September is one of my favorite months of the year. The school year is underway, Friday night lights are back, and the opening of dove season means another hunting season is finally upon us.
For generations of Texans, hunting has been about much more than the harvest. It’s about time spent with family and friends, traditions passed from one generation to the next, and an appreciation for the land and natural resources we’re blessed to enjoy. As hunting season gets underway, I hope everyone heading to the field has a safe and successful season. And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to purchase or renew your Texas hunting license before heading out.
Unfortunately, the beginning of hunting season also comes at a time when much of our state is facing dangerously hot and dry conditions. In North Texas, the massive Ross Fire has burned more than 80,000 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties, damaging structures, threatening rural communities, and providing another sobering reminder of just how quickly a wildfire can spread when conditions are right.
The timing is especially relevant as lawmakers continue our interim work ahead of the 90th Legislative Session. Earlier this month, the Texas Senate Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing to examine our state’s wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts and consider what more Texas can do to protect lives, property, and natural resources.
Among the issues discussed were prescribed burning and mechanical thinning to reduce dangerous fuel loads, improvements to early-warning systems, and ways state and local officials can better coordinate wildfire prevention and response.
For those of us who live in rural Texas, these are not abstract policy discussions. When drought, high winds, and heavy vegetation come together, a wildfire can quickly threaten homes, farms and ranches, timberland, livestock, and entire communities. Some of the best tools we have to combat catastrophic wildfires are the steps we take long before a fire ever starts.
Prescribed burning is one of those tools. When conducted safely by trained professionals, prescribed fire reduces the vegetation that can fuel catastrophic wildfires while improving wildlife habitat and promoting healthier forests and rangelands.
That’s why I’m pleased to see the Texas A&M Forest Service preparing to officially launch the Texas Prescribed Burn Manager Insurance Program on September 1. Last session, I was proud to work with the Forest Service to establish this program through House Bill 2563, helping qualified prescribed burn managers access liability coverage and removing one of the primary barriers to expanding the responsible use of prescribed fire across our state.
With the 90th Legislative Session just a few months away, I’m paying close attention to conversations like these taking place across the Capitol. There will be no shortage of important issues before us next session, but protecting our land and natural resources and supporting our rural communities will remain a top priority.
The mobile office is on the road again in September, and our District Director looks forward to seeing you on the following dates at the following times: September 2 at the San Augustine County Courthouse in San Augustine from 9:30-11:30 a.m.; September 9 at the Polk County Commissioner’s Courtroom in Livingston from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and the Tyler County Commissioner’s Courtroom in Woodville from 1:30-3:30 p.m.; and September 16 at the Houston County Courthouse Annex in Crockett from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any way. My district office may be reached at (936) 634-2762, and my Capitol office at (512) 463-0508. Additionally, I welcome you to follow along on my Official Facebook Page, where I will post regular updates on what’s happening at your State Capitol and share information that could be useful to you and your family: Rep. Trent Ashby on Facebook.
