Houston Regional Group - News

The U.S. Forest Service (FS) has proposed restoration of native blackland prairies in Compartments 60, 62, and 63 of Sam Houston National Forest (SHNF) near Huntsville, Texas. The proposal includes cutting or herbiciding of woody vegetation that has grown on the prairies and burning the prairies to restore grasses and herbaceous vegetation. The prairies are thought to consist of soil outcrops similar to those of the Fayette Prairie which ends in far northeastern Grimes County, far northwestern Montgomery County, and far southwestern Walker County near Richards, Texas.

The Houston Sierra Club (HSC) participated in a collaborative meeting in-the-field with the FS, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Audubon Society. Some HSC written comments submitted to the FS include:

1) Support for the concept of restoration of native blackland prairies.

2) Support for prescribed burning as the best way to restore the blackland prairie ecosystem.

3) Concern about the use of herbicides. Herbicide use should not be the first or dominant form of killing/wounding woody vegetation on blackland prairies due to environmental and safety impacts (on people who apply herbicides or people who recreate in SHNF).

4) Support for ecological monitoring of blackland prairies.

5) Support for phased in implementation so that progress can be assessed before additional restoration work occurs.

6) Support for construction of fire lanes outside blackland prairies.

7) Offer of help in cutting shrubs/small trees on blackland prairies.

8) Road impacts (like introduction of non-native invasive species) should be addressed.

The HSC will follow the environmental analyses, approval, and implementation of this proposal which may lead to an increase in plant and animal diversity in SHNF.

May 2007

Last updated:  03/31/2007.   Content © 1999-2007 by the Sierra Club.