Forest Landowner Briefings VII

Publication Year

2025

Brief Description

Topics

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Forest Landowners: Are you ready to put forth extra effort and unlock the potential of your forested property? In this newsletter, you’ll find interesting information and resources to help you “connect” with your investment. I am interested in restoring native forests on my property. Where do I start? Loblolly, longleaf, and shortleaf are the three native species of pines that occur in East Texas forests, with loblolly being the most common. Depending on your property’s location, soil type, and other factors, the native forest type for that area could be different than what you see now. Check with the Texas A&M Forest Service office that covers your county (see back page) for information and a management plan to help you obtain your goals. The Texas Longleaf Conservation Assistance Program provides eligible landowners with financial and technical assistance for establishing, enhancing, and managing longleaf pine. Landowners with property within 9 East Texas counties – Angelina, Hardin, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, San Augustine, Sabine, and Tyler – are eligible to apply. Approved participants may receive up to 50% reimbursement for implementing approved conservation practices such as prescribed burning, site preparation, reforestation, and forest stand improvement. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Longleaf Pine Initiative and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners in Wildlife Program also offer technical and financial assistance for restoring longleaf pine. The Site Suitability and Decision Support Tool under Tools and Resources on the Shortleaf Pine Initiative website can help you determine if shortleaf pine is right for your property. The overstory tree species are not the only important components in a native forest. You also want to manage for the other vegetation such as grasses and other herbaceous and woody plants associated with your desired forest type. For instance, if longleaf pine is your tree of choice, prescribed fire is absolutely necessary in establishing and maintaining a healthy forest. Shortleaf pine and its associated plant communities need fire at various times as well. Ask your forester what tools you can use to enhance the lower levels of your forested ecosystem. LINKS http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/longleaf – Longleaf Pine Restoration Assistance https://txlongleaf.org – Longleaf information, benefits, and other landowner assistance http://shortleafpine.net – Shortleaf information, tools, and other resources How many acres of forestland are in East Texas? Texas A&M Forest Service works in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to inventory forestlands in Texas. This joint effort is known as Forest Inventory and Analysis, or FIA. After receiving landowner permission, permanently established plots across the state are re-measured every 5 to 10 years to determine growth, composition, and mortality of forests, as well as land use changes and wildfire potential. These are the highlights from the 2015 FIA East Texas report: Resource Attribute: 2015 Timberland area (million acres) 12.1 2014 Timberland area (million acres) 12.0 % Change + 1.2% 2014 Number of trees (billions) 7.3 2015 Number of trees (billions) 7.3 % Change + 0.1% At 5.5 million acres, pine is the most abundant forest type in East Texas. Oak-hickory is second, accounting for 23 percent of all timberlands. Oak-pine and oak-gum-cypress are also abundant (> 1.3 million acres). Elm-ash-cottonwood and other types account for relatively small amounts of timberland. East Texas is a region that includes 43 counties, encompassing 22.4 million acres of total area LINKS http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/ForestInventoryandAnalysis – Forest Inventory and Analysis program in Texas; East Texas and Central/West Texas data I have an extremely large oak tree on my property in Texas. I’d like to see if it is among the largest in the state. The Texas Big Tree Registry recognizes the largest known tree of each species growing in the state. In some cases, these trees could be the largest in the country! Go to the first link below and click on Enter the Big Tree Registry. From there, click on Lists and look at the current champions. The trees are scored according to their measurements of height, circumference, and crown spread and specific mathematical calculations. In your case, if you have a positive identification on your tree, you can search for that species by name and see the measurements of the Texas champion. If you think your tree is larger, click on Nominate a Tree and learn how to nominate it for consideration. After an “official” visit and measurement by a Texas A&M Forester, you’ll know if you have a “champion” or not! Since you are into Texas trees, you may be interested in learning about some “famous” trees that played a part in the history of Texas. Go to the second website listed below and follow the story map of famous Texas trees. You can also view these trees and stories in a website format or in an actual hardcover book; just click on links at the bottom of the story map page. Does your tree have a story? LINKS http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/TexasBigTreeRegistry – Texas Big Tree Registry http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/FamousTreesofTexas – Famous Trees of Texas There is an area on my property that is eroding. I believe it is something I can take care of with help from my neighbor, but what resources are out there? The best offense is a good defense. But if you are in need of damage control, you can still fix the problem while also preventing future problems. Start off by going to the first webpage listed below. The publications that will be most helpful to you include the Texas Forestry Best Management Practices Handbook, the Best Management Practices Pictorial Directory, and the BMP Product and Vendor Guide (found under “Monitoring and Reports”). Click on the links to these publications and look through them for information that pertains to your particular situation – whether it be erosion on a road or in a particular spot elsewhere on the property. The Product and Vendor Guide can help you find materials to use to repair or prevent erosion damage. You may also find an online tool – Plan My Land Operation – to be very helpful as well. This tool helps you plan and layout your project based on your specific terrain, soil, and water resources. Through more exploring, you just may find a future project for your next visit to your property! LINKS http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/bmp – Best Management Practices webpage http://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu – Click on Plan My Land Operation Where can I find timber prices in my area? Texas Timber Price Trends is a bimonthly publication reporting average prices paid for standing timber in Texas. This report is intended only as a guide to general price levels. Individuals interested in buying and selling timber can use this report to monitor market trends and get a general idea of what timber is worth. However, it should not be used to judge the fair market value of a specific timber sale, which may vary considerably due to many factors. LINKS http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/TimberPriceTrends – Texas Timber Price Trends Where can I go for help? Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) has offices all over East Texas (and the rest of the state). Contact the TFS District Office serving the county where your property is located. Go to http://tfsweb.tamu.edu and click on “Contact Us,” then “County,” and then search for your county or click on the county of your choice on the map. Click on “Landowner Assistance” to get contact information for that area. For more info on these and other topics, go to the Texas A&M Forest Service website at http://tfsweb.tamu.edu, or contact the TFS District Office closest to your property. TFS District Offices: Carthage (903) 693-6865 Conroe (936) 273-2261 Crockett (936) 544-7798 Gilmer (903) 734-7007 Henderson (903) 657-0511 Hudson (Lufkin) (936) 875-4400 Huntsville (936) 295-5688 Jacksonville (903) 586-7545 Jasper / Kirbyville / Buna (409) 384-9427 Kountze / Woodville (409) 246-2484 Linden (903) 756-5571 Liberty / Livingston (936) 327-4832 Marshall / Longview (903) 938-8712 Nacogdoches (936) 564-9276 New Boston / Clarksville (903) 628-2711 Palestine (903) 729-7738 Pittsburg (903) 856-7181 San Augustine (936) 275-3438 You can still access past editions of this newsletter by going to http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/BMP , scrolling down, and clicking on the “+” beside “Newsletters: Forest Landowner Briefings.”