The Arcata Community Forest is part of the parks and recreation system of the City of

Arcata Arcata (; Wiyot: ''Goudi’ni''; Yurok: ''Oket'oh'') is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, Arcata's population was 18,857. Arcata was first ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was originally created in 1955 from six forest tracts: Gannon Tract, Burns Tract, Preston Tract I, Preston Tract II, Reclamation Water Co. Tract, and Brizard Tract.Van Kirk, Susie, ''A History of the Arcata Community Forest''. Arcata, California: Publisher Not Identified, 1985. The main forest area covers . The park was the culmination of efforts to combine tracts of forest land located east of the city together in one continuous section of city-owned second-growth

coast redwood ''Sequoia sempervirens'' ()''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607 is the sole living species of the genus '' Sequoia'' in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae). Common names include coast redwood, coastal ...

forest. Over a 50-year period, were obtained in several purchases. In November 2006, the Sunny Brae Forest was added to the Community Forest. The city also owns and manages the Jacoby Creek Forest. The City owns a total of of forest." Until 1964, this land was used as the municipal water source, obtaining its supply from Gannon Creek, Preston Creek (Jolly Giant), and Janes Creek. Historically, steelhead and salmon migrated upstream into all the creeks before logging and poor water quality wiped them out. It is currently used for

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

, and sustainable

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

harvesting. Many of Arcata's small streams possess their

headwater The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

s in the Arcata Community Forest. In 1979, the citizens of Arcata passed the "Forest Management and Parkland Initiative". The Arcata Community Forest was the first

municipal forest A municipal forest or municipal woodland is a forest or wood owned by a town or city. Such woods often have a higher density of leisure facilities like play parks, restaurants and cafes, bridleways, cycle paths and footpaths. Unlike an urban forest ...

certified in the US under the Forest Stewardship Council. This was intended to develop an ecologically responsible long-term forest management program to generate income to develop and acquire parkland. Generating $500,000–$700,000 of revenue per year from timber harvesting, the forest is self-supporting, and excess net revenue is used to maintain other city parkland and open space. The forest is popular with hikers, birders, and has a history of (illegal) camping that remains unpopular with some locals who report being harassed or intimidated by the homeless that have "staked a claim" to both public and private property. According to the Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition (HHHC), 74% of homeless individuals were camping in Humboldt County. Approximately 15 illegal, two- to five-person camps are cleaned up annually by the Arcata City Police and Environmental Service Departments in the community forest. Parking and main trail head can be accessed from an unmarked road at Bayview and E 12th St. The Redwood Lodge is located at the park; it is available for rent to host activities and contains tables, chairs, and a small kitchen with appliances.

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External links

Arcata Community ForestArcata Community Forest Images By Jeff Schmitt
{{coord, 40.87393, N, 124.05839, W Arcata, California Municipal parks in California Protected areas of Humboldt County, California Forests of California Community-based forestry Protected areas established in 1955 1955 establishments in California