Bourassa State Forest is a
state forest
A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory.
Background
The precise application of the terms vary by jurisdiction. For example:
* In Australia, a ...
located in
Bedford County, Virginia
Bedford County is a United States county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is the town of Bedford, which was an independent city from 1968 until rejoining the county in 2013.
Bedford County was c ...
, north of
Smith Mountain Lake
Smith Mountain Lake is a large reservoir in the Roanoke Region of Virginia, United States, located southeast of the City of Roanoke and southwest of Lynchburg. The lake was created in 1963 by the Smith Mountain Dam impounding the Roanoke River. ...
. It is used primarily for timber production, as an outdoor lab, and as a
wildlife sanctuary
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
.
The forest is adjacent to the
Smith Mountain Cooperative Wildlife Management Area
Smith Mountain Cooperative Wildlife Management Area is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Bedford and Pittsylvania counties, Virginia. Located on the shores of Smith Mountain Lake, the WMA is owned by Appalachian Power and cooperatively managed ...
.
Bourassa State Forest is owned and maintained by the
Virginia Department of Forestry
The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) was established in 1914 to prevent and suppress forest fires and reforest bare lands. Since its inception, the agency has grown and evolved to encompass other protection and management duties:
*Protecting ...
. It is open to the public for horseback riding and hiking; hunting, camping, and motorized vehicles are prohibited.
Some uses may require visitors to possess a valid State Forest Use Permit.
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See also
* List of Virginia state forests
The Virginia state forest system includes 26 state-managed forests covering a total of . They are managed by the Virginia Department of Forestry.
The system was created to manage and maintain forests for wildlife, timber production, recreation, ...
* List of Virginia state parks
This is a list of state parks and reserves in the Virginia state park system.
Virginia opened its entire state park system on as a six-park system. The six original state parks were Seashore State Park (now First Landing State Park), Westmo ...
References
External links
Virginia Department of Forestry: Bourassa State Forest
Virginia state forests
Protected areas of Bedford County, Virginia
1986 establishments in Virginia
Protected areas established in 1986
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