A forest of giant redwoods — an important timber and recreational resource in the Coastal regions of northern California. 



timber production of all forest ecosystems in the 

 coastal subregion. It dominates most of the forested 

 area in Washington and Oregon west of the Cascade 

 Range crest, except for the most humid coastal sites. 

 In northern California, it is found generally east of 

 the redwood forests in the coast ranges. 



Although Douglas-fir is often found in almost pure 

 stands, common associates include western hemlock 

 and western redcedar. To the south, this ecosystem 

 includes tanoak, live oaks, and pacific madrone. Red 

 alder, tanoak, and hemlock often succeed this shade 

 intolerant species following disturbance. 



The hemlock-Sitka spruce ecosystem is found on 

 the Washington and Oregon coasts; it totals almost 

 6 million acres in these two States, and is limited to 

 moist sites, mostly on the coastal side of the coast 

 range and Washington's Olympic Peninsula. The 

 namesake species of this ecosystem have long been of 

 secondary value to Douglas-fir, but, in recent years, 

 they have found increased use in this country for 

 lumber as well as pulp and as log exports. 



The predominant use of these three forest ecosys- 

 tems has been for timber production. In 1970, soft- 

 wood sawtimber output from these forests accounted 

 for about one-third of the Nation's total, from only 

 6 percent of the Nation's timberlands. The forests 

 also support a rich variety of wildlife; and the streams 

 in the region are used by most of the anadromous 

 salmonids in the contiguous United States. 



As in other parts of the country, recreational use of 

 these forest ecosystems is important and has been 

 increasing. At higher elevations, especially in the 

 Cascades, the forest floor is relatively open and suit- 

 able for hiking and backpacking. Heavy winter snow 

 accumulations above 4,000 feet have made the forests 

 of the Cascades attractive for winter sports. 



The interior subregion of Oregon, Washington, 

 and California has forest ecosystems suited to the 

 hot, dry summers and cold winters of this area. The 

 forests of much of the area are similar in composition 

 to Rocky Mountain forests, but they are generally 

 more productive. The largest specimens of ponderosa 



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