Prior to the establishment of individual National Forests, the state of Oregon had several forest reserves that had been formed in 1891-1893. The largest reserve, Cascade Range Forest Reserve, was established in 1891. In 1905 the forest reserves were transferred to the management of the Department of Agriculture, who then formed the United States Forest Service to manage these National Forests.
Despite petitions by local citizens to dissolve the Forest Reserves, the Reserves persisted until 1908, when they were split up into several National Forests. Many were just renamed from a reserve to National Forest. However, the 4.5-million-acre Cascade Range Forest Reserve was divided into the Oregon, Cascade, Umpqua, and Crater National Forests. Some of the forests were further divided through the 1930s so that the portions of the Oregon and Cascade National Forests west of the crest of the Cascades were split and renamed into the Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests. Areas to the east were divided into the Deschutes and Paulina National Forests. While some of the above forests have maintained their original National Forest names, many have been renamed and combined since they were initially formed.
The National Wilderness Preservation System was established by the Wilderness Act in 1964. Within Wilderness Areas, human activities are limited to scientific study and non-mechanized recreation. Areas within the National Forests that were already designated as "wilderness" or "wild" became part of the system in 1964; in Oregon, this included the Diamond Peak, Eagle Cap, Kalmiopsis, Mount Hood, Mount Washington, Strawberry Mountain, and Three Sisters Wilderness Areas. The Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area was established in 1968.
The National Forests in Oregon Maps consists of maps of national forests in Oregon prepared by the U.S. Forest Service. The collection includes maps of the entire forests, regional maps depicting all the forests in Oregon, some Ranger District maps, and maps of wilderness areas and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Several of the forests extend into California or Washington. The maps provide details such as location, condition, and road numbers for forest roads, campsites and recreational sites, Ranger and lookout stations, key land features, streams, towns in the surrounding vicinity, and main highways in the regions, as well as the National Forests' boundaries. The maps also have the legal townships, ranges and sections, corresponding to the Public Land Survey System. Some maps also include information provided by the Forest Service to those visiting the forests such as what do if lost, how to drive on forest roads, and other potentially valuable information. The maps vary in scale from 1 inch=2 miles to 1 inch=5 miles scale. The maps are arranged by the current forest name.
Collection is open for research.
This collection is arranged in 3 series. I. Indexes and Regional Maps, 1918-1982; II. National Forests Maps, 1910-1989; and III. Wilderness Areas, 1964-1979.
National Forests in Oregon Maps (MAPS USFS), Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
The maps were transferred from the Oregon State University Libraries' historic and storage maps collections to the Special Collections & Archives Research Center in 2013 to form this collection.
The Special Collections & Archives Research Center holdings include extensive materials pertaining to forests and forestry in Oregon and the Northwest. Maps and other materials documenting national forests in Oregon are available in the
Series I consists of maps depicting the locations of national forests in the Pacific Northwest Region (District 6) in Oregon and Washington as well as maps of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail in Oregon, also known as the Oregon Skyline Trail.
Maps of the Pacific Northwest Region (District 6) issued in 1918, 1921, 1936 (2 copies), 1940, 1951 (3 copies of one edition and one copy of a different edition), 1961, and 1982.
Include trail maps and logs, descriptions of the trail, and instructions for hikers.
Series II is comprised of maps of National Forests in Oregon arranged alphabetically. Most of the maps are of the entire forest; some maps of Ranger Districts are also included. Larger maps of the Crater, Mt. Hood, and Willamette National Forests are housed in a separate folder from the other maps of that forest.
The Crater National Forest was established in 1908 from parts of the Cascade, Klamath, and Siskiyou National Forests and the entire Ashland National Forest. In 1932, the name was changed to Rogue River National Forest. The 1911 map of the Crater National Forest is housed in a separate folder.
Includes a 1915 map of the Paulina National Forest and maps of the Bend, Crescent, Fort Rock, Metolius, and Sisters Ranger Districts.
The 1924 map is housed in a separate folder.
Includes maps of the Big Summit, Paulina, Prineville, and Snow Mountain Ranger Districts.
The Rogue River National Forest was named the Crater National Forest until 1932.
Includes 1910 and 1912 maps of the Wenaha National Forest, the original name of the Umatilla National Forest, and a map of the Walla Walla Ranger District.
Includes maps of the Blue River, Lowell, McKenzie, Oakridge, Rigden, and Sweet Home Ranger Districts as well as maps of the Santiam National Forest, an early name of the Willamette National Forest. The 1911, 1919, and 1947 forest maps are stored in a separate folder.
Series III consists of maps for 8 Wilderness Areas in Oregon -- Diamond Peak, Eagle Cap, Kalmiopsis, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, Strawberry Mountain, and Three Sisters. In addition to maps, the sheets include descriptions of the wilderness areas and trail logs.