The John Henry Kirby State Forest is a is a 626 acres (2.5 km²) forest reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

 located in Tyler County, Texas. Located just fourteen miles (21 km) south of Woodville

Woodville, Texas

Woodville is a town in Tyler County, Texas, United States. The town is intersected by three U.S. highways: U.S. Highway 69, U.S. Highway 190, and U.S. Highway 287. The population was 2,415 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Tyler County...

, it is used primarily for research by Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

. It is open to the public for picnics and touring only. Any revenue generated is donated to student-loan programs at Texas A&M

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

. The land was donated to the state by the lumber baron 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...

in 1929.

External links

• Texas Forest Service website - Texas State Forests - John Henry Kirby Memorial State Forest