FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2025
Texas A&M Forest Service honors law
enforcement officers
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – On Law
Enforcement Appreciation Day, Texas A&M Forest Service honors its Law
Enforcement investigators and officers for their dedication to public safety
and the protection of Texas’ natural resources.
For 110 years Texas A&M Forest
Service has worked to conserve and protect the natural resources of Texas, and
for nearly as long, agency law enforcement officers have played a significant
role in upholding those values.
The Texas A&M Forest Service Law
Enforcement department is comprised of 10 investigators and up to 15 officers led
by Chief Law Enforcement Officer Connor Murnane. Investigators and officers are
located throughout the state, primarily in East Texas, and investigate timber
theft and wildfires.
The department was created in the
1920s after a series of East Texas wildfire outbreaks and has since grown to
include timber theft investigations and public education.
“Those who served in our positions
in the beginning were referred to as education officers,” said Murnane. “They
spent a large portion of their time speaking with and educating landowners
about fire. This was during a time when all fire, even prescribed fire, was seen
as bad. Now, prescribed fire is a widely used tool for forest management and
wildfire mitigation.”
Similar to the agency’s wildfire
response process, the Law Enforcement department investigates wildfires in a tiered
approach. Following a wildfire, local law enforcement and investigators initiate
investigations but will often request Texas A&M Forest Service Law
Enforcement officers to assist.
In 2024, the Law Enforcement
department investigated 151 wildfires, including the Smokehouse Creek
Fire—the largest wildfire in Texas history that originated near Stinnett,
Texas, in February 2024 and burned 1,054,153 acres. The department also assisted
the Brewster County Sheriff’s Office with an arson investigation that led to the grand jury indictment of a
suspected serial arsonist in 2024.
During the cause and origin
investigation of a wildfire, investigators examine contributing factors such as
weather conditions, vegetative fuel consumption, as well as macro and micro
burn pattern indicators. Grass stems, scorching patterns on tree bark and ash
color are all indicators that allow investigators to determine the origin of a
fire. Based on the totality of the circumstances and evidence, investigators
will conduct a criminal investigation into the cause of the fire and any
potential arson suspects.
“It is always important to attempt
to determine the cause of any fire,” said Murnane. “We have a unique
relationship with our Wildfire Mitigation and Prevention department that allows
us to share wildfire data to be used for future targeted mitigation and
prevention communications to the public.”
The Law Enforcement department investigates fires, but it also protects the integrity of the timber sale
process. In 1977, the state legislature added statutes to the Natural Resources
Code regarding damages for unauthorized harvesting, bill of sale documentation
requirements and penalties for noncompliance.
Murnane expressed that there is a
common misconception that timber theft is the theft of trees from a property in
the dark of the night. However, more often than not, timber theft and fraud
occurs face-to-face in broad daylight.
“There are several ways landowners
can be taken advantage of during a timber sale,” said Murnane. “Skimming is a
common method where a harvester only informs the landowner of a percentage of
the hauled timber and profits off of undeclared loads. Diversion is another
method where loads are hauled to a different mill than what was agreed upon.”
When selling timber, Murnane
encourages landowners to visit their property frequently, check references of
the buyer, get bids for each product class and mark all property lines prior to
beginning any harvest. The use of a consultant forester ensures timber is sold
for a fair price and harvesters are held to the terms of the contract.
Many times, landowners are unaware
of the crime until after it takes place and is realized by discovery months
later or discussions with friends and neighbors. When this occurs, landowners
may report the event to Law Enforcement officers to initiate an investigation.
“I often refer to our investigators as
forensic accountants or auditors due to the amount of time devoted to examining
the significant volume of scale tickets, loader sheets and financial statements
that are generated during a timber harvest,” said Murnane. “In order to
determine any criminal intent or neglect, it is imperative to know where the
wood was harvested, where it was delivered and who did and did not get paid
their fair share.”
As a result of the 71 timber theft
investigations conducted by the department in 2024, approximately $53,000 has
been recovered to landowners through a rectification agreement between the buyer
and landowner. In the event of legal action, Texas A&M Forest Service
investigators testify in court and present the findings of their investigation
to the local district attorney for criminal prosecution.
While their main duties lie within
protecting the lands from wildfire and the integrity of the timber industry,
legislative action has been taken to address arson and timber theft. In 2023,
the Timber Asset Protection Act, heavily advocated for by the Texas Forestry
Association and East Texas state legislators, was passed to enhance the Natural
Resources Code through the clarification of bill of sale laws and mill and
landowner sale laws, as well as the application of fraud penalties.
When Texas A&M Forest Service Law
Enforcement officers aren’t conducting investigations or educating landowners
and communities, they lead trainings for other local and state law enforcement
investigators. As mandated by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), officers
also participate in at least 40 hours of training every two years in areas such
as active shooter response, firearms proficiency, emergency vehicle operations,
defensive tactics and more.
Whether they are in the depths of
East Texas forests or the plains of the panhandle, Texas A&M Forest Service
Law Enforcement officers continuously strive to educate and protect all Texans.
“In a day and age where people are
too often deferred to generic online resources, we are here to provide
face-to-face interaction with landowners and boots-on-the -ground expertise for
investigations that lead to criminal prosecution and restitution,” said
Murnane.
If you believe timber theft may
have occurred on your property, you can file a report through the timber theft
hotline at 1-800-364-3470.
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Photos: https://agrilife.photoshelter.com/galleries/C00004ctr0uNLkTQ/G0000tvJMGUQe27Q/20250109-Law-Enforcement-Appreciation-Day
Texas A&M Forest Service Contacts:
Communications Office, newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu, 979-458-6606