Big Bend Demonstration State Forest

Shasta Land Trust is pleased to announce the permanent protection of the Big Bend Demonstration State Forest, located along the Pit River near Montgomery Creek and Big Bend in northeastern Shasta County. The property comprises the largest conservation easement held by the Shasta Land Trust, comprising an immense 6,982 acres. The Big Bend Demonstration State Forest was protected in partnership with the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council, PG&E, and CAL FIRE in 2023. 

The property will serve as a California State Demonstration Forest for CAL FIRE, with the intent to provide opportunities for ecological research and forest stewardship projects. The land will be managed with regard to watershed protection, habitat restoration, climate change mitigation, and sustainable timber production.

The land is the ancestral territory of the Pit River Tribe’s Madesi band, and contains numerous historical and archaeological sites of cultural significance. Tribal members resided along the upland and lowland regions of the property, and gathered along the Pit River for cultural and sacred uses. 

The property protects a variety of habitats, including conifer forest, montane hardwood, oak woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and substantial portions of the Pit River. Additional protected riparian areas include Marble Creek, Roaring Creek, and Little Roaring Creek which flow through open meadows and forested land and into the Pit River. The Pit River provides vital flows into the Sacramento River which supports Chinook salmon populations.

Numerous bird species inhabit the land surrounding the property’s rich aquatic habitats, including gulls, terns, osprey, bald eagles, herons, and belted kingfishers. The protected portions of the Pit River located within the property also contain rainbow trout and wild trout fish populations, and provides essential habitat to many aquatic and amphibian species. 

The abundant conifers and forest resources of the property will be managed for sustainable timber production. Timber operations will be assessed and managed with consideration to sustainable harvesting techniques, watershed restoration, fire management response, and wildfire risk. 

The property protects scenic viewsheds along the Pit River, including dramatic canyons, meadows, and forested land. The property also contains Kinner Falls, a 139-foot waterfall that flows from Kinner Creek directly into the Pit River.

Recreational opportunities on the property include fly-fishing, swimming, and whitewater rafting, with a boat launch open to the public at the Madesi River Access site. 

We are pleased to support the incredible aquatic resources, wildlife species, sustainable timber operations, and recreational and scenic benefits of the Big Bend Demonstration State Forest, now protected forever.