About the Area
A bird's eye view from the Pyramid Peak Trail on the Olympic National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo by Megan Berryyoung.
Photo Credit: USDA Forest Service photo by Megan BerryyoungPerhaps more than any other region in the United States, the Pacific Northwest is defined by its public lands.
More than 30 percent of Washington and 53 percent of Oregon are public lands managed by the federal government. These lands provide the people and communities within Oregon and Washington their livelihood, recreation, visual backdrop, and identity.
The Pacific Northwest Region hosts a variety of ecosystems and ecoregions from wet temperate rain forests in some coastal areas to the more arid high desert areas of eastern Oregon and Washington.
The region is bound by the Pacific Ocean to the west and includes several mountain ranges: the Coast Mountains, the Cascade Range, the Olympic Mountains, and the Columbia Mountains. Active volcanoes within the Oregon and Washington region include Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Mount St Helens, which erupted in 1980, Mount Hood, and Mount Jefferson. Most of the human population of the Pacific Northwest is currently concentrated in the Vancouver–Seattle–Portland corridor.
Total Forest Acres: 24.9 million
- Oregon Acres: 15.6 million
- Washington Acres: 9.3 million
Region at a Glance
- National Forests: 16
- Ranger Districts: 67
- Directors Areas: 16
Other Designated Areas
- National Scenic Areas: 2
- National Grasslands: 1
- National Recreation Areas: 4
- National Volcanic Monuments: 2
Wilderness Areas: 64
- Wilderness Acres: 5,113,922
Wild and Scenic Rivers: 51
- Wild and Scenic River Miles: 1,321
Federally Recognized Tribes: 42
Partnership Agreements 2023: 350
- Partner Contributions 2023: $114,900,000
Timber Output
- Timber Volume Target 2023: 575 MMBF
- Timber Volume Offered 2023: 589 MMBF
Fire and Fuels
- Acres burned 2023, 157,79
- 10-year average (FY14-23) Acres burned: 451,908
- Prescribed Fire Acres 2023: 72,842
- Mechanical Acres 2023: 305,53
Recreation
- Public Visits 2022: 16,391,275
- Campgrounds: 923
- Day-Use Sites: 194
- Miles of Trails: 25,860
Fish and Wildlife
- Wildlife Species: 743
- Endangered Species: 19
- Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species List: 197 species
Pacific Northwest Region
Upper Crooked River flowing through Ochoco National Forest.
Photo Credit: USDA Forest Service.The Pacific Northwest Region of the US Forest Service manages 24.9 million acres of land across 16 National Forests, a National Grassland, 2 National Volcanic Monuments, 4 National Recreation Areas, and 2 National Scenic Areas.
We provide water: Approximately 40% of the total water supply in Oregon and Washington originates on National Forests and these waters are among the coldest and highest quality in the Pacific Northwest.
We provide recreation: The Forest Services manages nearly 25 million acres of National Forest lands in Oregon and Washington, accounting for 25% of all lands in Oregon and 15% of all lands in Washington. The Pacific Northwest Region offers more than 25,000 miles of trails, 51 Wild and Scenic Rivers, two National Monuments, and over 3,000 world-class outdoor recreation areas, facilities, and programs.
We provide habitat for:
- Wildlife. There are over 743 wildlife species (birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals) identified in Oregon and Washington – most of them can be found on our National Forests. Of those 742 species, 19 are endangered and 197 are on the Regional Forester’s sensitive species list. The Forest Service is the largest habitat manager in Oregon and Washington.
- Fish. The Pacific Northwest Region is home to world class fishing and our forests provide critical nursery habitat for wild salmon and steelhead. The region includes 25,200 miles of fish bearing streams and 22,500 acres of lakes and reservoirs that provide cold water refugia to address the impacts of climate change on salmon, steelhead, and trout.
- Plants. National Forest System lands provide habitat for roughly 55% of total rare plant species that occur in WA and OR (based on the Washington Natural Heritage and ORBIC lists).
We provide wood:
- National Forests in the Pacific Northwest Region sold 589 million board feet of timber valued at over $42 million in FY 2023.
- Through the Good Neighbor Authority, we also completed 16 sales in FY 2023 for a total of 64 million board feet (roughly 11% of the Regional target).
We provide jobs: National Forests in the Pacific Northwest Region support approximately 28,900 jobs and $1.6 billion in labor income in local communities.