Bastrop County will soon be home to a new regional office for the Texas A&M Forest Service on a 300-acre property in Smithville—about 13 miles south of the current office.
The gist
Officials broke ground on the $2.5 million project April 29, noting that it will modernize the agency’s infrastructure to meet growing wildfire response and forest management demands in Central Texas.
“Bastrop County remains one of the most wildfire-prone areas in Texas,” officials said in a statement. “This new facility will place personnel and equipment closer to where they're needed, helping improve response times and strengthen support for communities across the region."
Once complete, officials said it will serve as a hub for wildfire response, incident management and forest stewardship.
Why it matters
Brian Hurtuk, Texas A&M Forest Service regional operations chief, said the site will house the agency’s local task force and give first responders a place to train with local fire departments and emergency services districts before wildfire events occur.
Hurtuk said the new facility will also support research on growing, restoring and protecting loblolly pines and other trees in the Lost Pines ecosystem, and landowners will be able to seek guidance on forest health, land management and wildfire mitigation.
Quote of note
“This new building will be a long-term home for the Forest Service here and a clear signal that we are here to stay,” said Jeffrey Savell, vice chancellor and dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences, in a news release.
The plan
As reported by Community Impact on Dec. 9, the project calls for an 11,422-square-foot building housing a 4,400-square-foot, single-story office and a four-bay equipment shed.
Hurtuk said the land was donated to the agency by Gene Schulze in 1999; however, officials have been leasing space in an Elgin shopping center because they were unable to secure funding for the project until recently.
“The stars just aligned and everything fell into place,” he said. “We’re excited about this move.”
Although a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing lists an early 2028 construction completion date, TAMFS officials said they hope the facility will be fully operational in early 2027.
