W.G. Jones State Forest Facts[/caption]Senate Bill 1964—authored by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, at the request of Texas A&M University—garnered criticism earlier this spring from county residents who were concerned about potential development in the forest.
The bill as filed in early March would have enabled the Texas A&M University board of regents to use land in the state forest for construction of buildings or improvements for academic, research or commercial uses.
However, Creighton—who said the initial bill language was not intended to be the final language—introduced April 26 a committee substitute that would strengthen the laws governing the state forest and have 100 percent of the property remain in its current undeveloped and scenic state.
“After hearing from my constituents, I’ve made several changes to the bill that I feel reflects the will of the district,” Creighton said.
W.G. Jones State Forest, which occupies more than 1,700 acres near the Woodlands, is owned by the state and managed by the Texas A&M Forest Service. It has served as a working forest for education and demonstration purposes since the 1920s.
James Hallmark, vice chancellor for academic affairs at Texas A&M University, testified during the committee hearing and said the university system typically identifies its existing assets to maximize future opportunities for its degree programs.
“To date, no programs have been decided or approved or even proposed [for the state forest] by the necessary governing boards,” Hallmark said. “Perhaps, even more importantly, no funding sources have been committed to any construction at Jones State Forest. This was strictly a concept, strictly discussion.”
More than 10 Montgomery County residents testified during the committee meeting April 26, some expressing concerns related to both versions of the bill, such as no language regarding habitat protection for the red-cockaded woodpecker, a lack of focus on conservation and no oversight by a third party.
The testimony came less than three weeks after more than 7,000 residents signed a petition on Change.org against the introduced legislation and a grassroots group called Save WG Jones Forest held a community town hall with 300 residents in attendance.
“Jones State Forest is not just another parcel of land ripe for development,” said Amy Coffman Welton, one of the organizers of the Save Jones State Forest group. “It’s part of our natural heritage to be revered and protected.”
Although several of the speakers thanked Creighton for re-working the bill language, some residents still had concerns with the new version. Mark Bowen, a local horticulturist, said he is concerned with the committee substitute bill language related to reforestation.
“In the 1920s when the land was sold to the state of Texas, reforestation may have been warranted,” he said. “As forests become mature, the focus needs to shift to an emphasis [that is] conservation-minded. When you have a mature forest that doesn’t need reforestation, it opens the door for excessive timber sales that would harm the forest.”
