Did you know?
Texas Forest Service employs more than 355 employees in 55 offices across the state - of which only 180 employees are within the Forest Resource Protection Division.
Texas Forest Service administers the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. The program was created by the 77th Texas Legislature (HB 2604) and provides $13.9 million per year in grants for equipment and training. In seven years of operation, the program has funded:
1,050 fire engines
1,200 pieces of rescue equipment
36,100 sets of protective clothing
25,000 training tuitions for firefighters
Texas Forest Service is respected for its hands-on, customized training. This, combined with equipment, increasingly enables cooperators to help prevent, respond and effectively control wildfires without state assistance.
TFS’s Lone Star State Incident Management team, along with TFS-trained local IMTs, has been at the forefront of response in the recent events:
Texas Forest Service is a leader in regional and statewide assessment projects
Texas Forest Service has spear-headed national models of how states assess their natural resources and the risks to those resources.
Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment, SWRA - Texas Forest Service leads and administers a region wide project for wildland fire risk assessment that uses both GIS and remote sensing technologies. This is an effective tool for planning and wildfire risk assessment at county, community and/or neighborhood levels.
Southern Forest Land Assessment, SFLA –Texas Forest Service led a geospatial analysis to identify critical forest lands across the south. This analysis is being used by states to make strategic decisions concerning programs and forest management practices.
State Assessment – The 2008 Farm Bill requires each state to conduct a statewide assessment of forest resources, conditions, trends, threats and priorities. Texas Forest Service led this effort for the South by creating a model assessment for others to follow.
Texas Forest Service is a leader in developing urban forestry
Urban forestry is essential to the quality of life for millions of Texans in this rapidly growing state. Over the last twenty years, the number of municipal foresters has grown from less than a dozen to over 100 through the leadership and partnership of Texas Forest Service.
Texas Forest Service is a leader in emerging markets
Texas Forest Service has taken a lead role in developing markets for ecosystem services such as water and carbon. Through the Chicago Climate Exchange, TFS is the first state agency in the nation to be an official carbon credit verifier.
Texas Forest Service is spearheading Changing Roles curriculum for natural resource professionals
The needs and expectations of Texans living and working in the expanding urban wildland interface are changing rapidly. Natural resource professionals must be ready and re-tooled to meet these new demands. TFS, partnering with the USDA Forest Service Centers for Urban & Interface Forestry, piloted the Changing Roles professional development curriculum. To date, TFS has facilitated Changing Roles workshops with Texas Parks & Wildlife, Natural Resource Conservation Service, forestry consultants and loggers.
Texas Forest Service is pioneering alternative sources of energy
Texas Forest Service constantly strives for innovative and efficient means to protect and conserve the state’s natural resources as well as to provide Texas landowners economical and environmental reasons to keep their forests in forests. Emerging ecosystem markets like woody biomass play key roles for the future of Texas forests and forest owners. TFS provides accurate, timely information to both owners and potential buyers of this new valuable Texas energy resource.
Texas Forest Service is:
The first state forestry agency established under the auspices of a land grant institution.
One of four state agencies under the auspices of the Vice Chancellor for Agriculture within The Texas A&M System.
One of six lead agencies in the State of Texas Emergency Management Plan.
The primary provider of incident management teams for Texas.
The only state forestry agency recognized as a verifier of carbon sequestration.
Nationally-recognized leader in Forest Inventory & Analysis and assessment of resource damage following natural disasters.
The only state agency dedicated to protecting Texans from the threat of wildfires.
Texas Forest Service receives no tuition or tuition-related fees and is ineligible for Tuition Revenue Bonds (TRB)