WOODVILLE – Tyler County Forest Landowner Association’s September meeting, which took place on Saturday, Sept. 28, hosted three diverse speakers.
Texas Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin), who is a tree farmer, shared information regarding several Texas Bills that impact landowners, especially rural tree farmers.
One of the issues to be addressed during the next Texas legislative session is the acquisition of aircraft to fight wildland fires.
The state of Texas does not currently own any firefighting aircraft and is subject to the availability of such aircraft from other sources. Additionally, Ashby wants to craft a program that will provide funds to rural counties for road repairs after a declared natural disaster.
Caitlin Gallegon, Jasper County Extension Agent, explained that most wildflowers adapted to Tyler County – whether native or imported – should be planted in the fall from Oct. 1 through Dec. 1.
Gallegon’s list of wildflowers for our region included bluebonnets, Texas paintbrush (Indian paintbrush), black-eyed Susans, Texas bluebell, butterfly milkweed, compass plant (sunflower family), crimson clover, drummond phlox, foxglove (imported from western Europe), giant purple coneflower, Indian blanket, lemon mint, prairie coneflower, purple passionflower, silverleaf nightshade, standing cypress, Texas thistle and wine cup. Sources of native Texas seeds are Bambert Seed Company at https://bamertseed.com/ and Roundstone Native Seed Companyhttps://roundstoneseed.com/.
Bobby Allcorn, Wildlife Health Specialist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), stated that while there is no recorded instance of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) among the deer populations in Tyler County, there was an instance in Trinity County. CWD, once contracted by a deer, is 100% fatal and all white tail deer are susceptible.
Hunters should take note that if a deer carcass is transported off the property from which the deer was harvested, then the carcass must be either returned to the property, buried, or included in bagged trash for normal public trash handling.
