The Tahoe National Forest straddles the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountains in northern California, and encompasses a vast territory, from the golden foothills on the western slope to the high peaks of the Sierra crest. Today, the forest is managed for a variety of uses in keeping with the mission statement of the USDA Forest Service, "Caring for the Land and Serving People." Outdoor recreation is the major economic influence in the local communities. Millions of people visit the forest each year to hike, camp, swim, hunt, sightsee, ski and snowboard, rock climb, bicycle, and dozens of other activities. Timber, clean water, grazing, minerals, and other resources are produced for the economic health of the nation, managed to provide a continuing flow of resources in an ecologically sustainable fashion. Research areas on the Tahoe are managed to preserve and protect unique characteristics important for science.