Texas, my Texas

[Texas Ranger]

Texas is second to Alaska in acres of forest land
By JACKIE STONE Associated Press Writers © 2009 The Associated Press
March 25, 2009, 12:17PM


AUSTIN, Texas — The first detailed statewide tree count in Texas history is headed toward this conclusion: Texas is No. 2.

The Texas Forest Service said Wednesday initial results of the first inventory outside East Texas indicate that the state has 60 million acres of forest land. That ranks second to Alaska and is about 23 percent of the forestation in the southern U.S.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6340851.html

[Jeff]

Are they counting sage and pucker brush?

[Gary_C]

And all this time, we did not even think those Texans could count past ten without taking their boots off.  :

:D :D :D

[Burlkraft]

And all this time, we did not even think those Texans could count past ten without taking their boots off.  :

:D :D :D

Wow...This is a tough place...When yer from Texas anyway  :D  :D  :D

[Gary_C]

Wow...This is a tough place...When yer from Texas anyway  :D  :D  :D

Ya, that tough old Texan will have something to say back I'm sure, might take him a while though.  :D :D :D

[WDH]

Everything is bigger in Texas, even the estimate of forestland :D.

[Jeff]

Here is the real data compiled by non-texans.

If Texas jumped from 27 to 2 in 5 years, they are counting sage and Pucker brush.

http://www.statemaster.com/graph/geo_lan_acr_tot_for_lan-blah&nocache

Source of Data: 2004 National Association of State Foresters.

Rank        States       Amount    
#1      Alaska:    127.38 million acres     
#2      Oregon:    28.836 million acres     
#3      Georgia:    24.4 million acres     
#4      California:    23.7 million acres     
#5      Idaho:    23.5 million acres     
#6      Alabama:    22.991 million acres     
#7      Montana:    22.5 million acres     
#8      Colorado:    21.637 million acres     
#9      Washington:    21.3 million acres     
#10      Michigan:    19.3 million acres     
#11      Mississippi:    18.605 million acres     
#12      New York:    18.4 million acres     
#13      North Carolina:    18.269 million acres     
#14      New Mexico:    16.68 million acres     
#15      Pennsylvania:    16.585 million acres     
#16      Minnesota:    16.23 million acres     
#17      Wisconsin:    15.965 million acres     
#18      Virginia:    15.844 million acres     
#19      Utah:    15.173 million acres     
#20      Missouri:    15.01 million acres     
#21      Florida:    14.7 million acres     
#22      Tennessee:    14.404 million acres     
#23      Louisiana:    14.017 million acres     
#24      South Carolina:    12.415 million acres     
#25      West Virginia:    12.001 million acres     
#26      Kentucky:    11.931 million acres     
#27      Texas:    11.879 million acres     
#28      Wyoming:    10.995 million acres     
#29      Nevada:    9.767 million acres     
#30      Oklahoma:    7.665 million acres     
#31      New Hampshire:    4.824 million acres     
#32      Vermont:    4.628 million acres     
#33      Indiana:    4.554 million acres     
#34      Massachusetts:    3.13 million acres     
#35      Iowa:    2.7 million acres     
#36      Maryland:    2.566 million acres     
#37      Kansas:    2.226 million acres     
#38      New Jersey:    1.876 million acres     
#39      Connecticut:    1.859 million acres     
#40      South Dakota:    1.62 million acres     
#41      Nebraska:    1.275 million acres     
#42      North Dakota:    0.673 million acres     
#43      Rhode Island:    0.393 million acres     
#44      Delaware:    0.383 million acres     
   Total:    654.786 million acres      

[Tom]

Alaska almost pulled off the Second Place position, but Texas edged them out.

[Mooseherder]

They left my beloved State of Maine off the statistics? :-\

[Woodwalker]

If they had counted before Hurricane Ike, kinda think it would have been closer.

[WDH]

Man, I am going to have to check out that pucker brush.  That is a species that I am not familiar with  .

[John Woodworth]

What are the different trees you have growing there?

[Jeff]

Puckerbrush:

"The word "puckerbrush" usually describes an area of land that is mostly composed of scrub-brush. Often land formerly used in farming, left neglected, becomes a thriving place for invasive species such as poison ivy, sumac, and buckthorn.

A second meaning of the word describes any incidence when a person is lost, or away from their normal understanding.  It can describe a real, or imagined place.  [For example, "He is out in the puckerbrush."]"

[singlejacker]

texas is funny,drove thru there once and saw about a hundred log load, full trees on the bunks,un topped,*DanG near draggin the road.lmao.

[Ironwood]

I certainly love Texas, it's variety and stark beauty and vastness. I have driven a good bit over the years w/ troubled teen camp (alot like Outward Bound). I have driven East to West, North to South across North America (Pa. to Mexico City 4 times, adventure!) and I do love Texas, especially West Texas. I would agree w/ Jeff, unless they are counting bush, and brush that statistic has GOT to be wrong. Sorry Texas Ranger, great state, bad data.

          Ironwood

[WH_Conley]

I remember about the Texan that died and they couldn't find a coffin to fit.

Aw, never mind. :D :D

[Texas Ranger]

Gentlemen, read the report.  They call the species of the stands, not my call, but hey, they are trees in that part of a state that is 600 mile across, not like your, uh, stubby, states.

Why, we even have Georgia foresters coming out here to see trees. :

A little Pinus envy, perhaps.

[Jeff]

they are trees in that part of a state that is 600 mile across

I knew it was a Texas Big thing. Now he's gone and said in his best broken taxicanian that they got trees 6 miles across. What is that in DBH? ;)

[Cedarman]

Our experience in Oklahoma brings home the question of just what is forest land.  We are cutting stands of cedar  that have hundreds of trees that are 5 to 10" dbh per acre.  40   or 50 years ago they were harvesting cotton off this land. You wouldn't believe all the water bars across these lands.   Is this foest land or not?  After we are done, it is not.  They want to make it pasture again. 

The Arbuckle mountains in southern Oklahoma were completely pasture 60 years ago.  Now you can't walk through it for the Ashe Juniper.  Is this forested ground?  These things have about 6 to 8 stems coming out of the ground and growing about 20 to 25 feet tall from each trunk.

[Lud]

Ohio doesn't have any trees?   What have I been cutting? :D

[pineywoods]

Well now I'll have to to defend my western neighbor a bit, but I do question that #1 rating. They are undoubtedly counting blackjack scrub and mesquite as trees, there aren't any TREES west of dallas. except a few cottonwoods along the creeks. East texas is a different story. Nick-named the big thicket, there's some of the finest pine timber in the world. They even have their own forestry school, and a Dang good one at that. But more timberland than Alaska ? no way

[Gary_C]

Why, we even have Georgia foresters coming out here to see trees. :

A little Pinus

Tex, now you've gone and insulted those fine Georgia foresters. 

[Texas Ranger]

Uh, Jeff, a state that is 600 mile across.  Trees are a little smaller.

[Jeff]

Ya never know, coming from a Texacan, when he's talking about size, how to take it. ;)

[Sprucegum]

  :P Alberta - 98.56 million acres of forest 

  8) I just had to throw THAT in.  :D  :D