Texas A&M Forest Service honors law enforcement officers

On Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Texas A&M Forest Service honors its law enforcement investigators and officers for their dedication to public safety and protecting Texas’ natural resources.

For 110 years, Texas A&M Forest Service has worked to conserve and protect the natural resources of Texas, and for nearly as long, agency law enforcement officers have played a significant role in upholding that mission.

Agency’s Law Enforcement Department investigates timber theft, wildfires

The Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Department has 10 investigators and up to 15 officers led by Connor Murnane, chief law enforcement officer. Investigators and officers throughout the state, primarily in East Texas, investigate timber theft and wildfires.

The department was created in the 1920s after a series of East Texas wildfire outbreaks and has since grown to include timber theft investigations and public education.

“Those who served in our positions in the beginning were referred to as education officers,” said Murnane. “They spent a large portion of their time speaking with and educating landowners about fire. This was during a time when all fire, even prescribed fire, was seen as bad. Now, prescribed fire is a widely used tool for forest management and wildfire mitigation.”

Like the agency’s wildfire response process, the Law Enforcement Department investigates wildfires with a tiered approach. Following a wildfire, local law enforcement and investigators initiate investigations but will often request Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement officers to assist.

In 2024, the Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Department investigated 151 wildfires, including the Smokehouse Creek Fire — the largest wildfire in Texas history that originated near Stinnett in February and burned 1,054,153 acres. The department also assisted the Brewster County Sheriff’s Office with an arson investigation that led to the grand jury indictment of a suspected serial arsonist in 2024.

Gathering wildfire evidence

During the cause and origin investigation of a wildfire, investigators examine contributing factors such as weather conditions, vegetative fuel consumption, as well as macro and micro burn pattern indicators.

Grass stems, scorching patterns on tree bark and ash color are all indicators that allow investigators to determine the origin of a fire. Based on the totality of the circumstances and evidence, investigators will conduct a criminal investigation into the cause of the fire and any potential arson suspects.

“It is always important to attempt to determine the cause of any fire,” said Murnane. “We have a unique relationship with our Wildfire Mitigation and Prevention Department that allows us to share wildfire data for future targeted mitigation and prevention communications to the public.”

Protecting timber sales

The Law Enforcement Department investigates fires and protects the integrity of the timber sale process. In 1977, the Texas Legislature added statutes to the Natural Resources Code regarding damages for unauthorized harvesting, bill of sale documentation requirements and penalties for noncompliance.  

Murnane said there is a common misconception that timber theft is the theft of trees from a property in the dark of the night. However, more often than not, timber theft and fraud occur face-to-face in broad daylight.

“There are several ways landowners can be taken advantage of during a timber sale,” Murnane said. “Skimming is a common method where a harvester only informs the landowner of a percentage of the hauled timber and profits off undeclared loads. Diversion is another method where loads are hauled to a different mill than what was agreed upon.”

When selling timber, Murnane encourages landowners to visit their property frequently, check buyer references, get bids for each product class and mark all property lines before beginning any harvest. Using a consultant forester ensures timber is sold for a fair price and harvesters are held to the terms of the contract.

Many times, landowners are unaware of the crime until after it takes place and is realized by discovery months later or discussions with friends and neighbors. When this occurs, landowners may report the event to law enforcement officers to initiate an investigation.

 “I often refer to our investigators as forensic accountants or auditors due to the amount of time devoted to examining the significant volume of scale tickets, loader sheets and financial statements that are generated during a timber harvest,” said Murnane. “In order to determine any criminal intent or neglect, it is imperative to know where the wood was harvested, where it was delivered, and who did and did not get paid their fair share.”

Getting results

As a result of the 71 timber theft investigations conducted by the department in 2024, approximately $53,000 has been recovered to landowners through a rectification agreement between the buyer and landowner. In the event of legal action, Texas A&M Forest Service investigators testify in court and present the findings of their investigation to the local district attorney for criminal prosecution.

Legislative action has helped the agency address arson and timber theft. In 2023, the Timber Asset Protection Act, heavily advocated for by the Texas Forestry Association and East Texas state legislators, was passed to enhance the Natural Resources Code through the clarification of bill of sale laws and mill and landowner sale laws, as well as the application of fraud penalties.

Training others

When Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement officers aren’t conducting investigations or educating landowners and communities, they lead trainings for other local and state law enforcement investigators.

As mandated by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, TCOLE, officers also participate in at least 40 hours of training every two years in areas such as active shooter response, firearms proficiency, emergency vehicle operations, defensive tactics and more.

Whether they are in the depths of East Texas forests or the plains of the Panhandle, Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement officers continuously strive to educate and protect all Texans.

“In a day and age where people are too often referred to generic online resources, we are here to provide face-to-face interaction with landowners and boots-on-the-ground expertise for investigations that lead to criminal prosecution and restitution,” Murnane said.

Timber theft

If you believe timber theft may have occurred on your property, you can file a report through the timber theft hotline at 1-800-364-3470.