
Map of the Carson National Forest
'Carson National Forest' is a
national forest in northern
New Mexico,
United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers (1.5 million acres) and is administered by the
United States Forest Service. The Forest Service's "mixed use" policy allows for its use for recreation, grazing, and resource extraction.
The forest was once inhabited by the
Ancient Pueblo (Anasazi) people, who left ruins of
adobe dwellings and other artifacts at an archaeological site now called Pot Creek Cultural Site. Some areas of the forest were formerly
lands granted to settlers by the
Spanish monarchy and the
Mexican government. After the
Mexican-American War, the national forest was established, and was named for American
pioneer Kit Carson. In 1967, the
Alianza Federal de Mercedes, an organization dedicated to the restoration of Spanish and Mexican land grants, occupied Echo Amphitheater, an area of the forest in an attempt to recreate a historic land grant community. The occupants were evicted for overstaying camping permits. In 1982, the forest grew by 405 square kilometers (100,000 acres) when the
Pennzoil corporation donated the
Valle Vidal Unit to the American people.
Wheeler Peak, the highest
mountain in New Mexico, is also located there.
External links
★
Official site