We are a group of private forest landowners with holdings in the six contiguous Northeast Texas counties of Camp, Franklin, Morris, Titus, Upshur and Wood. Many of us live on our timber lands, while others are located in various Texas cities or even out of state.

This organization was founded in 1985 by a group of landowners from Camp, Morris, Titus, and Franklin Counties, and was known as the Four County Landowners Association. In February of 2003, after several months of discussion, the old Association was dissolved and re-formed – with new bylaws -- as the Northeast Texas Forest Landowners Association, adding Wood and Upshur counties.

Our focus is primarily on education and information, with an emphasis on sound forest management, good conservation practices and sustainable forestry for the long term. As good farmers and stewards, we are concerned about water quality and the long term viability of timber lands, encouraging our members to adhere to the standards of the Texas Forest Service’s Best Management Practices and to see that members’ consultants and logging contractors also do so. The Association keeps members informed of current timber prices in the region and legislative and tax matters affecting their timberlands, and encourages individual owners to take part in the political process. We stress the use of bid sales for timber, valid timber contracts, proper boundary marking, and the use of consultant foresters for those who need expert guidance.

We meet at least four times a year for business and programs, including a spring field trip. Past trips have included hardwood and softwood sawmills, other timber farms, commercial seedling nurseries, and this year a private tour of the Texas Tree Farm of the Year.

The Association also publishes a seven page quarterly newsletter to keep members informed on timber-related topics, including wildlife management, timber prices and tax issues.

We work closely with the Texas Forest Service and its district foresters, as well as the Texas A&M Forestry Extension Service, and often depend on them for guidance. The Association is represented on the Private Forest Landowners Council of the Texas Forestry Association, a state-wide organization of over three thousand individual members and fifteen private forest landowner associations. TFA is our voice in Austin and Washington, as well as another valuable source of information.

Our Association is, and has always been, non-profit. We do not lobby political bodies as a group and receive no outside funding other than membership dues. We accept as members those who own 10 acres or more of timber in one of the six counties, and we welcome as associate (non-voting) members all who have an interest in forestry and our area. Membership dues are $15/year for each category, which covers the costs of the quarterly newsletter, web site, and our charitable activities.