forest reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
located in
Tyler County, Texas
Tyler County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in East Texas and its seat is Woodville.
As of the 2020 census, its population was 19,798.
Tyler County is named for John Tyler, the 10th President of the United States. De ...
. Located just fourteen miles (21 km) south of Woodville and seventeen miles north of
Kountze
Kountze ( ) is a city in Hardin County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,981 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Hardin County. The city is part of the Beaumont– Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Kountze was orig ...
, it is used primarily for research by
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
. It is open to the public for picnics and touring only. The 6.6 mile Longleaf Nature Trail is located within the state forest. Any revenue generated is donated to student-loan programs at
Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
. The land was donated to the state by the lumber baron
John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby (November 16, 1860 – November 9, 1940) was a businessman whose ventures made him the largest lumber manufacturer in Texas and the Southern United States. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature, he also est ...
in 1929.
In the 1930s, the
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...
planted trees, improved timber stands and constructed a residence, fire lookout tower, roads, fire breaks and bridges.
See also
*
Texas Forest Trail
The Texas Forest Trail is a non-profit organization which promotes heritage tourism, economic development, and historic preservation. The organization is one of ten driving trail regions which make up the award-winning Heritage Trails Program of ...
*
List of Texas state forests Texas state forests and arboretums
See also
* List of U.S. National Forests
The United States has 154 protected areas known as national forests, covering . National forests are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Depart ...