History of Texas forests
Encyclopedia
The forests in the U.S. state of Texas have been an important resource since its earliest days and have played an major role the state's history. The vast woodlands of the region, home to many varieties of wildlife when Europeans first arrived, provided economic opportunities for early settlers. They continue to play an important role economically and environmentally in the state.
The most dense forest lands lie in the eastern part of the state in the Piney Woods
region. In particular the Big Thicket
region, just north of Houston and Beaumont
, has historically been home to the most dense woodlands. The Big Thicket was mostly uninhabited until heavy settlement from the U.S. began in the mid-19th century, and was even used as a refuge by runaway slaves
and other fugitives. The Rio Grande Valley
in South Texas
was home to a large palm tree
forest when Spaniards first arrived, though today very little of it remains.
One of the first steam sawmills in Texas was planned in 1829 in what is now modern Houston. After the Texas Revolution
lumber production increased steadily such that by 1860 there were reportedly 200 saw mills in the state. The construction of railroads throughout the eastern part of the state led to boom in lumber production starting in the 1880s. The following 50-year period in which the Texas timber industry flourished came to be known as the "bonanza era". Though the growth of the industry provided significant economic benefits to Texas, a lack of regulation allowed business owners to exploit many individuals including appropriating private property and forcing laborers to accept poor working conditions and low wages.
By the start of the 20th century timber was one of the leading economic engines of Texas and had become the state's largest manufacturing enterprise. Lumber barons, such as John Henry Kirby
, were among the wealthiest people in the state. By 1907 Texas was the third largest lumber producer in the United States. The subsequent clearing of fields for oil exploration and the related demand for lumber through the first half of the 20th century destroyed much of the remaining forest lands in the state. By the 1920s lumber production was in decline and the onset of the Great Depression
devastated the already flagging industry.
In recent times preservation efforts, such as the creation of the Texas Big Thicket National Preserve in 1974, have helped to stabilize parts of the Texas woodlands. Texas remains in the top ten timber producing states in the United States.
flows freely, and west of which the drier air from the Mexican deserts prevails. The forest lands, of course, mostly lie to the east of this line though pockets of woodland can be found in the mountains to the west.
Texas forest lands can be divided into six major regions: the Big Thicket
, the Piney Woods
, the Gulf Coast
, the Edwards Plateau
, the lower Rio Grande Valley
, and the Trans-Pecos
mountain forests. East Texas
is home to the Piney Woods, a vast region extending from Texas through parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. These woodlands feature many varieties of pine
as well as hardwood varieties including magnolia
, American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and elm
s (Ulmus spp.). The Big Thicket is the southern portion of this region, and has historically been the most densely wooded part of the state, acting as a natural divide between Southeast Texas and coastal Louisiana
. The Texas coastal region has more sparse tree growth but still contains many varieties including Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), mesquite
(Prosopis spp.), and Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana
). The Edwards Plateau region of Central Texas
contains woodlands featuring Ashe Juniper (Juniperus ashei
), Texas Live Oak (Quercus fusiformis), and Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). The lower Rio Grande Valley has historically been home to a large semitropical forest of Mexican Palmetto (Sabal mexicana
). Though West Texas
is mostly grasslands and desert, mountainous areas in the Trans-Pecos portion, such as the Guadalupe Mountains
, contain oases of forest lands featuring Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum), Velvet Ash (Fraxinus velutina
), Grey Oak (Quercus grisea
), and similar tree species.
Additional pockets of forest lands include the Cross Timbers
areas of North Texas
in the vicinity of the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex, as well as areas throughout the savanna and blackland prairies
that lie to the west of the Piney Woods and the coastal areas. For its part the Cross Timbers region, which straddles Texas and Oklahoma, though relatively narrow, was once dense enough to have been considered a natural barrier. Though these woodland areas have never been a major source of lumber they have nevertheless provided firewood as well as wood for poles, railroad construction and other limited uses. Patches of original oak and hickory
woodland remain in the ranchlands of eastern Texas, west of the Piney Woods, and these have been described as the East Central Texas forests
ecoregion
.
forest region once covered more than 2000000 acres (8,093.7 km²) in east Texas. The Spaniards, who once ruled the region, defined its boundaries in the north as El Camino Real de los Tejas, a trail that ran from Central Texas to Nacogdoches
; in the south as La Bahia Road or Atascosito Road, a trail that ran from southwest Louisiana into southeast Texas west of Galveston Bay
; to the west by the Brazos River
; and to the east by the Sabine River. This thickly wooded area proved to be a natural barrier against settlement. It had remained largely uninhabited even by Native Americans until the 19th century.
In the Rio Grande Valley
a large forest of Mexican Palmetto (Sabal mexicana
) extended from the coast to approximately 80 miles (128.7 km) inland as late as 1852. Spanish explorer Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda, in fact, named the river Río de las Palmas (Palm River) in 1519 because of the forest that surrounded it.
When Europeans first arrived in east Texas the Hasinai
, Bidai
, and Akokisa
tribes lived at the fringes of the Big Thicket lands. These predominantly agriculture-based peoples avoided settlement in the forests primarily because the sandy soils of these forest lands were much less fertile than the clay-rich soils outside the dense forests.
During the early 19th century the gradual westward migration of settlers in North America made the forests of east Texas a popular refuge for runaway slaves
and fugitives from justice in the United States.
One of the first steam sawmills in Texas was planned in 1829 by John Richardson Harris, founder of Harrisburg (part of modern Houston). It operated until at least 1833. After the Texas Revolution
, the influx of settlers quickly increased demand for lumber. Sawmills were constructed on the coast in locations such as Galveston, Houston, and Beaumont. As settlement moved further inland new mills were constructed at towns from Nacodoches to Bastrop
.
The Lost Pines Forest
near Bastrop, the westernmost stand of pine trees in the state, became an important source of lumber for Central Texas.
by the United States, the timber industry in the state continued to develop. By 1860 there were reportedly 200 saw mills in the state. The value of lumber products exceeded US$ annually (US$ in today's terms).
In Central Texas the forest lands became depleted much faster than in the East. Over the course of the mid-19th century oak lumber was becoming so scarce in many areas that masonry rapidly began to replace wood construction in many communities.
Even as late as 1870 the major forests of East Texas were largely pristine with some trees growing to more than 150 feet (45.7 m) in height and more than 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter. This began to change rapidly in the 1880s as railroad lines were completed across the state. In 1877 Pennsylvania entrepreneurs Henry J. Lutcher
and G. Bedell Moore established a major mill in Orange
, creating the largest and most modern operation in the state. The timber industry entered what was known as the "bonanza era" as lumber plants and logging roads criss-crossed the forests. Plant owners built company towns, including Camden
, Kirbyville
and Diboll
, to attract employees. Working conditions for timber workers was harsh and dangerous. Work days averaged 11 hours and pay was typically between US$1.50 to US$2.50 per day (US$ to US$ in today's terms). In many cases the owners established a nearly feudal
structure of control exercising near absolute authority over the towns and their residents.
In the late 20th century a new technology known as the skidder
was introduced to the Texas logging industry. The skidder consisted of a railway car with a crane assembly and long cables that dragged logs from the forest after they were felled. The dragging process was tremendously destructive to the forests in which they were used and dramatically hastened the rate at which forests were cleared, both because of its efficiency at extracting logs and because of the incidental damage to the flora.
A significant consequence of the growth of the lumber industry was the taking of land from families that had once owned it. Because of "use and possession" laws in force in Texas at that time, lumber barons flush with cash from Northern investors were able to seize lands belonging to local families, often property that had been in the families for generations.
East Texas farmer John Henry Kirby
gradually acquired multiple mills eventually consolidating them in 1901 as the Kirby Lumber Company, the state's largest at the turn of the 20th century. Kirby would go on to be referred to as the "Prince of Pines" by the press in Texas.
By the start of the 20th century agriculture (particularly cotton), timber, and ranching were the leading economic engines of Texas. Lumber production became the largest manufacturing enterprise in the state, and the industry continued to grow in the early years of the century. Production grew from 300000000 board feet (707,921.1 m³) annually in 1879 to 2250000000 board feet (5,309,408.3 m³) in 1907, the maximum the state has ever produced. Texas became the third leading lumber-producing state in the U.S. World War I
only increased this demand as pine-built ships were common at this time.
The early 20th century saw the expansion of large lumber companies from outside Texas into the state. Long-Bell Lumber Company
, a Kansas-based company (now part of International Paper
), established a subsidiary in Lufkin, Texas
in 1905 with further expansion thereafter. Other outside companies came as well with many following a cut-out-and-get-out policy, harvesting all available resources in an area and then abandoning it completely. Even at the start of the 20th century it was becoming clear that the rate at which the Piney Woods were being harvested was unsustainable. In 1904 a U.S. forester asserted that, given logging practices at that time, the virgin forests would likely not last more than two decades.
In 1901 the Gladys City Oil, Gas, and Manufacturing Company struck oil at Spindletop Hill
, near Beaumont, Texas
. Though petroleum extraction had existed in Texas before this strike, Spindletop was by far the most productive well in world history. This event launched an era of economic growth that was unparalleled in the state's history. The subsequent clearing of fields for oil exploration and the related demand for lumber through the first half of the 20th century destroyed much of the remaining forest lands in the state.
By the end of World War I demand for timber was declining. The Texas timber industry as a whole had, in fact, already peaked in 1907–1908. By the 1920s the forest lands in Texas had become severely depleted and most of the virgin pine had been cut. The lumber industry slowed substantially as lumber companies, whose properties were largely exhausted of timber, slowed or halted operations. Long-Bell and other lumber companies abandoned Texas and moved on to the Pacific coast and other areas of the country. By 1932, during the Great Depression
, production in Texas had fallen to 350000000 board feet (825,908 m³). The 50-year bonanza era had come to a close, with approximately 18000000 acres (72,843.5 km²) of forest having been cut by lumber interests.
In the south, immigration and development in the Rio Grande Valley led to clearing of the palm forests for agriculture. By the 1930s the once extensive forests had been reduced to small tracts around Brownsville
.
Efforts to preserve what remained of the forests began to emerge. The East Texas Big Thicket Association was formed in the 1920s to preserve the Big Thicket. Though its impact was limited it demonstrated increasing concern about the woodlands. In 1924 the state forester E. O. Siecke State Forest succeeded in establishing the first state forest in Texas (named E. O. Siecke State Forest in 1951). The forest consisted of 1702 acres (6.9 km²) near Kirbyville
. By 1925 additional state forest lands had been acquired in Cherokee
and Montgomery Counties
.
In 1930 the Angelina County Lumber Company planted 200,000 pine seedlings representing one of the first significant efforts at reforestation in the state. In 1933 the Texas legislature authorized the purchase of specific lands for the National Forest system, thus creating Angelina
, Davy Crockett
, Sam Houston
, and Sabine National Forest
s. These lands were largely areas that had been cut over and cleared by lumber interests. The United States Forest Service
and the Texas Forest Service
began efforts to re-establish forests on these and other properties around the state.
program was started in Texas following the model set forth by the state of Alabama
. Under the sponsorship of various public and private organizations, including the Texas Forest Service and the East Texas Chamber of Commerce, the program established training and certification criteria that encourage sustainable harvesting practices and protect the local wildlife and ecology.
The timber industry in Texas gradually began to blossom again in the mid-20th century as new technological developments, including log debarkers and pine-based plywood
, made it possible to use more of each individual tree and thus made them more valuable. By 1982, lumber producers ranked among the top manufacturing businesses in the state.
In 1974 the Texas Big Thicket National Preserve of 84550 acres (342.2 km²) was created by Congress. The preserve actually consists of 12 distinct units of forest land that are protected from lumbering activities. These and other preservation efforts have helped to stabilize parts of the Texas woodlands.
Tree farm certifications grew steadily in the mid-20th century. By 1984 there were 2,510 certified, privately owned farms in the state encompassing more than 4000000 acres (16,187.4 km²) of timberland, mostly in East Texas.
In 1994, the national forests alone in Texas produced 93800000 board feet (221,343.3 m³) of timber, providing US$ (US$ in today's terms) in income and 2,098 jobs. In 1992 the timber companies in the state produced more than 1250000000 board feet (2,949,671.3 m³) and in 1997 they produced more than 1370000000 board feet (3,232,839.7 m³). As of 1999 Texas was the tenth largest timber producing state in the nation. The primary wood product is the Southern yellow pine
largely supplying the housing sector in the state. Texas remains in the top ten timber producing states in the United States.
the World Wide Fund for Nature
considers the Piney Woods region to be one of the critically endangered ecoregions of the United States.
Henry J. Lutcher and G. Bedell Moore came to the town of Orange in 1877 to enter the fledgling Texas lumber industry. They established the first large-scale milling operation in the state, introduced the use of advanced technology, and set quality standards that would be followed by the lumber industry going forward. Businessmen including Joseph H. Kurth, Thomas L. L. Temple, and W. T. Carter established lumber dynasties that controlled vast regions of the state.
John H. Kirby is considered by some to be the first of the great lumber barons of Texas. He is also regarded as the first major industrialist of the state. Beginning his career as a country lawyer in East Texas, Kirby organized investors in Boston and New York in the 1880s to buy timber land in Texas and start numerous lumber operations. In 1901 he took full control of all of these operations forming the Kirby Lumber Company, the largest in the state and, arguably, the largest in all of the southern United States. Kirby, in fact, once controlled the largest area of pine in the world.
Some lumber barons, including Kirby, transformed themselves into oil barons as the bonanza era of lumber came to a close and the oil boom
took hold in the 1920s and 1930s.
banker W. Goodrich Jones to conduct a survey of the East Texas forests. Jones had knowledge of forestry techniques from his youth in the Black Forest
of Germany
. He went on to establish the Texas Forest Association in 1914, and lobbied the local lumber companies and the state legislature leading to the establishment of the Texas Forest Service in 1915. Jones came to be known as the "Father of Forestry" in Texas.
In 1927 R. E. Jackson, a railroad conductor who traveled through the East Texas forests regularly, formed the East Texas Big Thicket Association. The group's explicit purpose was to preserve 400000 acres (1,618.7 km²) of the forest and save it from destruction. The group suffered for lack of funds, and the demands for resources during World War II
nullified most of its influence.
The most dense forest lands lie in the eastern part of the state in the Piney Woods
Piney Woods
The Piney Woods is a temperate coniferous forest terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering of East Texas, southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. These coniferous forests are dominated by several species of pine as well as hardwoods including hickory and...
region. In particular the Big Thicket
Big Thicket
The Big Thicket is the name of a heavily forested area in Southeast Texas. While no exact boundaries exist, the area occupies much of Hardin County, Liberty, Tyler, San Jacinto, and Polk Counties and is roughly bounded by the San Jacinto River, Neches River, and Pine Island Bayou. To the north, it...
region, just north of Houston and Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
, has historically been home to the most dense woodlands. The Big Thicket was mostly uninhabited until heavy settlement from the U.S. began in the mid-19th century, and was even used as a refuge by runaway slaves
Fugitive slave
In the history of slavery in the United States, "fugitive slaves" were slaves who had escaped from their master to travel to a place where slavery was banned or illegal. Many went to northern territories including Pennsylvania and Massachusetts until the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed...
and other fugitives. The Rio Grande Valley
Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
in South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
was home to a large palm tree
Sabal mexicana
Sabal mexicana is a species of palm tree that is native to North America. Common names include Mexican Palmetto, Texas Palmetto, Texas Sabal Palm, Rio Grande Palmetto, and Palma de Mícharos. The specific epithet, "mexicana", is Latin for "of Mexico." It is closely related to S...
forest when Spaniards first arrived, though today very little of it remains.
One of the first steam sawmills in Texas was planned in 1829 in what is now modern Houston. After the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
lumber production increased steadily such that by 1860 there were reportedly 200 saw mills in the state. The construction of railroads throughout the eastern part of the state led to boom in lumber production starting in the 1880s. The following 50-year period in which the Texas timber industry flourished came to be known as the "bonanza era". Though the growth of the industry provided significant economic benefits to Texas, a lack of regulation allowed business owners to exploit many individuals including appropriating private property and forcing laborers to accept poor working conditions and low wages.
By the start of the 20th century timber was one of the leading economic engines of Texas and had become the state's largest manufacturing enterprise. Lumber barons, such as John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby was a businessman whose ventures made him arguably the largest lumber manufacturer in Texas and the Southern United States. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature, he would also establish the Kirby Petroleum Company...
, were among the wealthiest people in the state. By 1907 Texas was the third largest lumber producer in the United States. The subsequent clearing of fields for oil exploration and the related demand for lumber through the first half of the 20th century destroyed much of the remaining forest lands in the state. By the 1920s lumber production was in decline and the onset of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
devastated the already flagging industry.
In recent times preservation efforts, such as the creation of the Texas Big Thicket National Preserve in 1974, have helped to stabilize parts of the Texas woodlands. Texas remains in the top ten timber producing states in the United States.
Ecological patterns
The climate in Texas varies greatly across the state. Humid, rain-soaked swamps lie toward the east and desert lands lie in the far west. Woodlands, grasslands, brushland, and other ecological regions can be found in between and around the state. A prominent climactic feature of Texas is a dry line that runs north-south through its center. This line, though, not entirely fixed in its location, represents a point east of which relatively moist air from the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
flows freely, and west of which the drier air from the Mexican deserts prevails. The forest lands, of course, mostly lie to the east of this line though pockets of woodland can be found in the mountains to the west.
Texas forest lands can be divided into six major regions: the Big Thicket
Big Thicket
The Big Thicket is the name of a heavily forested area in Southeast Texas. While no exact boundaries exist, the area occupies much of Hardin County, Liberty, Tyler, San Jacinto, and Polk Counties and is roughly bounded by the San Jacinto River, Neches River, and Pine Island Bayou. To the north, it...
, the Piney Woods
Piney Woods
The Piney Woods is a temperate coniferous forest terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering of East Texas, southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. These coniferous forests are dominated by several species of pine as well as hardwoods including hickory and...
, the Gulf Coast
Western Gulf coastal grasslands
The Western Gulf coastal grasslands are a subtropical grassland ecoregion of the southern United States and northeastern Mexico. It is known in Texas as "Coastal Prairie" and as the Tamaulipan pastizal in Mexico.-Setting:...
, the Edwards Plateau
Edwards Plateau
The Edwards Plateau is a region of west-central Texas which is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the Pecos River and Chihuahuan Desert to the west. San Angelo, Austin, San Antonio and Del Rio roughly outline the area...
, the lower Rio Grande Valley
Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
, and the Trans-Pecos
Trans-Pecos
The term Trans-Pecos, as originally defined in 1887 by the Texas geologist Robert T. Hill, refers to the portion of Texas that lies west of the Pecos River. The term is considered synonymous with "Far West Texas", a subdivision of West Texas...
mountain forests. East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
is home to the Piney Woods, a vast region extending from Texas through parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. These woodlands feature many varieties of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
as well as hardwood varieties including magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
, American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
s (Ulmus spp.). The Big Thicket is the southern portion of this region, and has historically been the most densely wooded part of the state, acting as a natural divide between Southeast Texas and coastal Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The Texas coastal region has more sparse tree growth but still contains many varieties including Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
(Prosopis spp.), and Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana
Diospyros texana
Diospyros texana is a species of persimmon that is native to central and west Texas and southwest Oklahoma in the United States, and eastern Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico. Common names include Texas Persimmon, Mexican Persimmon and the more ambiguous "black...
). The Edwards Plateau region of Central Texas
Central Texas
Central Texas , is a region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is roughly bordered by San Marcos to Fredericksburg to Waco, and to Brenham, and includes the Austin–Round Rock, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Bryan-College Station, and Waco metropolitan areas...
contains woodlands featuring Ashe Juniper (Juniperus ashei
Juniperus ashei
Juniperus ashei is a drought-tolerant evergreen shrub or small tree, native to northeastern Mexico and the south-central United States north to southern Missouri; the largest areas are in central Texas, where extensive stands occur...
), Texas Live Oak (Quercus fusiformis), and Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). The lower Rio Grande Valley has historically been home to a large semitropical forest of Mexican Palmetto (Sabal mexicana
Sabal mexicana
Sabal mexicana is a species of palm tree that is native to North America. Common names include Mexican Palmetto, Texas Palmetto, Texas Sabal Palm, Rio Grande Palmetto, and Palma de Mícharos. The specific epithet, "mexicana", is Latin for "of Mexico." It is closely related to S...
). Though West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
is mostly grasslands and desert, mountainous areas in the Trans-Pecos portion, such as the Guadalupe Mountains
Guadalupe Mountains
The Guadalupe Mountains are a mountain range located in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The range includes the highest summit in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, , and the "signature peak" of West Texas, El Capitan, both located within Guadalupe Mountains National Park, as well as Carlsbad Caverns...
, contain oases of forest lands featuring Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum), Velvet Ash (Fraxinus velutina
Fraxinus velutina
Fraxinus velutina is a species of Fraxinus native to southwestern North America, in the United States from southern California east to Texas, and in Mexico from northern Baja California east to Coahuila and Nuevo León.-Description:Fraxinus velutina is a small deciduous tree growing to 10 m tall,...
), Grey Oak (Quercus grisea
Quercus grisea
Quercus grisea, commonly known as the gray oak, shin oak or scrub oak, is a deciduous or evergreen shrub or medium sized tree in the white oak group and is endemic to the south central montane regions of North America. It hybridizes with four other oak species where the ranges of each overlap, the...
), and similar tree species.
Additional pockets of forest lands include the Cross Timbers
Cross Timbers
The term Cross Timbers is used to describe a strip of land in the United States that runs from southeastern Kansas across Central Oklahoma to Central Texas...
areas of North Texas
North Texas
North Texas is a distinct cultural and geographic area forming the central-northeastern section of the U.S. state of Texas. North Texas is generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, and north of Waco...
in the vicinity of the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex, as well as areas throughout the savanna and blackland prairies
Texas blackland prairies
The Texas Blackland Prairies are a temperate grassland ecoregion located in Texas that runs roughly from the Red River in North Texas to San Antonio in the south.-Setting:...
that lie to the west of the Piney Woods and the coastal areas. For its part the Cross Timbers region, which straddles Texas and Oklahoma, though relatively narrow, was once dense enough to have been considered a natural barrier. Though these woodland areas have never been a major source of lumber they have nevertheless provided firewood as well as wood for poles, railroad construction and other limited uses. Patches of original oak and hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
woodland remain in the ranchlands of eastern Texas, west of the Piney Woods, and these have been described as the East Central Texas forests
East Central Texas forests
The East Central Texas forests is a small temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion almost entirely within the state of Texas, United States...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
.
Early Texas and the Republic of Texas
The Big ThicketBig Thicket
The Big Thicket is the name of a heavily forested area in Southeast Texas. While no exact boundaries exist, the area occupies much of Hardin County, Liberty, Tyler, San Jacinto, and Polk Counties and is roughly bounded by the San Jacinto River, Neches River, and Pine Island Bayou. To the north, it...
forest region once covered more than 2000000 acres (8,093.7 km²) in east Texas. The Spaniards, who once ruled the region, defined its boundaries in the north as El Camino Real de los Tejas, a trail that ran from Central Texas to Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
; in the south as La Bahia Road or Atascosito Road, a trail that ran from southwest Louisiana into southeast Texas west of Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay is a large estuary located along the upper coast of Texas in the United States. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by sub-tropic marshes and prairies on the mainland. The water in the Bay is a complex mixture of sea water and fresh water which supports a wide...
; to the west by the Brazos River
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
; and to the east by the Sabine River. This thickly wooded area proved to be a natural barrier against settlement. It had remained largely uninhabited even by Native Americans until the 19th century.
In the Rio Grande Valley
Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
a large forest of Mexican Palmetto (Sabal mexicana
Sabal mexicana
Sabal mexicana is a species of palm tree that is native to North America. Common names include Mexican Palmetto, Texas Palmetto, Texas Sabal Palm, Rio Grande Palmetto, and Palma de Mícharos. The specific epithet, "mexicana", is Latin for "of Mexico." It is closely related to S...
) extended from the coast to approximately 80 miles (128.7 km) inland as late as 1852. Spanish explorer Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda, in fact, named the river Río de las Palmas (Palm River) in 1519 because of the forest that surrounded it.
When Europeans first arrived in east Texas the Hasinai
Hasinai
The Hasinai Confederacy was a large confederation of Caddo-speaking Native Americans located between the Sabine and Trinity rivers in eastern Texas...
, Bidai
Bidai
The Bidai were a band of Atakapa Indians from eastern Texas.-History:Their oral history says that the Bidai were the original peoples in their region. Their central settlements were along Bedias Creek, but their territory ranged from the Brazos River to the Neches River. The first written record...
, and Akokisa
Akokisa
The Akokisa were the indigenous tribe that lived on Galveston Bay and the lower Trinity and San Jacinto rivers in Texas, primarily in the present-day Greater Houston area...
tribes lived at the fringes of the Big Thicket lands. These predominantly agriculture-based peoples avoided settlement in the forests primarily because the sandy soils of these forest lands were much less fertile than the clay-rich soils outside the dense forests.
During the early 19th century the gradual westward migration of settlers in North America made the forests of east Texas a popular refuge for runaway slaves
Fugitive slave
In the history of slavery in the United States, "fugitive slaves" were slaves who had escaped from their master to travel to a place where slavery was banned or illegal. Many went to northern territories including Pennsylvania and Massachusetts until the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed...
and fugitives from justice in the United States.
One of the first steam sawmills in Texas was planned in 1829 by John Richardson Harris, founder of Harrisburg (part of modern Houston). It operated until at least 1833. After the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
, the influx of settlers quickly increased demand for lumber. Sawmills were constructed on the coast in locations such as Galveston, Houston, and Beaumont. As settlement moved further inland new mills were constructed at towns from Nacodoches to Bastrop
Bastrop, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 5340 people in Bastrop, organized into 2034 households and 1336 families. The population density is 734.8 people per square mile . There are 2,239 housing units at an average density of 308.1 per square mile...
.
The Lost Pines Forest
Lost Pines Forest
The Lost Pines Forest is a belt of loblolly pines near Bastrop in Central Texas. The stand of pines is unique in Texas because it is a disjunct population of trees that is more than separated from, and yet closely genetically related to, the vast expanse of pine trees of the East Texas Piney...
near Bastrop, the westernmost stand of pine trees in the state, became an important source of lumber for Central Texas.
State of Texas in the 1800s
Following the annexation of TexasTexas Annexation
In 1845, United States of America annexed the Republic of Texas and admitted it to the Union as the 28th state. The U.S. thus inherited Texas's border dispute with Mexico; this quickly led to the Mexican-American War, during which the U.S. captured additional territory , extending the nation's...
by the United States, the timber industry in the state continued to develop. By 1860 there were reportedly 200 saw mills in the state. The value of lumber products exceeded US$ annually (US$ in today's terms).
In Central Texas the forest lands became depleted much faster than in the East. Over the course of the mid-19th century oak lumber was becoming so scarce in many areas that masonry rapidly began to replace wood construction in many communities.
Even as late as 1870 the major forests of East Texas were largely pristine with some trees growing to more than 150 feet (45.7 m) in height and more than 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter. This began to change rapidly in the 1880s as railroad lines were completed across the state. In 1877 Pennsylvania entrepreneurs Henry J. Lutcher
Henry J. Lutcher
Henry Jacob Lutcher was a sawmiller and business partner of the Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company. His business ventures would help establish Orange, Texas as the timber-processing capital of the South in the late 19th century and early 20th century....
and G. Bedell Moore established a major mill in Orange
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
, creating the largest and most modern operation in the state. The timber industry entered what was known as the "bonanza era" as lumber plants and logging roads criss-crossed the forests. Plant owners built company towns, including Camden
Camden, Texas
Camden is an unincorporated community in east central Polk County, Texas, United States. It is located at the junction of Farm to Market Roads 942 and 62, eighty miles northwest of Beaumont. As of the year 2000, the community had approximately 1,200 residents....
, Kirbyville
Kirbyville, Texas
Kirbyville is a city in Jasper County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,085 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kirbyville is located at ....
and Diboll
Diboll, Texas
Diboll is a city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,476 at the 2010 census. Diboll is named for J. C. Diboll, a local timber salesman.-Geography:Diboll is located at ....
, to attract employees. Working conditions for timber workers was harsh and dangerous. Work days averaged 11 hours and pay was typically between US$1.50 to US$2.50 per day (US$ to US$ in today's terms). In many cases the owners established a nearly feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
structure of control exercising near absolute authority over the towns and their residents.
In the late 20th century a new technology known as the skidder
Skidder
A skidder is any type of heavy vehicle used in a logging operation for pulling cut trees out of a forest in a process called "skidding", in which the logs are transported from the cutting site to a landing. Here they are loaded onto trucks , and sent to the mill...
was introduced to the Texas logging industry. The skidder consisted of a railway car with a crane assembly and long cables that dragged logs from the forest after they were felled. The dragging process was tremendously destructive to the forests in which they were used and dramatically hastened the rate at which forests were cleared, both because of its efficiency at extracting logs and because of the incidental damage to the flora.
A significant consequence of the growth of the lumber industry was the taking of land from families that had once owned it. Because of "use and possession" laws in force in Texas at that time, lumber barons flush with cash from Northern investors were able to seize lands belonging to local families, often property that had been in the families for generations.
East Texas farmer John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby was a businessman whose ventures made him arguably the largest lumber manufacturer in Texas and the Southern United States. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature, he would also establish the Kirby Petroleum Company...
gradually acquired multiple mills eventually consolidating them in 1901 as the Kirby Lumber Company, the state's largest at the turn of the 20th century. Kirby would go on to be referred to as the "Prince of Pines" by the press in Texas.
Oil boom and the world wars
| Year | Annual production |
|---|---|
| 1869 | 100000000 board feet (235,973.7 m³) |
| 1879 | 300000000 board feet (707,921.1 m³) |
| 1907 | 2250000000 board feet (5,309,408.3 m³) |
| 1932 | 350000000 board feet (825,908 m³) |
| 1940 | 1000000000 board feet (2,359,737 m³) |
| 1991 | 1134000000 board feet (2,675,941.8 m³) |
| 1992 | 1250000000 board feet (2,949,671.3 m³) |
| 1997 | 1370000000 board feet (3,232,839.7 m³) |
By the start of the 20th century agriculture (particularly cotton), timber, and ranching were the leading economic engines of Texas. Lumber production became the largest manufacturing enterprise in the state, and the industry continued to grow in the early years of the century. Production grew from 300000000 board feet (707,921.1 m³) annually in 1879 to 2250000000 board feet (5,309,408.3 m³) in 1907, the maximum the state has ever produced. Texas became the third leading lumber-producing state in the U.S. World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
only increased this demand as pine-built ships were common at this time.
The early 20th century saw the expansion of large lumber companies from outside Texas into the state. Long-Bell Lumber Company
Long-Bell Lumber Company
In 1887, Robert A. Long and Victor Bell formed the Long-Bell Lumber Company in Columbus, Kansas. The Long-Bell Lumber Company branched out using balanced vertical integration to control all aspects of lumber from the sawmills to the retail lumber yard...
, a Kansas-based company (now part of International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
), established a subsidiary in Lufkin, Texas
Lufkin, Texas
Lufkin is a city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. Founded in 1882, the population was 35,067 in 2010. It is the county seat of Angelina County, and is situated in Deep East Texas.-History:...
in 1905 with further expansion thereafter. Other outside companies came as well with many following a cut-out-and-get-out policy, harvesting all available resources in an area and then abandoning it completely. Even at the start of the 20th century it was becoming clear that the rate at which the Piney Woods were being harvested was unsustainable. In 1904 a U.S. forester asserted that, given logging practices at that time, the virgin forests would likely not last more than two decades.
In 1901 the Gladys City Oil, Gas, and Manufacturing Company struck oil at Spindletop Hill
Spindletop
Spindletop is a salt dome oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont, Texas in the United States. The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of the Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindletop struck oil . The new oil field soon produced...
, near Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
. Though petroleum extraction had existed in Texas before this strike, Spindletop was by far the most productive well in world history. This event launched an era of economic growth that was unparalleled in the state's history. The subsequent clearing of fields for oil exploration and the related demand for lumber through the first half of the 20th century destroyed much of the remaining forest lands in the state.
By the end of World War I demand for timber was declining. The Texas timber industry as a whole had, in fact, already peaked in 1907–1908. By the 1920s the forest lands in Texas had become severely depleted and most of the virgin pine had been cut. The lumber industry slowed substantially as lumber companies, whose properties were largely exhausted of timber, slowed or halted operations. Long-Bell and other lumber companies abandoned Texas and moved on to the Pacific coast and other areas of the country. By 1932, during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, production in Texas had fallen to 350000000 board feet (825,908 m³). The 50-year bonanza era had come to a close, with approximately 18000000 acres (72,843.5 km²) of forest having been cut by lumber interests.
In the south, immigration and development in the Rio Grande Valley led to clearing of the palm forests for agriculture. By the 1930s the once extensive forests had been reduced to small tracts around Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
.
Efforts to preserve what remained of the forests began to emerge. The East Texas Big Thicket Association was formed in the 1920s to preserve the Big Thicket. Though its impact was limited it demonstrated increasing concern about the woodlands. In 1924 the state forester E. O. Siecke State Forest succeeded in establishing the first state forest in Texas (named E. O. Siecke State Forest in 1951). The forest consisted of 1702 acres (6.9 km²) near Kirbyville
Kirbyville, Texas
Kirbyville is a city in Jasper County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,085 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kirbyville is located at ....
. By 1925 additional state forest lands had been acquired in Cherokee
Cherokee County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,659 people, 16,651 households, and 12,105 families residing in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile . There were 19,173 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
and Montgomery Counties
Montgomery County, Texas
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837. The county was named for the town of Montgomery, Texas. In 2000, its...
.
In 1930 the Angelina County Lumber Company planted 200,000 pine seedlings representing one of the first significant efforts at reforestation in the state. In 1933 the Texas legislature authorized the purchase of specific lands for the National Forest system, thus creating Angelina
Angelina National Forest
Angelina National Forest is a United States National Forest, one of four located in Texas. The Angelina National Forest is located in East Texas in parts of San Augustine, Angelina, Jasper and Nacogdoches counties. It is managed together with the three other National Forests in Texas from...
, Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett National Forest
Davy Crockett National Forest is off U.S. Highway 69 lying west of Lufkin, Texas and east of Crockett. It is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture National Forest Service local headquarters in Lufkin...
, Sam Houston
Sam Houston National Forest
The Sam Houston National Forest, one of four National Forests in Texas, is located 50 miles north of Houston. The forest is administered together with the other three United States National Forests and two National Grasslands located entirely in Texas, from common offices in Lufkin, Texas...
, and Sabine National Forest
Sabine National Forest
Sabine National Forest is located in East Texas near the Texas-Louisiana border. The forest is administered together with the other three United States National Forests and two National Grasslands located entirely in Texas, from common offices in Lufkin, Texas. The units include Angelina, Davy...
s. These lands were largely areas that had been cut over and cleared by lumber interests. The United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
and the Texas Forest Service
Texas Forest Service
Texas Forest Service is an agency chartered by the Texas Legislature to manage the interests of Texas' forests. It is a part of the Texas A&M University System...
began efforts to re-establish forests on these and other properties around the state.
Recent times
In 1944 a tree farmTree farm
A tree farm is a privately owned forest managed for timber production. The term tree farm is also used to refer to plantations and to tree nurseries.-American Tree Farm System:...
program was started in Texas following the model set forth by the state of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Under the sponsorship of various public and private organizations, including the Texas Forest Service and the East Texas Chamber of Commerce, the program established training and certification criteria that encourage sustainable harvesting practices and protect the local wildlife and ecology.
The timber industry in Texas gradually began to blossom again in the mid-20th century as new technological developments, including log debarkers and pine-based plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
, made it possible to use more of each individual tree and thus made them more valuable. By 1982, lumber producers ranked among the top manufacturing businesses in the state.
In 1974 the Texas Big Thicket National Preserve of 84550 acres (342.2 km²) was created by Congress. The preserve actually consists of 12 distinct units of forest land that are protected from lumbering activities. These and other preservation efforts have helped to stabilize parts of the Texas woodlands.
Tree farm certifications grew steadily in the mid-20th century. By 1984 there were 2,510 certified, privately owned farms in the state encompassing more than 4000000 acres (16,187.4 km²) of timberland, mostly in East Texas.
In 1994, the national forests alone in Texas produced 93800000 board feet (221,343.3 m³) of timber, providing US$ (US$ in today's terms) in income and 2,098 jobs. In 1992 the timber companies in the state produced more than 1250000000 board feet (2,949,671.3 m³) and in 1997 they produced more than 1370000000 board feet (3,232,839.7 m³). As of 1999 Texas was the tenth largest timber producing state in the nation. The primary wood product is the Southern yellow pine
Southern Yellow Pine
Southern Yellow Pine doesn't refer to any one species of tree, but rather a group of species which are classified as yellow pine , and are native to the Southern United States. They grow very well in the acidic red clay soil found in most of the region. The varieties include Loblolly, Longleaf,...
largely supplying the housing sector in the state. Texas remains in the top ten timber producing states in the United States.
the World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
considers the Piney Woods region to be one of the critically endangered ecoregions of the United States.
Lumber barons
| Company | Founder(s) | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| Lutcher-Moore Lumber Company |
Henry J. Lutcher, G. Bedell Moore |
1842 |
| W.T. Carter and Brother Company |
W. T. Carter | 1897 |
| Angelina County Lumber Company |
Joseph H. Kurth | 1890 |
| Southern Pine Lumber Company / Temple Industries Temple-Inland Temple-Inland, Inc. is an American corrugated packaging and building products company based in Austin, Texas.-History:-Early Years:In 1893, when Thomas Louis Latane Temple, Sr., founded Southern Pine Lumber Company on of East Texas, Angelina County, timberland... |
Thomas L. L. Temple | 1893 |
| Kirby Lumber Corporation |
John H. Kirby John Henry Kirby John Henry Kirby was a businessman whose ventures made him arguably the largest lumber manufacturer in Texas and the Southern United States. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature, he would also establish the Kirby Petroleum Company... |
1901 |
| Frost-Johnson Lumber Company Frost-Johnson Lumber Co. The Frost Lumber Companies, or rather, the Frost-Trigg Lumber Co. and, later, the Frost-Johnson Lumber Co., was founded by Enoch Wesley Frost, a resident and native of Arkansas.... |
Enoch Wesley Frost | 1902 |
Henry J. Lutcher and G. Bedell Moore came to the town of Orange in 1877 to enter the fledgling Texas lumber industry. They established the first large-scale milling operation in the state, introduced the use of advanced technology, and set quality standards that would be followed by the lumber industry going forward. Businessmen including Joseph H. Kurth, Thomas L. L. Temple, and W. T. Carter established lumber dynasties that controlled vast regions of the state.
John H. Kirby is considered by some to be the first of the great lumber barons of Texas. He is also regarded as the first major industrialist of the state. Beginning his career as a country lawyer in East Texas, Kirby organized investors in Boston and New York in the 1880s to buy timber land in Texas and start numerous lumber operations. In 1901 he took full control of all of these operations forming the Kirby Lumber Company, the largest in the state and, arguably, the largest in all of the southern United States. Kirby, in fact, once controlled the largest area of pine in the world.
Some lumber barons, including Kirby, transformed themselves into oil barons as the bonanza era of lumber came to a close and the oil boom
Texas Oil Boom
The Texas Oil Boom, sometimes called the Gusher Age, was a period of dramatic change and economic growth in U.S. state of Texas during the early 20th century that began with the discovery of a large petroleum reserve near Beaumont, Texas...
took hold in the 1920s and 1930s.
Preservationists
In 1889 the U.S. Bureau of Forestry B. E. Fernow enlisted the help of Temple, TexasTemple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
banker W. Goodrich Jones to conduct a survey of the East Texas forests. Jones had knowledge of forestry techniques from his youth in the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He went on to establish the Texas Forest Association in 1914, and lobbied the local lumber companies and the state legislature leading to the establishment of the Texas Forest Service in 1915. Jones came to be known as the "Father of Forestry" in Texas.
In 1927 R. E. Jackson, a railroad conductor who traveled through the East Texas forests regularly, formed the East Texas Big Thicket Association. The group's explicit purpose was to preserve 400000 acres (1,618.7 km²) of the forest and save it from destruction. The group suffered for lack of funds, and the demands for resources during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
nullified most of its influence.
See also
- List of Texas state forests
- LoggingLoggingLogging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
- Texas Forest ServiceTexas Forest ServiceTexas Forest Service is an agency chartered by the Texas Legislature to manage the interests of Texas' forests. It is a part of the Texas A&M University System...
- Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentTexas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentThe Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas...