From the Annals of the Piney Woods – In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the establishment of the Davy Crockett National Forest.    The national forests in Texas were initiated by an act of the Texas legislature in 1933 authorizing the purchase of lands for the national forest system.  The DCNF is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service local headquarters in Lufkin.  It contains a total of 161,842 acres, with 94,481 acres in Houston County and 67,361 acres in Trinity County. The national forests are managed on a multiple-use philosophy and are used for lumbering, grazing, oil production, hunting, and recreation. DCNF which is bordered on the northeast by the Neches River, includes the 45-acre Ratliff Lake. The area is pine-hardwood woodlands with flat to gently rolling terrain. Recreational facilities at this national forest include a bathhouse, camping and picnicking areas, boat ramps, and hiking trails.