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A Field Almanac to W. Goodrich Jones State Forest, Montgomery County, Texas

This 1,722-acre forest, originally called State Forest #2, was acquired in 1926 by the Forestry Department of Texas A&M University System (now called the Texas A&M Forest Service). Like State Forest #1 (Siecke), funds for the purchase were appropriated by the Texas Legislature, to be used for research, demonstration, outdoor laboratory and education, serving as examples of working forests to Texas landowners.

The property was first logged in 1892, followed by periodic harvesting for railroad cross ties until the acquisition by the Forestry Department. A wildfire severely burned the area in 1923, and reforestation activities began almost immediately with natural regeneration from native pines.

The second pine seedling nursery in Texas was established here in 1927, with a capacity of 1 million bare-root seedlings per year. This use was discontinued in 1940 following the establishment of a facility at Alto, Texas.

In 1933, a Civilian Conservation Corps camp was established on the forest. At the time, TFS planned and supervised the forest protection and conservation work of approximately 3,000 enrollees at 17 such camps across East Texas. Many of the original roads and fire breaks on the forest were constructed by CCC crews. The camp was closed in 1936.

At a ceremony on May 19, 1949, the forest was formally dedicated and renamed the William Goodrich Jones State Forest, in honor of the Father of Forestry in Texas. Mr. W. Goodrich Jones, 87-years-young at the time, made an acknowledging address to the crowd of dignitaries and family.

Today, the Jones State Forest plays host to a population of the red-cockaded woodpecker, a federally listed endangered species. Forest management activities focus on habitat protection for this important species of the southern yellow pine forest ecosystem. Present day research and demonstration activities include prescribed burning, reforestation, ecological restoration, habitat restoration, best management practice sites, hardwood management, silvicultural thinning studies and food plots for wildlife. W. Goodrich Jones State Forest is managed by Texas A&M Forest Service. The main habitat consideration for RCW is mature loblolly and shortleaf pine trees with little to no mid or understory plant species. Habitat diversity is key to maintaining a healthy mammal, insect/invertebrate, reptile amphibian, fish, and bird populations.

Working together using science-based natural resource management tools, experienced biologists and professional foresters have created areas of diverse flora mainly adjoining drainages and waterways that may meet specific needs for these animal classes.

Jones State Forest is home to the Heartwood Chapter Texas Master Naturalist as well as many volunteers and service-learning community enhancement projects. less ↑

Greater Roadrunner ¹
Geococcyx californianus

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ²
Sphyrapicus varius

Red-bellied Woodpecker ³
Melanerpes carolinus

Carolina Chickadee ⁴
Poecile carolinensis

Pine Warbler ²
Setophaga pinus

Carolina Wren ⁵
Thryothorus ludovicianus

Northern Mockingbird ⁶
Mimus polyglottos

Eastern Bluebird ⁷
Sialia sialis

Bald Eagle ⁸
Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Barred Owl ⁹
Strix varia

Chimney Swift ¹⁰
Chaetura pelagica

House Sparrow ¹¹
Passer domesticus

Pine Siskin ¹²
Spinus pinus

Tufted Titmouse ¹³
Baeolophus bicolor

Chipping Sparrow ¹⁴
Spizella passerina

Purple Martin ¹⁵
Progne subis

Cedar Waxwing ¹⁶
Bombycilla cedrorum

Turkey Vulture ¹⁷
Cathartes aura

Pileated Woodpecker ¹⁸
Dryocopus pileatus

Downy Woodpecker ¹⁹
Picoides pubescens

shortleaf pine ²⁰
Pinus echinata

longleaf pine ²¹
Pinus palustris

water oak ²²
Quercus nigra

willow oak ²³
Quercus phellos

cherrybark oak
Quercus pagoda

white oak ²⁴
Quercus alba

devil's walkingstick ²⁵
Aralia spinosa

green ash ²⁶
Fraxinus pennsylvanica

prickly ash ²⁷
Zanthoxylum hirsutum

American hornbeam ²⁸
Carpinus caroliniana

Sweetleaf ²⁹
Symplocos tinctoria

Red Bay ³⁰
Persea borbonia

American hophornbeam ⁷
Ostrya virginiana

Red Buckeye ²¹
Aesculus pavia

Common Pear ³¹
Pyrus communis

Crape-myrtle ³²
Lagerstroemia indica

Cherry laurel ³³
Prunus laurocerasus

sparkleberry ³⁴
Vaccinium arboreum

Texas Persimmon ³⁵
Diospyros texana

Yaupon Holly ³⁶
Ilex vomitoria

black willow ³⁷
Salix nigra

common bracken ³⁸
Pteridium aquilinum

stately maiden fern ³⁹
Thelypteris kunthii

Western coral bean ⁴⁰
Erythrina flabelliformis

western sword fern ⁴¹
Polystichum munitum

Tilia americana caroliniana

Rusty Blackhaw
Viburnum rufidulum

sugarberry ⁴²
Celtis laevigata

buttonbush ⁴³
Cephalanthus occidentalis

mountain laurel ⁴⁴
Kalmia latifolia

black cherry ⁴⁵
Prunus serotina

Winged Elm ⁴⁶
Ulmus alata

common hackberry ⁴⁷
Celtis occidentalis

pecan ⁴⁸
Carya illinoinensis

pignut hickory ⁴⁹
Carya glabra

mockernut ⁵⁰
Carya tomentosa

possumhaw ⁵¹
Ilex decidua

poison ivy ⁵²
Toxicodendron radicans

eastern winged sumac
Rhus copallinum latifolia

red maple ⁵³
Acer rubrum

Red Mulberry ⁵⁴
Morus rubra

post oak ⁵⁵
Quercus stellata

eastern redbud ⁵⁶
Cercis canadensis

Mexican Plum ⁵⁷
Prunus mexicana

tiny bluet ⁵⁷
Houstonia pusilla

crowpoison ⁵⁸
Nothoscordum bivalve

Chickasaw plum ⁵⁹
Prunus angustifolia

Golden Wave Tickseed ⁶⁰
Coreopsis basalis

southern dewberry ²
Rubus trivialis

Chinaberry ⁶¹
Melia azedarach

yellow jessamine ⁶²
Gelsemium sempervirens

American trumpet vine ⁶³
Campsis radicans

Virginia creeper ⁶⁴
Parthenocissus quinquefolia

cross vine ⁶⁵
Bignonia capreolata

cardinal flower ⁶⁶
Lobelia cardinalis

Gulf Coast Toad ⁶⁷
Incilius nebulifer

Green Tree Frog ⁶⁸
Hyla cinerea

Squirrel Tree Frog ⁶⁹
Hyla squirella

Gray Tree Frog ⁷⁰
Hyla versicolor

Blanchard's Cricket Frog ⁷¹
Acris blanchardi

Spring Peeper ⁷²
Pseudacris crucifer

Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad ⁷
Gastrophryne carolinensis

American Bullfrog ⁷³
Lithobates catesbeianus

Green Frog ⁷⁴
Lithobates clamitans

Southern Leopard Frog ⁷⁵
Lithobates sphenocephalus

Rio Grande Chirping Frog ⁷⁶
Eleutherodactylus cystignathoides

Small-mouthed Salamander ⁷⁷
Ambystoma texanum

Three-toed Amphiuma
Amphiuma tridactylum

Dwarf Salamander
Eurycea quadridigitata

Central Newt ⁷⁸
Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis

Green Anole ⁷⁹
Anolis carolinensis

Brown Anole ²
Anolis sagrei

Little Brown Skink ⁵⁸
Scincella lateralis

Common Five-lined Skink ⁷⁷
Plestiodon fasciatus

Broadhead Skink ⁷⁸
Plestiodon laticeps

Mediterranean House Gecko ⁸⁰
Hemidactylus turcicus

Eastern Coachwhip ⁸¹
Coluber flagellum flagellum

Buttermilk Racer
Coluber constrictor anthicus

Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake ⁸²
Thamnophis proximus orarius

DeKay's Brownsnake ⁸³
Storeria dekayi

Edited by John Warner, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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A Field Almanac to W. Goodrich Jones State Forest, Montgomery County, Texas

Greater Roadrunner 1 Geococcyx californianus

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2 Sphyrapicus varius

Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 Melanerpes carolinus

Carolina Chickadee 4 Poecile carolinensis

Pine Warbler 2 Setophaga pinus

Carolina Wren 5 Thryothorus ludovicianus

Northern Mockingbird 6 Mimus polyglottos

Eastern Bluebird 7 Sialia sialis

Bald Eagle 8 Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Barred Owl 9 Strix varia

Chimney Swift 10 Chaetura pelagica

House Sparrow 11 Passer domesticus

Pine Siskin 12 Spinus pinus

Tufted Titmouse 13 Baeolophus bicolor

Chipping Sparrow 14 Spizella passerina

Purple Martin 15 Progne subis

Cedar Waxwing 16 Bombycilla cedrorum

Turkey Vulture 17 Cathartes aura

Pileated Woodpecker 18 Dryocopus pileatus

Downy Woodpecker 19 Picoides pubescens

shortleaf pine 20 Pinus echinata

longleaf pine 21 Pinus palustris

water oak 22 Quercus nigra

willow oak 23 Quercus phellos

cherrybark oak Quercus pagoda

white oak 24 Quercus alba

devil's walkingstick 25 Aralia spinosa

green ash 26 Fraxinus pennsylvanica

prickly ash 27 Zanthoxylum hirsutum

American hornbeam 28 Carpinus caroliniana

Sweetleaf 29 Symplocos tinctoria

Red Bay 30 Persea borbonia

American hophornbeam 7 Ostrya virginiana

Red Buckeye 21 Aesculus pavia

Common Pear 31 Pyrus communis

Crape-myrtle 32 Lagerstroemia indica

Cherry laurel 33 Prunus laurocerasus

sparkleberry 34 Vaccinium arboreum

Texas Persimmon 35 Diospyros texana

Yaupon Holly 36 Ilex vomitoria

black willow 37 Salix nigra

common bracken 38 Pteridium aquilinum

stately maiden fern 39 Thelypteris kunthii

Western coral bean 40 Erythrina flabelliformis

western sword fern 41 Polystichum munitum