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Chippewa National Forest is a National Forest located in northcentral Minnesota in the counties of Beltrami, Cass, and Itasca. The forest covers 1.6 million acres (2,500 mi² - 15,800 km²). Water is abundant, with over 1,300 lakes (including Leech Lake), 923 miles (1,485 km) of rivers and streams, and 400,000 acres (1619 km²) of wetlands. Created in 1908, it was initially known as the "Minnesota National Forest". The forest's name was changed in 1928 to honor the Chippewa Indians who first inhabited the forest. Approximately 75 percent of the forest's land is within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.

Fauna and Flora

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Aspen, birch, pines, balsam fir and maples blanket the forest. Old growth forest such as the Lost Forty section of the CNF is valuable for wildlife, including bald eagles, several species of hawks and woodpeckers, red squirrels, weasels and numerous other species. In the 1960s the bald eagle population in the forest was only 12 pairs http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/chippewa/recreation/wildlife_viewing/. Since then the population has rebounded and the bald eagle population of the chippewa national forest is one of the largest in the lower forty eight states. http://www.conservationfund.org/?article=2775&back=true

The Lost Forty

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See also

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• List of forests
• List of U.S. national forests
• List of Minnesota trees

References

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• History of the Forest
• The Chippewa National Forest Website
• Map of the forest
• National Forest Info
• Enjoy the Peaceful Pines of the "Lost Forty"

Geography of Minnesota | National Forests of Minnesota | Parks in Minnesota