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Coordinates: 39°02′42″N 78°25′41″W / 39.04500°N 78.42806°W / 39.04500; -78.42806
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{{short description|State forest in Virginia, United States}}
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'''Devil's Backbone State Forest''' is a [[List of Virginia state forests|state forest]] located in [[Shenandoah County, Virginia]]. It lies on the slope of North Mountain in the drainage area of Cedar Creek near the town of [[Star Tannery]] west of Strasburg. The forest was established by a grant by John and Bernice Hoffman, who owned the land since 1950.
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}


{{Infobox protected area
Although much of future state forest was too steep and the soil too thin for agriculture, it nonetheless was part of a growing Virginia economy. The first industry to use the forest was iron ore furnaces established in the mid 18th Century and existing until after the Civil War. Isaac Zane, a Quaker from Pennsylvania built the first of these furnaces and got grants of forest land which included the future state forest to be used as fuel. These furnaces used a great deal of charcoal and they largely denuded the original forest. In 1868 a tannery came along and consumed the forest for the tannin-rich bark on the trees. The cost of moving raw materials is high, so tanneries move to where the trees are. This one too moved on, leaving only its name attached to the nearby town of Star Tannery. After that inhabitants cut firewood and timber, and local wood and charcoal fueled kilns that produced quicklime from limestone in the Shenandoah Valley. It takes a lot of wood to heat limestone to the high temperatures needed to produce lime, and this came from the first forest. By the middle of the 20th Century very little forest remained on the slopes of North Mountain.
| name = Devil's Backbone State Forest
| alt_name =
| iucn_category = iv
| photo =
| photo_alt =
| photo_caption =
| photo_width =
| map = Virginia
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location within Virginia
| map_width =
| location = [[Shenandoah County, Virginia|Shenandoah County]], [[Virginia]]
| nearest_city =
| coordinates = {{Coord|39|02|42|N|78|25|41|W|region:US-VI_type:forest|display=title,inline}}
| coords_ref =
| area_acre = 705.5
| established = 1995
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body = [[Virginia Department of Forestry]]
| url = [https://dof.virginia.gov/education-and-recreation/state-forests/virginia-state-forests/devils-backbone/ Devil's Backbone State Forest]
}}
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'''Devil's Backbone State Forest''' is a {{convert|705.5|acre|adj=on}} [[state forest]] in [[Shenandoah County, Virginia]].<ref name=VDOF_DBSF>{{cite web |url=https://dof.virginia.gov/education-and-recreation/state-forests/virginia-state-forests/devils-backbone/ |title=Devil's Backbone State Forest |publisher=Virginia Department of Forestry |access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref> It lies on the slope of [[Great North Mountain|North Mountain]] in the drainage area of [[Cedar Creek (North Fork Shenandoah River)|Cedar Creek]] near [[Star Tannery, Virginia|Star Tannery]] west of [[Strasburg, Virginia|Strasburg]]. The forest was established by a grant by John and Bernice Hoffman, who owned the land since 1950.


The forest is managed by the [[Virginia Department of Forestry]], with a focus on research relating to the re-establishment of [[American chestnut]] trees. Public access is not permitted.<ref name=VDOF_DBSF/>
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John and Bernice Hoffman established the current forest on the land by planting timber stands of loblolly pine, encouraging natural regeneration of native hardwoods, and working to re-establish the once and future king of the Appalachian forest, American chestnuts. The chestnuts that once made up a quarter of the forest in the Appalachians have been absent for nearly a century after a fungus introduced from Asia destroyed an estimated 3.5 billion trees in the early 20th century. John hopes his trees will in their small way help restore the chestnuts to their former glory and that some of them will resist the blight.


==History==
The fact that Devil’s Background State Forest looks to the casual observer as a forest primeval is a tribute to both the work of man in reestablishing trees and the resilience of nature.
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2016}}
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{{Virginia-geo-stub}}
Although much of future state forest was too steep and the soil too thin for agriculture, it nonetheless was part of a growing Virginia economy. The first industry to use the forest was [[iron furnace]]s established in the mid-18th century and existing until after the Civil War. Isaac Zane, a Quaker from Pennsylvania, built the first two of these furnaces (Zane's Old Furnace 1768-74 and The Marlboro Works 1772-95) and received grants of forest land which included the future state forest to be used to make charcoal as fuel.
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{{Protected Areas of Virginia}}

In 1868 a [[tannery]] was constructed and consumed the forest for the tannin-rich bark on the trees. The tannery eventually moved on, leaving only its name attached to the nearby community of [[Star Tannery, Virginia|Star Tannery]]. Afterwards, inhabitants cut firewood and timber for charcoal-fueled kilns that produced [[quicklime]] from [[limestone]] in the [[Shenandoah Valley]]. By the middle of the 20th century very little forest remained on the slopes of North Mountain.

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John and Bernice Hoffman established the current forest on the land by planting timber stands of [[loblolly pine]] and encouraging natural regeneration of native hardwoods. They also worked to re-establish the [[American chestnut]], formerly a dominant tree in the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian forest]] prior to the outbreak of the [[chestnut blight]] in the early 20th century. John hopes his trees will help restore the chestnuts to their former glory and that some of them will resist the blight.

==See also==
*[[List of Virginia state forests]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.dof.virginia.gov/stateforest/list/devils-backbone.htm Virginia Department of Forestry: Devil's Backbone State Forest]

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{{Protected areas of Virginia}}

[[Category:Virginia state forests]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Shenandoah County, Virginia]]
[[Category:State forests of the Appalachians]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1995]]


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{{ShenandoahCountyVA-geo-stub}}

Latest revision as of 06:54, 4 January 2025

Devil's Backbone State Forest
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Devil's Backbone State Forest
Map showing the location of Devil's Backbone State Forest
Location within Virginia
LocationShenandoah County, Virginia
Coordinates39°02′42″N 78°25′41″W / 39.04500°N 78.42806°W / 39.04500; -78.42806
Area705.5 acres (285.5 ha)
Established1995
Governing bodyVirginia Department of Forestry
Devil's Backbone State Forest

Devil's Backbone State Forest is a 705.5-acre (285.5 ha) state forest in Shenandoah County, Virginia.[1] It lies on the slope of North Mountain in the drainage area of Cedar Creek near Star Tannery west of Strasburg. The forest was established by a grant by John and Bernice Hoffman, who owned the land since 1950.

The forest is managed by the Virginia Department of Forestry, with a focus on research relating to the re-establishment of American chestnut trees. Public access is not permitted.[1]

History

[edit]

Although much of future state forest was too steep and the soil too thin for agriculture, it nonetheless was part of a growing Virginia economy. The first industry to use the forest was iron furnaces established in the mid-18th century and existing until after the Civil War. Isaac Zane, a Quaker from Pennsylvania, built the first two of these furnaces (Zane's Old Furnace 1768-74 and The Marlboro Works 1772-95) and received grants of forest land which included the future state forest to be used to make charcoal as fuel.

In 1868 a tannery was constructed and consumed the forest for the tannin-rich bark on the trees. The tannery eventually moved on, leaving only its name attached to the nearby community of Star Tannery. Afterwards, inhabitants cut firewood and timber for charcoal-fueled kilns that produced quicklime from limestone in the Shenandoah Valley. By the middle of the 20th century very little forest remained on the slopes of North Mountain.

John and Bernice Hoffman established the current forest on the land by planting timber stands of loblolly pine and encouraging natural regeneration of native hardwoods. They also worked to re-establish the American chestnut, formerly a dominant tree in the Appalachian forest prior to the outbreak of the chestnut blight in the early 20th century. John hopes his trees will help restore the chestnuts to their former glory and that some of them will resist the blight.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Devil's Backbone State Forest". Virginia Department of Forestry. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
[edit]


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