Gallitzin State Forest

{{Short description|State forest in Pennsylvania, US}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Gallitzin State Forest | iucn_category = VI | iucn_ref =  | image = gallitzinforest.jpg | image_caption = Autumn in [[Charles F. Lewis Natural Area]]  | map = | image_map = Gallitzin State Forest Locator Map.PNG | map_width = | map_caption = Location of Gallitzin State Forest in Pennsylvania | relief =  | location = Pennsylvania, United States | nearest_city = | nearest_town = | coordinates = {{coord|40|12|30|N|78|42|29|W|display=inline,title}} | coords_ref =  | length = | length_mi = | length_km = | width = | width_mi = | width_km = | area_acre = 24370 | area_ref = | elevation = {{convert|2402|ft|m|abbr=on}} | elevation_avg = | elevation_min = | elevation_max = | dimensions = | designation =  | established = 1916 | named_for = | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | visitation_ref = | governing_body = Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources | administrator = | operator = | owner =  | website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20040406093000/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/gallitzin.aspx Gallitzin State Forest] | module = }}

'''Gallitzin State Forest''' is a [[List of Pennsylvania state forests|Pennsylvania State Forest]] in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #6. The main offices are located in [[Ebensburg, Pennsylvania|Ebensburg]] in [[Cambria County, Pennsylvania|Cambria County]], [[Pennsylvania]] in the [[United States]].

The forest is located on {{convert|24370|acre|ha}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gallitzin State Forest |url=https://www.dcnr.pa.gov:443/StateForests/FindAForest/Gallitzin/Pages/default.aspx |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources |language=en-US}}</ref> in two non-contiguous tracts. The largest tract is the Babcock Division in northern [[Somerset County, Pennsylvania|Somerset]] and northwestern [[Bedford County, Pennsylvania|Bedford]] Counties. The other, smaller tract is in northern Cambria and [[Indiana County, Pennsylvania|Indiana]] Counties. The state forest includes [[Charles F. Lewis Natural Area]] and [[Clear Shade Wild Area]].

Gallitzin State Forest was named to honor [[Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin]]. Gallitzin was a [[Roman Catholic]] [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priest]] and is called The [[wikt:apostle|Apostle]] of the [[Allegheny Mountains|Alleghenies]] for his pioneering mission work in the area in the early 19th century.

==History== Gallitzin State Forest was established in 1916<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.dcnr.pa.gov:443/StateForests/FindAForest/Gallitzin/Pages/History.aspx |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources |language=en-US}}</ref> in response to large scale deforestation that took place during the mid-to-late 19th century. Conservationists like Dr. [[Joseph Rothrock]] became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. Lumber and Iron companies had harvested the [[old-growth forest]]s for various reasons. The [[clearcutting|clear cut]] the forests and left behind nothing but dried tree tops and rotting stumps. The sparks of passing [[steam locomotives]] ignited [[wildfire]]s that prevented the formation of [[Secondary forest|second growth forest]]s. The conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. They called for the state to purchase land from the lumber and iron companies and the lumber and iron companies were more than willing to sell their land since that had depleted the natural resources of the forests.<ref name="vfsfhistory">{{cite web |url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/valleyforgehistory.aspx |title = History of the William Penn State Forest |access-date = 2007-08-29 |publisher = [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]] |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070823033728/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/valleyforgehistory.aspx |archive-date = 2007-08-23}}</ref> The changes began to take place in 1895 when Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, the forerunner of today's [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]]. The [[Pennsylvania General Assembly]] passed a piece of legislation in 1897 that authorized the purchase of "unseated lands for forest reservations". This was the beginning of the State Forest system.<ref name="vfsfhistory"/>

==Environment== Gallitzin State Forest protects part of the [[Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests]] [[ecoregion]].<ref name="Ecoregions">{{cite journal|author=Olson, D. M, E. Dinerstein |title=Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth |journal=[[BioScience]] |year=2001 |volume=51 |issue=11 |pages=933–938 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2 |display-authors=etal |doi-access=free }}</ref> The forest is located at the western edge of the [[Allegheny Plateau]], at elevations of about 2400 feet (730 m) above sea level. This is in the lower reaches of an alpine-type climate, and species such as [[birch]] trees, more common further north in [[New England]] and [[Canada]], may be found in the forest.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

==Nearby state parks== *[[Blue Knob State Park]] *[[Laurel Ridge State Park]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{cite web | url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/gallitzin.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040406093000/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/gallitzin.aspx | url-status = dead | archive-date = April 6, 2004 | title = Gallitzin State Forest | access-date = 2006-07-12 | publisher = [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]] }} ''Note: As of July 2006, this web page has not been updated to reflect the Pennsylvania State Forest Districts realignment.'' *{{cite web |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/images/district_realignment.gif |title=State Forest Districts |access-date=2006-07-12 |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515050052/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/images/district_realignment.gif |archive-date=2006-05-15 |url-status=dead }} ''Note: Map showing districts after the July 1, 2005 realignment''

[[Category:Pennsylvania state forests]] [[Category:Protected areas of Bedford County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Protected areas of Cambria County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Protected areas of Indiana County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Protected areas of Somerset County, Pennsylvania]]