{{Short description|National forest in Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, U.S.}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Nez Perce National Forest | image = Crooked Creek in Gospel Hump Wilderness.jpg | image_caption = Crooked Creek in Gospel Hump Wilderness | map = USA | relief = 1 | map_caption = | location = [[Idaho County, Idaho]], U.S. | nearest_city = [[Grangeville, Idaho]] | coordinates = {{coord|45|27|N|115|55|W|region:US|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coords_ref = | area_acre = 2,224,091 | established = July 1, 1908 | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]] | website = {{URL|www.fs.usda.gov/nezperceclearwater}} }}
The '''Nez Perce National Forest''' is a {{convert|4,000,000|acre|km2|adj=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/nezperce-clearwater |title=Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests - Home |publisher=Fs.usda.gov |date= |access-date=2022-09-16}}</ref> [[United States National Forest]] located in west-central [[Idaho]].<ref>[http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/lar/2007/TABLE_6.htm Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County] - [[United States Forest Service]] - September 30, 2007</ref> The forest is bounded on the east by the state of [[Montana]], on the north by the [[Clearwater National Forest]], on the west by a portion of the [[Wallowa–Whitman National Forest]] and on the south by the [[Payette National Forest]].
The mountains in this forest provide wildlife habitat for [[northwestern wolf|timber wolf]], [[raccoon]], [[moose]], [[American black bear|black bear]], [[coyote]], [[North American cougar|cougar]], [[Rocky Mountain elk|elk]], two species of [[fox]], [[bald eagle]], [[American pika|pika]], [[North American beaver|beaver]], [[flammulated owl]], [[American marten|pine marten]], [[white-tailed deer|white-tailed]] and [[mule deer]], [[muskrat]], [[North American river otter|river otter]], [[peregrine falcon]], [[American mink|mink]], [[marmot]], [[fisher (animal)|fisher]], and [[mountain goat]].
== History == The Nez Perce National Forest was established on July 1, 1908, by the [[U.S. Forest Service]] with {{convert|1946340|acre|km2}} from parts of [[Bitterroot National Forest]] and [[Weiser National Forest]]. On October 29, 1934, part of [[Selway National Forest]] was added.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Places/National%20Forests%20of%20the%20U.S.pdf|title=National Forests of the United States|date=September 29, 2005|author=Davis, Richard C.|publisher=The Forest History Society|access-date=July 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028014355/http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Places/National%20Forests%20of%20the%20U.S.pdf|archive-date=October 28, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2012, Nez Perce National Forest and Clearwater National Forest were administratively combined as '''Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests''', with headquarters in [[Kamiah, Idaho]].<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Forest |url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/nezperce-clearwater |access-date=6 June 2016 |publisher=Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests}}</ref> There are local [[Ranger Districts in US National Forests|ranger district]] offices in [[Elk City, Idaho|Elk City]], [[Grangeville, Idaho|Grangeville]], [[Kooskia, Idaho|Kooskia]], and [[White Bird, Idaho|White Bird]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ufwda.org/pdfs/USDAForestServiceRangerDistricts.pdf |title=USFS Ranger Districts by State |access-date=2009-04-14 |archive-date=2012-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119235755/http://www.ufwda.org/pdfs/USDAForestServiceRangerDistricts.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2018, the Penman Mine in Nez Perce served as a filming location for [[Discovery Channel]]'s ''[[Gold Rush (TV Series)|Gold Rush]]''. During this filming, on October 5, 2018, [[Raw TV]] production staff member Terrance Woods Jr. (27) was reported as missing, as was Connie Johnson (76), a cook for Richie Outfitters last seen October 2. Johnson's border collie, Ace, was recovered alive at the Moose Creek ranger station three weeks later, but as of 2022, neither Johnson nor Woods have been found.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/tag/The+strange+disappearance+of+Terrence+Woods |title=The shockingly weird disappearance of Terrence Woods |website=strangeoutdoors.com |access-date=January 31, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/tag/Fog+Mountain+Idaho |title=The Strange disappearance of Connie Johnson from Big Fog Mountain |website=strangeoutdoors.com |access-date=January 31, 2022}}</ref>
==Wilderness areas== There are four officially designated [[wilderness area]]s within Nez Perce National Forest that are part of the [[National Wilderness Preservation System]]. Three of these are partly or mostly in neighboring National Forests (as indicated). * [[Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness]] (only 4.68% lies within Nez Perce NF; mostly in either Payette National Forest, [[Challis National Forest|Challis NF]], [[Salmon National Forest|Salmon NF]], [[Boise National Forest|Boise NF]], or [[Bitterroot National Forest|Bitterroot NF]])<ref>[http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=acreage&WID=194 Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness acreage breakdown, Wilderness.net]</ref> * [[Gospel Hump Wilderness]] * [[Hells Canyon Wilderness (Oregon and Idaho)|Hells Canyon Wilderness]] (mostly in Wallowa National Forest; partly in Payette National Forest, Whitman National Forest, or [[Bureau of Land Management|BLM]] land) * [[Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness]] (partly in Bitterroot NF; Clearwater National Forest; [[Lolo National Forest|Lolo NF]]) [[File:Nez Perce National Forest Map.jpg|thumb|none|400px|A map of Nez Perce National Forest (orange).]]
==See also== * [[Nez Perce tribe]] * [[List of national forests of the United States]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Nez Perce National Forest}} * [https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/nezperce-clearwater Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests]
{{National Forests of the United States}} {{Protected Areas of Idaho}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Nez Perce National Forest| ]] [[Category:National forests of Idaho]] [[Category:Protected areas of Idaho County, Idaho]] [[Category:Protected areas established in 1908]] [[Category:1908 establishments in Idaho]]