The 163,037-acre Sam Houston National Forest spans three counties—Montgomery, San Jacinto and Walker. Known for its camping and recreational activities, including the 128-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail, Lake Conroe and Lake Livingston, the national forest is a Pineywoods oasis for nearby residents.
Part of the forest falls within MidSouth Electric Cooperative’s service territory. Our distribution lines run through the forest to connect rural residents to reliable electricity.
MidSouth works closely with the National Forest Service to maintain the co-op’s infrastructure without disturbing the forest’s delicate ecosystem—including working around breeding schedules for the threatened red-cockaded woodpecker and conducting frequent right-of-way clearing to minimize service interruptions.
Wildfire Risks
One might think a forest full of pine trees and multiple hardwood species combined with Texas’ hot, dry summers would be asking for trouble. In fact, Texas’ wildfire season isn’t seasonal at all—climate change and human nature make wildfires a risk across the state all year long.
Knowing this, the Texas Forest Service and National Forest Service have a cooperative agreement and action plan to coordinate prevention, law enforcement, aerial detection and wildfire suppression. This includes regular prescribed fires in areas like the Sam Houston National Forest to reduce the accumulation of fuel and promote new growth for a healthy ecosystem.
How Co-ops Can Help
In January, bipartisan legislation that would allow electric cooperatives to harden electric infrastructure against fires and remove hazardous vegetation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Fix Our Forests Act would enable wildfire mitigation, allowing electric utilities to be proactive with infrastructure and vegetation management. Current regulations allow cooperatives to remove trees and vegetation within 10 feet of electric equipment. If approved by the senate, the act would allow electricity providers, like MidSouth, to remove hazard trees beyond standard right-of-way within national forests.
MidSouth, the forest service and community members share the responsibility for preventing wildfires. Most blazes are human-made, often by negligence or equipment failure. Wildfires can be preventable if we work together to protect the places we call home.
Visit congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8790 to learn more about the Fix Our Forests Act, or learn more about wildfire mitigation at texaswildfirerisk.com.
