Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest of North AmericaExtending 2,500 miles in a narrow coastal corridor from the far edge of Prince William Sound in southcentral Alaska, along coastal British Columbia, through Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, and to northern California, the Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America represents the largest area of coastal temperate rainforest in the world.1

A coastal temperate rainforest is defined by the following characteristics:2

• Location within 93 miles of the coast• High annual precipitation ( 33 inches - 105 )• Over 100 days of precipitation seasonally, with

10% during the summer months• Dominance by numerous coniferous species• Some of the greatest biomass accumulation and

highest productivity levels of any rainforest in the world--temperate, tropical, or boreal

BiodiversityThe Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America is rich in biodiviersity--home to approximately:3

• 350 bird and mammal species• 48 species of amphibians and reptiles• 25 tree species• Hundreds of species of fungi and lichens• Thousands of species of insects, mites, spiders,

and other soil organisms

ctrfcoastal temperate rainforests

Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforestof North America

Figure 1: Current status of the Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America

Remaining maturetemperate rainforest

Developed temperaterainforest

Snow / ice / barren

Current State of Forest IntactnessAlaska and British Columbia have 90% and 68% of their respective coastal temperate rainforest regions still intact. The southern end of the Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America (Washington, Oregon, and California) contains 5% of its original coverage.7

Cover Photo: Deception Pass, Washington, © Steve BrownBack Photo: Fireweed © Bruce McKay (left), CTRF in Oregon Sam Beebe (center), Red Columbine © Tim Samoff (right)

Figure 1 and 2. Wolf, Edward C., Andrew P. Mitchell, and Peter K. Schoomaker. The Rain Forests of Home: An Atlas of People and Place, Part 1: Natural Forests and Native Languages of the Coastal Temperate Rain Forest. Portland, Or., Ecotrust. 1995.

1. US Forest Service - Caring for the Land and Serving People. US Forest Service. Retrieved. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.fs.fed.us>.2. Barbour, Michael G., and W. D. Billings. North American Terrestrial Vegetation. Cambridge Cambridgeshire: Cambridge, 1988. Print.3. Kellogg, Erin. Coastal Temperate Rain Forests: Ecological Characteristics, Status and Distribution Worldwide. Portland, OR. Ecotrust. 1992. 4. US Forest Service - Caring for the Land and Serving People. US Forest Service. Retrieved. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.fs.fed.us>.5. The Nature Conservancy. Protecting Nature. Preserving Life. Nature Conservancy. Retrieved. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nature.org/>.6. Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) Overview. Fact Sheet: About the NWFP. Retrieved. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.reo.gov/general/aboutNWFP.htm>.7. Hagen, Bettina Von., and Peter K. Schoonmaker. Rainforests of Home: Profile of a North American Bioregion. Washington, DC. 1998.

Tree speciesThe Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America is primarily inhabited by coniferous species, species dominance varies based on location:

• Alaska to Vancouver Island: Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and mountain hemlock

• Vancouver Island to Oregon: Douglas fir, red cedar, Sitka spruce, and western hemlock

• Oregon to California: Douglas fir and redwoods

Ecosystem ServicesFrom southcentral Alaska to northern California, the Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America provides communities with a wide range of valuable services. For example, the biome offers a vibrant habitat for returning salmon and these nutrient rich fish provide nutrition for surrounding communities and wildlife. In return forests reap the benefits of important nutrients such as the nitrogen and phosphorous these fish provide. Numerous ecotourism companies take advantage of the breath-taking scenery of the region. The indigenous people of this region, including the Tlingit, Haida, Comox, Chehalis, Takelma, Pomo, have turned to the forests for centuries for subsistence, medicine, and spiritual enlightenment.

Policy and ManagementPolitical boundaries in the Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America require that ecosystem management decisions are linked between various federal, state/provincial, and local governments.• Over 90% of land in southeast Alaska is public land

and is managed for public use4

• British Columbia has five million acres protected under historic land use agreements with 19 million acres under strict land use management5

• The Northwest Forest Plan covers 24.5 million acres in Oregon, Washington, and northern California that are managed by a variety of Federal agencies6

ctrfcoastal temperate rainforests

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the

world.” -John Muir

Figure 2: Historic, current, and protected areas in the Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America

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