Brief History Forest Service

I.Brief History and background of The Texas A&M Forest Service

The Texas Forest Service formerly called The State Department of Forestry, and changed later to Texas Forest Service, a non-governmental organization was initiated by the Texas Forest Association and a law passed by the Texas legislature. The law gave the directors of Texas A&M College a new division of forestry in the college. The new department of forestry in Texas A&M College is known nowadays as Texas Forest Service. TFS helped landowners producing forest from agricultural zones, protecting those forests from wildfires, plagues, abuse, insects and other danger that could put the forest in risk. TFS wanted to educate people, to think more about how important the forests are to the economy of Texas, because the forest is a big resource (Evans F. E., 1996).Texas Forestry Association organized by W, Goodrich Jones, was supported to support the development and utilization of Texas's forest. Later, the Texas legislature passed a law that created the Department State Office of Forestry in the Texas A&M College. In 1926 TFS sold seedlings to reforestation and established their first tree nurseries in Kirbyville. A year later, TFS provided landowners a program to protect their lands against wildfires. Later on, Texas Legislature accredited U.S to get lands from Texas to convert them into National forests. The agency created their own forest industry products, such as using the sawmill residues for newspaper by paper mills. With the financial results from their products, the TFS started a program of tree improvement. An outbreak came with an infestation of pine beetles in Saratoga, and then TFS created a new section Forest Pest Control. Later on,TFS started a new program to protect trees and soil from erosion by wind. Dallas, Houston and other places in Texas were the places of a program of urban forestry by TFS. Since then, TFS has been implementing long term forestry programs, for hazard rating grid blocks, the Oak Wilt Suppression Project and others. Also TFS has been helping, protecting and leading Texas Forests in situations as diseases, wildfires, natural disasters like Katrina hurricane, etc. TFS has fight thousands of fires across Texas. All the programs and sections of TFS continue working today (Texas Forest Service: Self-evaluation report).

II.Mission Statement of TFS

1. three visions of TFS: lead, conserve and protect

''Texas Forest Service provides statewide leadership to assure the state's trees, forests and related natural resources are protected and sustained for the benefit of all'', as the TFS websites says, it's their mission statement (Texas A&M Forest service, About TFS). Protects, conserve and lead is their vision. This agency protects the state's forests from disasters like wildfires, the wildfire season that goes in summer, natural disasters, diseases, insects and other hazard. Their work also include conserve the state's forests, and all natural resources that give Texas economic and environmental benefits. Finally the TFS is a group of leaders, that provide an excellent customer service and depends on dedicated workers.

The objectives of TFS

There are 4 main objectives of TFS; give technical assistance and delivery, protect forest against fires and other hazard situations and emergencies, capacity building and sustainability. First they give technical assistance based on science to those owners to keep their land well-maintained, and achieve their objectives. They educate Texans by assisting, informing, and working with community organizations, interest groups, promoting their programs of establishment, care and protection of forest. Also, they are protecting the lands from wildfire and other dangers and the trees from insects and plagues. They provide a rapid response to any emergency at any time. Preservation and health of the trees is important for natural resources, so they take security and prevention measures to conserve, maintain and preserve the health of the state's forest. Next, the TFS are increasing their protection capabilities all over the state, creating local capacity firefighting entities to