Bienville National Forest
Bienville National Forest | |
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IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) | |
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Location | Mississippi, United States |
Nearest city | Jackson, MS |
Coordinates | 32°17′38″N 89°30′11″W / 32.294°N 89.503°WCoordinates: 32°17′38″N 89°30′11″W / 32.294°N 89.503°W |
Area | 178,541 acres (722.53 km2)[1] |
Established | June 15, 1936[2] |
Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
Website | Bienville National Forest |
Bienville National Forest is a United States National Forest in central Mississippi. It is named for Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. In descending order of land area it lies in parts of Scott, Smith, Jasper, and Newton counties. It has an area of 178,541 acres (72,253 ha). The forest is headquartered in Jackson, as are all six National Forests in Mississippi, but there are local ranger district offices located in Forest.
The Forest lies within the Southeastern mixed forests ecoregion and supports mixed forests of pine and oak.[3]
The upper courses of the Leaf and Strong Rivers flow through the forest. Visitors can enjoy boating and fishing for bass, bream, and crappie on Marathon Lake and Shongelo Lake, and campgrounds and trails are open for hiking and camping.
There are three Wildlife Management Areas within Beinville National Forest: Bienville WMA; Tallahalla WMA; and Caney Creek WMA. Each of these WMAs offer excellent hunting opportunities for whitetail deer, wild turkey, and various small game. Recent years have seen an influx of invasive wild pigs, which can be legally taken with legal weapons for any open season.
References
- ↑ "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- ↑ "The National Forests of the United States" (PDF). ForestHistory.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- ↑ Olson, D. M; E. Dinerstein; et al. (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience. 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original on October 14, 2011.
External links
- Bienville National Forest - National Forests in Mississippi