
| Barry County Barry County, Missouri Barry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 35,597. Its county seat is Cassville. The county was organized in 1835 and named after William Taylor Barry from Kentucky, a United States Postmaster General.... |
55187 | 22,333 |
| Christian County Christian County, Missouri Christian County is a county located in Southwest Missouri. The county had a population of 54,285 in 2000 census. According to the 2010 census, the county's population is 77,422 , making it the fastest growing county in Missouri and one of the fastest growing in the nation as the county becomes... |
52260 | 21,149 |
| Madison County Madison County, Missouri Madison County is a county located in the Lead Belt region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 11,800. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 12,276. Its county seat and largest city is Fredericktown... |
51170 | 20,708 |
| Howell County Howell County, Missouri Howell County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 40,400. The largest city and county seat is West Plains... |
50504 | 20,438 |
| Crawford County Crawford County, Missouri -State:In the Missouri House of Representatives, most of Crawford County is included within the 150th Legislative District and is currently represented by State Representative Jason T. Smith . In 2008, Smith defeated Democratic challenger James D. Ellis 69.97-30.03 percent; the Crawford County... |
50048 | 20,254 |
| Texas County Texas County, Missouri Texas County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the county's population was 26,008. It's county seat is Houston. The county was organized in 1843 as Ashley County, changing its name in 1845 to Texas, after the Republic of Texas. The 2010 U.S... |
49581 | 20,065 |
| Butler County Butler County, Missouri Butler County is a county located in the southeast Ozark Foothills Region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 42,794. The largest city and county seat is Poplar Bluff. The county was officially organized from Wayne County on February... |
48494 | 19,625 |
| Douglas County Douglas County, Missouri Douglas County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 13,684. The largest city and county seat is Ava. The county was officially organized on October 29, 1857, and is named after U.S. Senator Stephen A... |
41030 | 16,604 |
| Pulaski County Pulaski County, Missouri Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. The county was organized in 1833 and named for Kazimierz Pułaski, Polish patriot who died fighting in the American Revolution. As of 2010, the population was 52,274, an increase of 27% from the 2000 Census count of 41,165. Its... |
39177 | 15,854 |
| Ozark County Ozark County, Missouri Ozark County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 9,542. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 9,227. The largest city and county seat is Gainesville. From 1843 to 1845 the county was called... |
38672 | 15,650 |
| Laclede County Laclede County, Missouri Laclede County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 32,513. Its county seat is Lebanon. The county was organized February 24, 1849, and was named after Pierre Laclède, founder of St... |
30542 | 12,360 |
| Callaway County Callaway County, Missouri Callaway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 44,332. Its county seat is Fulton. The county was organized in 1820. It was named for Capt. James Callaway, a grandson of... |
12467 | 5,045 |
| Stone County Stone County, Missouri Stone County is a county located in Southwest Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 32,202. Its county seat is Galena... |
10335 | 4,182 |
| Sainte Genevieve County | 10254 | 4,150 |
| Wright County Wright County, Missouri Wright County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 18,815. Its county seat is Hartville. The county was officially organized on January 29, 1841, and is named after Silas Wright , a former Congressman, U.S... |
7159 | 2,897 |
| Boone County Boone County, Missouri Boone County is a county centrally located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the eighth most populous county in Missouri. In 2010, the population was 162,642. Its county seat, Columbia, is the fifth largest city in Missouri and the anchor city of the Columbia Metropolitan Area.-History:Boone... |
4102 | 1,660 |
| Bollinger County Bollinger County, Missouri Bollinger County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 12,363; despite a 2009 estimate that showed the population to be 11,841. The county seat is Marble Hill, which is the only city in Bollinger County... |
1646 | 666 |
| Saint Francois County | 673 | 272 |