Local history and development of the Douglas County Forest originated in the late 1920s when the County obtained a large acreage through tax delinquency.  State law provided that the County take possession of title(s) on tax delinquent land.  However, this acreage became an increasing burden and the County was reluctant to accept these "unwanted lands."  Logged over and ravaged by fires, they presented no prospect for immediate financial returns.  The development of the County Forest Law prepared they way and provided the means for the local establishment of a county forest, thus giving a new destiny to "unwanted lands."

The Douglas County Forest was officially established in 1931 with the entry of 9,022 acres under the Forest Crop Law and the ensuing years showed large acreage entries. Growth has slowed in recent years to a stable land base. On May 10, 1973, a County Forest Ordinance was adopted that repealed all previous ordinances. It designated a County Forest boundary that encompassed a gross area of about 294,362 acres. As of 2017, the net area of land entered under the County Forest Law is 278,759 acres.