Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas Forestry Association win Blue Legacy Award

Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas Forestry Association received the 2024 Blue Legacy Award – Legacy of Commitment at the Water for Texas Conference on Jan. 29 in Austin. Given by the Water Conservation Advisory Council, the award recognized the Texas Forestry Best Management Practices Program, which the two organizations jointly administer.

The Blue Legacy Awards were created to identify and showcase responsible stewardship of water resources and honor those whose practices enhance water conservation. The Legacy of Commitment Award acknowledges individuals or organizations who have sustained and maintained documentation of the reduction of water consumption.

“Texas is a big state, and protecting our resources – especially one as precious as water – is everyone’s responsibility,” said Al Davis, Texas A&M Forest Service director.

“Sustainable water management is critical in Texas, where decisions about managing property can impact water quality and health of downstream ecosystems, communities and environments,” Davis said. “We are proud to accept this award alongside our oldest partner in conservation, the Texas Forestry Association, with dedication to continued efforts in water conservation and protection.”

Texas Forestry Best Management Practices Program

The Texas Forestry Best Management Practices Program was established in 1989. It is a five-star model approach to addressing nonpoint source pollution in Texas. The program relies on a proactive, non-regulatory, market-based approach to protect water resources while promoting sustainable production of forest products.

“It is a tremendous honor for the Texas Forestry Association members to receive the Blue Legacy Award, recognizing decades of commitment to sustainable forestry practices,” said Rob Hughes, Texas Forestry Association executive director.

“The Texas Forestry Best Management Practices program is vital in protecting our state’s natural resources by providing practical guidelines that ensure clean water, healthy forests and thriving wildlife habitats,” Hughes said. “This program has empowered private landowners and loggers across Texas to manage their forests responsibly, creating lasting ecosystem and economic benefits for generations to come.”

East Texas has 13.7 million acres of forestland. The forest sector contributes over $41.6 billion to the state’s economy and is a key provider of jobs and economic activity for rural areas.

The Texas Forestry Best Management Practices program has resulted in the establishment of over 1.4 million acres in forested streamside management zones — areas near water that are managed to protect water quality. Annually, the program prevents 9,685 tons of sediment from reaching streams, lakes and rivers.

The program provides education and training for loggers, foresters, landowners and the public. Since its start, 3,700 logging contractors have been trained, and 7,250 landowners have attended workshops on best management practices. To demonstrate these practices, commonly implemented best management practices have also been established in state forests.

To monitor the program, Texas A&M Forest Service foresters randomly select normal forest operations to evaluate the level of best management practice implementation in Texas. Approximately 150 sites across all ownership groups are monitored, analyzed and reported every three years. These reports have shown that, overall, best management practices implementation has increased by over 15% since the development of the program.

Read more about Texas Forestry Best Management Practices at https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/BestManagementPractices/.