Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness
Encyclopedia
Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness is a 50232 acres (203.3 km²) wilderness area located in the Dixie National Forest
in the U.S.
state of Utah
. It is the fourth-largest wilderness area located entirely within the state (following the High Uintas Wilderness
, Zion Wilderness
, and Cedar Mountain Wilderness
). The wilderness designation protects the Pine Valley Mountain range, a large rock outcrop surrounded by desert. The Pine Valley Mountains form the Pine Valley Laccolith, one of the largest laccolith
s in the United States. Elevations in the wilderness range from 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) to 10365 feet (3,159.3 m) at the summit of Signal Peak.
The southern half of the Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness area supports a large stand of virgin Englemann spruce. On the south edge of this unit, young stands of bristlecone pine
are also found. The north half of the area is composed of stands of mixed spruce
, subalpine fir
, Douglas fir, and limber pine
. Stands of large aspen
are also found throughout the area.
There are numerous meadows up to 50 acre (0.202343 km²) in size within the boundaries of the Wilderness. The predominant vegetation is mat muhly
, subalpine needlegrass
, alpine timothy
, dandelion, Perry clover, shrubby cinquifoil
, yarrow
, fleabane
, snowberry, and serviceberry
.
http://media.kcsg.com/images/pine_valley_pot.jpg On June 17, 2009, Utah Police and forest rangers destroyed about 1 marijuana plant growing in Washington County. Law enforcement reported Mexican cartels have moved their growing operations to Utah to avoid the U.S.-Mexico border and police pressure in California. There were no arrests made and the marijuana fields were in the Pine Valley Mountains near Leeds. Doug Roe, a special agent with the U.S. Forest Service, said the plants were young and not ready for harvesting.
. Because of this isolation there are a number of sub-species of mammals found here, including the Uinta chipmunk
, yellow-bellied marmot
, and red squirrel
. There are numerous blue grouse
and herds of deer
within the meadows and timber. Brown bear
roamed the Pine Valley Mountains as late as 1914.
Dixie National Forest
Dixie National Forest is a United States National Forest in Utah with headquarters in Cedar City. It occupies almost two million acres and stretches for about 170 miles across southern Utah. The largest national forest in Utah, it straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It is the fourth-largest wilderness area located entirely within the state (following the High Uintas Wilderness
High Uintas Wilderness
The High Uintas Wilderness is a wilderness area located in northeastern Utah, United States. The wilderness covers the Uinta Mountains, encompassing parts of Duchesne and Summit counties. Designated as a wilderness in 1984, the area is located within parts of Ashley National Forest and Wasatch...
, Zion Wilderness
Zion Wilderness
Zion Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Utah. Designated March 30, 2009 as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, Zion Wilderness is found within the boundaries of Zion National Park and is managed by the National Park Service...
, and Cedar Mountain Wilderness
Cedar Mountain Wilderness
The Cedar Mountain Wilderness is located in northwestern Utah, USA, just south of Interstate 80. The vegetation on the upper elevations of the Cedar Mountains is dominated by junipers . The foothill and valley regions include mixed desert shrubs. Cheatgrass is prevalent over large areas burned by...
). The wilderness designation protects the Pine Valley Mountain range, a large rock outcrop surrounded by desert. The Pine Valley Mountains form the Pine Valley Laccolith, one of the largest laccolith
Laccolith
A laccolith is a sheet intrusion that has been injected between two layers of sedimentary rock. The pressure of the magma is high enough that the overlying strata are forced upward, giving the laccolith a dome or mushroom-like form with a generally planar base.Laccoliths tend to form at relatively...
s in the United States. Elevations in the wilderness range from 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) to 10365 feet (3,159.3 m) at the summit of Signal Peak.
Vegetation
Bristlecone pine
The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years....
are also found. The north half of the area is composed of stands of mixed spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
, subalpine fir
Subalpine Fir
The Subalpine Fir or Rocky Mountain Fir is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of Yukon, British Columbia and western Alberta in Canada; southeastern Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, northeastern Nevada, and the...
, Douglas fir, and limber pine
Limber Pine
The Limber Pine, Pinus flexilis, is a species of pine tree-the family Pinaceae that occurs in the mountains of the Western United States, Mexico, and Canada. It is also called Southwestern White Pine and Rocky Mountain White Pine...
. Stands of large aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
are also found throughout the area.
There are numerous meadows up to 50 acre (0.202343 km²) in size within the boundaries of the Wilderness. The predominant vegetation is mat muhly
Muhlenbergia
Muhlenbergia is a genus of grass in the Poaceae family. It is named in honour of the American amateur botanist Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg. There are around 155 species. Many are known by the common name muhly....
, subalpine needlegrass
Achnatherum
Achnatherum is a genus of plants which includes several species of needlegrass. Several needlegrass species have been switched between Achnatherum and genus Stipa; taxonomy between the two closely related genera is still uncertain....
, alpine timothy
Phleum
Phleum is a genus of about 15 species of annual and perennial grasses. The genus is native to Europe, Asia and north Africa, with one species Phleum (catstail or timothy-grass) is a genus of about 15 species of annual and perennial grasses. The genus is native to Europe, Asia and north Africa,...
, dandelion, Perry clover, shrubby cinquifoil
Shrubby Cinquefoil
Dasiphora fruticosa is a shrub in the family Rosaceae, native to the cool temperate to subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, often growing at high altitudes in mountains.It is a deciduous, much branched flowering shrub growing to 0.1–1 m tall, rarely up to 1.5 m...
, yarrow
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium or yarrow is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. In New Mexico and southern Colorado, it is called plumajillo, or "little feather", for the shape of the leaves. In antiquity, yarrow was known as herbal militaris, for its use in...
, fleabane
Fleabane
Fleabane is a common name for some flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.Most are in the subfamily Asteroideae:* Conyza * Erigeron * Inula...
, snowberry, and serviceberry
Serviceberry
Amelanchier , also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry, wild pear, juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum or wild-plum, and chuckley pear is a genus of about 20 species of deciduous-leaved shrubs and small trees in the Rose family .Amelanchier is native to temperate regions...
.
http://media.kcsg.com/images/pine_valley_pot.jpg On June 17, 2009, Utah Police and forest rangers destroyed about 1 marijuana plant growing in Washington County. Law enforcement reported Mexican cartels have moved their growing operations to Utah to avoid the U.S.-Mexico border and police pressure in California. There were no arrests made and the marijuana fields were in the Pine Valley Mountains near Leeds. Doug Roe, a special agent with the U.S. Forest Service, said the plants were young and not ready for harvesting.
Wildlife
The Pine Valley Mountains is more or less isolated from the Wasatch RangeWasatch Range
The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
. Because of this isolation there are a number of sub-species of mammals found here, including the Uinta chipmunk
Uinta Chipmunk
The Uinta chipmunk, Neotamias umbrinus, is a species of Chipmunk, a rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to the United States.-Habitat:...
, yellow-bellied marmot
Yellow-bellied Marmot
The yellow-bellied marmot , also known as the rock chuck, is a ground squirrel in the marmot genus.-Description:...
, and red squirrel
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
. There are numerous blue grouse
Blue Grouse
The genus Dendragapus, contains two closely related species of grouse that have often been treated as a single variable taxon . The two species are the Dusky Grouse and the Sooty Grouse...
and herds of deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
within the meadows and timber. Brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
roamed the Pine Valley Mountains as late as 1914.
Threatened, extinct, and sensitive species
A variety of threatened, endangered, and sensitive species live in the Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness area. These include:- Bonneville Cutthroat TroutBonneville cutthroat troutThe Bonneville cutthroat trout is a subspecies of cutthroat trout native to tributaries of the Great Salt Lake, U.S.A. Most of the fish's current and historic range is in Utah, but they are also found in Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada...
(Oncorhynchus clarki utah) - Townsend's Big-eared BatTownsend's big-eared batTownsend's Big-Eared Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.- Description :The Townsend's Big-Eared Bat is a medium-sized bat with extremely long, flexible ears and small yet noticeable lumps on each side of the snout. Its upperparts are similar to dark brown on the back,...
(Corynorhinus townsendii) - Pygmy RabbitPygmy RabbitThe Pygmy Rabbit is a North American rabbit, and is one of only two rabbit species in America to dig its own burrow...
(Brachylagus idahoensis) - Arizona ToadArizona ToadThe Arizona Toad is a species of toad in the Bufonidae family.It is endemic to the United States.Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rivers, intermittent rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marches, freshwater springs, ponds, open excavations, irrigated land, and...
(Bufo microscaphus) - Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
- Desert Sucker (Catostomus clarki)
- Western ToadWestern toadThe Western toad more commonly known as is a large toad species, between 5.6 and 13 cm long, of western North America. It has a white or cream dorsal stripe, and is dusky gray or greenish dorsally with skin glands concentrated within the dark blotches...
(Bufo boreas) - Fringed MyotisFringed MyotisThe Fringed Myotis is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It is found in British Columbia in Canada, Mexico, and the western United States....
(Myotis thysanodes) - Arizona ToadArizona ToadThe Arizona Toad is a species of toad in the Bufonidae family.It is endemic to the United States.Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rivers, intermittent rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marches, freshwater springs, ponds, open excavations, irrigated land, and...
(Bufo microscaphus) - Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianu)
- Ferruginous HawkFerruginous HawkThe Ferruginous Hawk , Buteo regalis , is a large bird of prey. It is not a true hawk like sparrowhawks or goshawks, but rather belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks, known as "buzzards" in Europe...
(Buteo regalis) - Burrowing OwlBurrowing OwlThe Burrowing Owl is a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing Owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated...
(Athene cunicularia) - Long-billed CurlewLong-billed CurlewThe Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, is a large North American shorebird of the family Scolopacidae. This species was also called "sicklebird" and the "candlestick bird". The species is native to central and western North America...
(Numenius americanus) - Bald EagleBald EagleThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus) - Virgin Spinedace (Lepidomeda mollispinis)
- Zebra-tailed LizardZebra-tailed lizardZebra-tailed lizards are a genus of phrynosomatid lizards endemic to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.-Habitat:...
(Callisaurus draconoides) - Common ChuckwallaSauromalus aterThe Common Chuckwalla is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It inhabits the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico...
(Sauromalus ater) - Flannelmouth Sucker (Catostomus latipinnis)
- Fringed MyotisFringed MyotisThe Fringed Myotis is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It is found in British Columbia in Canada, Mexico, and the western United States....
(Myotis thysanodes) - Relict Leopard FrogRelict Leopard FrogThe Relict Leopard Frog is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is endemic to the United States.Its natural habitat is freshwater springs.It is threatened by habitat loss....
(Rana onca) - Western Banded GeckoColeonyx variegatusThe Western Banded Gecko is a species of gecko found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico .-Description:...
(Coleonyx variegatus) - Desert Night Lizard (Xantusia vigilis)
- Western Threadsnake(Leptotyphlops humilis)
Recreation
Common recreational activities in Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness include hiking, camping, horseback riding, and wildlife watching. There is a network of over 151 miles (243 km) of trails on and around the Wilderness, including the popular Summit and Whipple Trails.See also
- Dixie National ForestDixie National ForestDixie National Forest is a United States National Forest in Utah with headquarters in Cedar City. It occupies almost two million acres and stretches for about 170 miles across southern Utah. The largest national forest in Utah, it straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River...
- Wilderness ActWilderness ActThe Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
- National Wilderness Preservation SystemNational Wilderness Preservation SystemThe National Wilderness Preservation System of the United States protects federally managed land areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. It was established by the Wilderness Act upon the signature of President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964...
- List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
External links
- Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness - Wilderness.net
- Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness - GORP
- Pine Valley Ranger District - Dixie National Forest