Angelina National Forest


Angelina National Forest is a United States national forest, one of four located in the piney woods region of Texas. The Angelina National Forest is located in East Texas in parts of San Augustine, Angelina, Jasper and Nacogdoches counties. It is managed together with the three other National Forests in Texas from Forest Service offices in Lufkin, Texas. There are local district offices located in Zavalla. The forest lies in the Neches River Basin and on the north and south shores of Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Longleaf pine is the predominant cover type in the southern portion of the forest, while loblolly and shortleaf pine are dominant species in the northern portion and abundant throughout.
WWW fs.usda.gov/texas

History

Humans came to the area around 8,000 years ago. Archeological sites document the evidence of man's presence over the entire period since then.
In 1934, the Texas Legislature approved a resolution to urge federal purchase of land to create National Forests in Texas. In 1935, acquisition began on the Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, Sabine and Angelina National Forests.

Fauna

Mammals known from the area include Virginia opossum, nine-banded armadillo, North American least shrew, eastern mole, northern raccoon, striped skunk, northern river otter, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, white-tailed deer and others. Among the many species of rodents occurring in the forest are American beaver, Baird’s pocket gopher, eastern gray squirrel, eastern fox squirrel, cotton mouse, and eastern woodrat. Lagomorphs include eastern cottontail, and the swamp rabbit.
Birds, counting year-round residents, spring and fall migrants, spring and summer nesters, and wintering birds, total nearly 300 species in the forest of southeast Texas. Just a few of the year-round residents include wood duck, bald eagle, red-shouldered hawk, wild turkey, northern bobwhite, mourning dove, American woodcock, barred owl, brown-headed nuthatch, pine warbler, and Bachman's sparrow. The red-cockaded woodpecker, an endangered species, is found throughout the forest.

Wilderness areas

There are two officially designated wilderness areas lying within Angelina National Forest that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.