ACME Demonstration State Forest

Miller Demonstration State Forest became state property on June 24, 2022, as a result of a settlement agreement from PG&E in 2001. CAL FIRE received the Miller Demonstration State Forest as well as Noble Demonstration State Forest, Big Bend Demonstration State Forest, and other properties across the state as part of the same settlement.

Forest resources include mixed conifer forest consisting of ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, Douglas-fir, grey pine, California black oak, canyon-live oak, and blue oak. The area also supports a diverse shrub component with dense patches of Himalayan blackberry, poison oak, willows, Oregon grape, manzanita, and scattered California buckeye. The property also features annual grasslands and open meadows.

The property lies within the ancestral territory of the Central Yana people. The Whitmore area was first occupied by European settlers in the mid-1800’s, and the region has an active history of cattle grazing that continues today. Commercial electric power generation in the area was initiated at the Cow Creek Hydroelectric Dam in 1907 by the Northern California Power Company. The hydroelectric systems throughout the area were part of a series of small power generating plants constructed by San Francisco financier H.H. Noble to support copper mining activities. The infrastructure and surrounding land were then purchased by PG&E in 1919.

There are also unpaved roads that provide access to other portions of the property, however under the conditions of the Conservation Easement, no unauthorized off highway vehicle (OHV) use on the property is permitted. Some of the roads are gated, and gates will be installed where they are currently absent, for protection of the conservation values.