Vol. XII Forest Landowner Briefings

Publication Year

2025

Brief Description

Topics

Full Text

Forest Landowners: Since you live out of state, do you find it difficult to “stay in touch” with your East Texas property and the management concerns associated with it? In this newsletter, you’ll find information and resources to help you connect with your investment. I have been keeping up with the ongoing drought and wildfire season in Texas and know that it has been especially destructive to property this year. Are there any resources for landowners of property impacted by these fires? Great job on staying updated with the current fire conditions in the state. This year has seen many large and small fires affecting properties across Texas, and these have the potential to cause serious damage to timber investments and non-commercial trees on your property. The Texas A&M Forest Service (TAMFS) website provides educational materials on its website for landowners affected by wildfires to learn more about salvaging timber from the property and potentially claiming tax deductions from damaged timber. The website also provides educational resources regarding wildfire prevention so landowners can learn to be proactive in protecting their property from wildfire risk. Another great resource that is always there for Texas landowners is your local TAMFS District Forester. The “Contact Us” link on the TAMFS website will lead you to your District Forester, and they can assist you with evaluating the state of your property after a wildfire and determining the next steps to rehabilitating the land to meet your property goals. Keep up the good work by staying up-to-date on wildfire activity in Texas and around your property, and do not hesitate to reach out to the Texas A&M Forest Service for assistance! LINKS https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/GetHelpAfterTheFire/ https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/PrepareYourHomeforWildfire/ https://public.tfswildfires.com/ I am new to owning land, and I live in an area that is very different from Texas. Are there resources to help me study up on the specifics of forestry in Texas and caring for my property? That’s a great question, and we’re glad you are interested in learning more about what it takes to manage your Texas property! The Texas A&M Forest has a suite of applications on a website called Texas Forest Info. There are several apps within this suite to help you learn more about your property and forestry in our great state. A good example is the “Got Land?” application. This app supports new or potential landowners by taking them through a survey to determine their goals for their property. After these goals are determined, the app provides a list of pertinent resources that can assist you in meeting your property goals. If you would rather teach yourself, Texas Forest Info also has an “eLibrary” app, which contains hundreds of publications from the Texas A&M Forest Service on a large variety of topics. These include caring for yard trees, fact sheets on invasive species in Texas, and many more. With this app, you can search for specific topics of interest to you and tailor the information you study. LINKS https://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu/ https://gotland.tfs.tamu.edu/ https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/elibrary/ I am not so interested in growing commercial pine timber, but I like the idea of planting some trees to provide for wildlife on my property. Does the Texas A&M Forest Service sell trees? Not every landowner wants to turn their property into a pine plantation, and that is perfectly okay! There are many goals a property can be managed for. The Texas A&M Forest Service has operated the West Texas Nursery since 1978. It produces around 20 different tree species for sale annually, including pines, oaks, and pecans. The nursery also allows for custom growing contracts, which has been very useful to restoration and conservation projects for clients such as the San Antonio River Authority, the Arbor Day Foundation, and Nueces Electric Cooperative. LINKS https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/WestTexasNursery/ https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/CentralTexasRestorationandRecoveryProgram/ I have heard about an insect called the emerald ash borer, and I know it does a lot of damage to trees. Is the emerald ash borer in Texas? Do I need to worry about it on my property? Yes, the emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in Texas. Texas A&M Forest Service began monitoring for this pest starting in 2012 by deploying detection traps during the spring and summer months. Unfortunately, this insect has been confirmed in eleven counties: Bowie, Cass, Dallas, Denton, Harrison, Marion, Morris, Parker, Rusk, Tarrant, and Wise. The trees present on your property will determine how worried you should be about emerald ash borer appearing on the property. An ash monoculture, a group of trees of a single species, is much more susceptible to this insect than scattered ash trees within a diverse forest. The emerald ash borer can cause economic and ecological damage depending on the goals a property is managed for. For example, residential properties on streets lined with ash trees could see a reduction in property value due to tree hazard and loss. In some cases, ash trees can be treated and potentially saved when dealing with an EAB infestation. If you are considering treatment, remember to consult a trained professional or seek advice from the Texas A&M Forest Service. Additionally, the Texas Forest Info website mentioned earlier has an application called “My Land Management Connector” that landowners can use to find certified professionals that provide the services they need. The app has three information fields: what type of professional is needed, what Texas region the landowner needs service in, and what specific service is needed. LINKS https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/eab/ https://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu/MyLandManagementConnector/ 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. Where can I go for help? Texas A&M Forest Service (TAMFS) has offices all over East Texas (and the rest of the state). Contact the TAMFS 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 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 TAMFS District Office closest to your property. TAMFS District Offices: Conroe (936) 273-2261 Linden (903) 756-5571 Crockett (936) 544-7798 Livingston/Liberty (936) 327-4832 Gilmer (903) 734-7007 Marshall/Longview (903) 938-8712 Henderson/Carthage (903) 657-0511 Nacogdoches (936) 564-9276 Hudson (Lufkin) (936) 875-4400 New Boston/Clarksville (903) 628-2711 Huntsville/Jasper (936) 295-5688 Palestine (903) 729-7738 Jacksonville (903) 586-7545 San Augustine (936) 275-3438 Kountze/Woodville (409) 246-2484