The transportation of invasive insects & diseases through firewood is destroying trees in urban, suburban & forest areas. See what you can do.
Research
Natural Areas Program
Research Natural Areas (RNAs) are established by the USDA Forest Service
as representative examples of minimally disturbed natural ecosystems.
Shawnee National Forest
50 Hwy. 145 South
Harrisburg, IL 62946 Phone: 618-253-7114 or 1-800-MY-WOODS
(699-6637) TTY: 618-253-1070 (TTY users may also use the toll-free number for the Illinois Relay Service: 1-800-526-0844) FAX: (618) 253-1060
The origin of the Shawnee National Forest is closely linked to the economic calamity
of the Great Depression. The southern Illinois economy was on the skids well
before the stock market crash of 1929. Decades of timber exploitation, subsistence
farming, and man-caused wildfires resulted in massive erosion, declining soil
fertility and a downward spiral in crop production. Non-agricultural jobs were
centered in the timber and mining industries, both of which experienced significant
market downturns throughout the 1920s. Upstate newspapers, principally the Chicago
Tribune, began campaigning for the establishment of a national forest in Illinois.
By 1931, the Illinois Department of Conservation and the Illinois Natural History
Survey had pushed consent language (required by Article 1, Section 8, Clause
17 of the U.S. Constitution) through the State Legislature. This provided broad
authority to the United States to establish, consolidate, and extend national
forests within the state without any limitation of acreage or approval by local
or State agencies.
All Things Equestrian - For information related to equestrian use on the forest, including trails, maps, recreation opportunity guides, outfitter/guide information, environmental assessments on related projects, permitted horse camps, etc., click here. Trails Hotline - 618-658-1312
WHOA!!Shawnee Back Country Horsemen
will be presenting a basic
Stock Packing Seminar>>>Read More
Volunteer with the Shawnee National Forest and help to make a difference within your community and on your public lands!
Volunteers with many different skills are needed to assist with the various programs on the Shawnee National Forest. Volunteer opportunities vary in length, type of skill required, and even where they are located (outside on the trails or in the office at a desk). >>>Read More
For more volunteer information including a Master Trail Steward Trail Training Course - course offered through Shawnee Community College and sponsored by Shawnee National Forest and U of I Extension, please see our Volunteering page.
VolunteerMatch is a leader in the nonprofit world dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 50,000 nonprofit organizations. Just type in the zip code to check out local volunteer opportunities
**NewInteractive Map**
of Recreational Sites Just Click on Your Area of Interest!
Trying to Contact Us?
If attempting to contact our staff, please be aware that due to virus protection reasons, the Forest Service will block all e-mails at the SMTP mail gateway that are over a certain size or that contain certain attachment types. To see a list of attachment types that may cause e-mails to be blocked, as well as other e-mail limitations, click here.
**Due to server instability, service to certain webpages may be impacted. Sorry for any inconvenience.**
Climate Change, Kids, and Forests: What's the Connection?
"Since being named Chief in January, I have spent time in Washington and have traveled around the country and have talked to many different people concerned in one way or another about forests. I have been struck by their hopes and fears, and three themes in particular have stood out. I will discuss these themes one by one and show how they are connected."
The Shawnee Quarterly The Shawnee National Forest Newsletter with the
Schedule of Proposed Actions
October 2008
SEASONAL CLOSURE OF CAMPGROUNDS ON THE SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST
Harrisburg, IL, January 14, 2009 - The Shawnee National Forest District Rangers announce the seasonal closure of campgrounds. >>Read More
SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST EARLY DETECTION AND RAPID RESPONSE REMOVES AQUATIC INVASIVE
Harrisburg, IL - December 30, 2008 - A kayaking trip on Dutchman Lake in early September, 2008, turned into an adventure in early detection and rapid response for Melissa Mead, Student Career Employment Program ecologist for the Shawnee National Forest, when she collected water hyacinth (Eichhorniacrassipes), an invasive aquatic plant species, for the first time on the Forest. >>>Read More
HIDDEN SPRINGS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Harrisburg, IL, December 12, 2008 - The Hidden Springs Ranger District of the Shawnee National Forest will expand their list of volunteer opportunities to include an Adopt-a-Trail program. >>>Read More
2008: The Year in Review
What a year! From the ice storms of
winter to the floodwaters of summer
and all the events and partnerships
we have worked on in between, it hasbeen an eventful year.
The first issue of Connect US, a biannual publication dedicated to the recreational opportunities and land management activities on federal lands in Southern Illinois, is produced and designed by the Shawnee Community College for the U. S. Forest Service, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Shawnee National Forest Fee Proposal
Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA)
Responses to Public Comment >>>Read More
The Hidden Springs Ranger Station's Elizabethtown Office closed in October 2007. Main Street Elizabethtown, in Hardin County, Illinois is now providing information and brochures regarding the Shawnee National Forest. They are in the Old Heritage Shop on First Street (Hwy 146) in Elizabethtown, Illinois, and their hours are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They can be reached by phone at 618-287-4333.
For Burn permits and firewood permits please contact: Hidden Springs Ranger District 602 N. First Street Route 45 North
Vienna, Illinois 62995
(618) 658-2111
Order of the Forest Supervisor, Restriction of Horses or Other Saddle or Pack Animals to Designated and Interim Trails in the Eagle Creek, Big Grand Pierre Creek, Lusk Creek and Upper Bay Creek Watersheds on the Shawnee National Forest
(Please allow for download time when viewing maps).
DESIGNATED TRAIL USE ONLY IN FOUR WATERSHEDS Harrisburg, IL, January 22, 2007 –Today Forest Supervisor Allen Nicholas announced equestrian use will be limited to designated trails in the Eagle Creek, Big Grande Pierre, Lusk Creek and Upper Bay Creek watersheds in Gallatin, Hardin, Johnson, Pope and Saline counties of the Hidden Springs Ranger District.
Research
Natural Areas Program
Research Natural Areas (RNAs) are established by the USDA Forest Service as
representative examples of minimally disturbed natural ecosystems.
Safety
Alerts, Fires, Advisories, Closures, and Restrictions
The
Shawnee National Forest is located in southern Illinois and is divided into two Ranger Districts Hidden
Springs -
located in Vienna and Mississippi
Bluffs - located in Jonesboro .
Trails Maintenance Reports
The Trails Designation Project, Phase 1, Final Environmental Impact Statement presents an analysis of four alternatives for designating, constructing and maintaining a trail system within four watersheds on The Shawnee National Forest.
![[gsa logo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090115210010im_/http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/shawnee/images/gsalogo.gif)
![[more information]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090115210010im_/http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/shawnee/images/b_more01.gif){kind=small}
![[Current Conditions] An orange triangle with a black exclamation point that is symbolic of Public Safety information.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090115210010im_/http://www.fs.fed.us/global-websites/images/logos/current-conditions.gif){kind=small}
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