State demonstration forests provide recreation, education

Jackson Demonstration State Forest in Mendocino County is the largest one CalFire owns. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

CalFire owns 85,135 acres of land that encompass 14 demonstration forests.

“These forests represent the most common forest types in California and serve as a living laboratory for how to care for California’s timberlands for multiple benefits—recreation, watershed protection, wood products and sustainable timber production, and habitat restoration—given a changing climate and increasingly severe and intense wildfire seasons,” the state website says.

Until I was cycling through a tiny swath of Jackson Demonstration State Forest in Mendocino last month, I didn’t know demonstration forests were a thing. This one is the largest; encompassing 48,652 acres.

Shasta County has the most—four, with the others being in Tulare, Lake, Santa Cruz, Nevada-Placer, Amador, Napa, Trinity, and San Bernardino counties.

The state purchased the land in Mendocino in 1947, with it becoming a demonstration forest two years later. Previously the private owner logged the acreage.

“Today, more forest growth occurs each year than is harvested. The most common tree on the forest is coast redwood, but visitors will also find Douglas-fir, grand fir, hemlock, bishop pine, tanoak, alder, madrone, and wax myrtle,” the Jackson website says.

The 2026 management plan for Jackson is under review now. Not all of its neighbors are happy, with some signs leading to the property essentially saying the state is logging more than the public realizes.

I’m not going to get into that debate.

On the back of the map I was given it says, “The forest is managed over the long term for a dynamic mosaic of diverse habitats. It produces a sustainable harvest of high quality lumber products, supports biological diversity, and ensures opportunities for future forestry research. The knowledge gained from research and demonstration is shared with forest landowners and the public through a variety of education and technology transfer methods.”

At Jackson people may hike, bike, camp, hunt, ride horses, swim and picnic. Permits are required for camping, group events, cutting firewood, harvesting mushrooms and collecting other forest products.

I barely scratched the surface of seeing this demonstration forest on my bike last month. One day I’ll be back to explore more.