Florida hosts three National Forests: the Apalachicola, Osceola, and Ocala. The largest among them is the Apalachicola National Forest, encompassing over 632,890 acres in the Panhandle region near Tallahassee. Established on June 17th, 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt through a proclamation that consolidated several smaller forests into one large entity; its main features include diverse ecosystems such as pine flatwoods and cypress swamps.

The Ocala National Forest was established earlier than its counterparts on November 24th,1924 covering approximately 383000 acres of Central Florida it's known for having one of the world's largest contiguous sand pine scrub forest . It offers numerous springs including Silver Springs famous for glass-bottom boat tours.

Lastly,the smallest but equally significant is Osceala national forest which covers about 26600 acres located in northeast Florida. It was created by Herbert Hoover presidential proclamation on July 10, 1931. The swampy terrain includes parts of the historic Olustee Battlefield from an 1864 Civil War battle, and provides habitats for various wildlife species like American alligators and red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Florida's national forests have a rich history that reflects the broader story of land use and conservation in the United States. The three main national forests-Apalachicola, Ocala, and Osceola-were established to restore lands overused by logging companies.

The Apalachicola National Forest was created on June 22, 1908. Before its designation as a forest reserve, much of this area had been logged extensively for longleaf pine-a valuable timber resource at the time-and turpentine production. Ownership prior to federal acquisition varied from private individuals to lumber corporations.

Ocala National Forest has similar origins; it became protected under President Theodore Roosevelt's term through an executive order signed on November 24th, 1908. Prior uses included extensive harvesting of trees for naval stores and later phosphate mining operations before reforestation efforts began with its establishment as a forest preserve.

Osceola National Forest was designated somewhat later than its counterparts-it came into existence after being proclaimed by President Herbert Hoover on July 10th, 1931. The region saw significant activity during both Seminole Wars in Florida's early days but primarily served agricultural purposes until excessive drainage attempts led to soil degradation which prompted government intervention via purchase using funds provided by the Weeks Act of 1911.