Boggy Slough Conservation Area

Planting Location: Boggy Slough Conservation Area (BSCA) is a 19,055-acre property located in Trinity and Houston Counties, TX. The proposed stand for replanting is located on North Boggy Slough in Houston County.

Project Description/Objective: In March of 2018 this approximately 23-acre plantation stand of loblolly pine (planted in 2006) was burned by an escaped prescribed fire. The fire intensity was such that almost all the young loblolly pine trees were killed, as were a few mature trees located adjacent to the plantation. We began cleaning the site in the summer of 2019 in preparation for replanting the area with longleaf pine seedlings – longleaf pine is indicated for this site due to the sandy soils and the presence of overstory longleaf pine in adjacent stands. Site preparation to date includes shearing and piling of the dead trees. Additional treatments will include burning the piles and handplanting longleaf seedlings at a rate of 650 trees per acre. The pictures below show the current stand condition. The planting operation will be completed in December 2019 or January 2020. Once established the stand will be managed toward a multi-aged condition - not clearcut and replanted - using periodic thinning operations, prescribed fire, and establishment of natural longleaf pine regeneration cohorts and native ground cover plants.

Ecological Benefits: The upland forests on the property consist of even-aged plantations and multi-aged natural stands. The natural stands are mixed pine and mixed pine-hardwood. While longleaf pine is typically a minor component in these natural stands, many areas have soils appropriate to the species. Planting this site in longleaf will allow for establishment of trees that are more suited for the site and the long-term implementation of a natural fire management regime. These restoration actions will lead to ecological benefits such as diverse plant and animal communities, reduced wildfire risk, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem services.

Community Benefits: Boggy Slough Conservation Area (BSCA) is a 19,055-acre property located in Trinity and Houston Counties, TX and is owned by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. The BSCA is managed to promote excellence in conservation, management and stewardship of natural resources in East Texas through ecological research, outreach, and demonstration. BSCA will be able to use this longleaf forest to teach the community about this diverse ecosystem and teach landowners about the protocols for properly establishing and managing this forest type.

Types of Trees: longleaf pine

Area Under Restoration: 9.3 HA

Number of Trees Donated by Noble Oak: 10,950