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TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE FACILITY BREAKS GROUND IN SMITHVILLE
New $2.5M response center one of six statewide, will host Lost Pines Task Force
SMITHVILLE — Officials broke ground on a new Texas A&M Forest Service facility in Bastrop County last week, part of a statewide effort to expand wildfire response and forest management capabilities.
The Smithville location is the third of six planned facilities across Texas, funded through a capital investment approved by the system’s Board of Regents. Officials said the expanded space will allow for faster response times, better training and increased resources to support local communities as wildfire assistance requests continue to grow.
“This new building will be a long-term home for the forest service here and a clear signal that we’re here to stay,” said Jeff Savell, vice chancellor and dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences. “It’s a promise of being close to the people we serve.”
The facility will cost $2.5 million and include a 4,400-squaref oot si ngle - s tor y building with multiple equipment sheds. Construction is estimated to last through the remainder of the year, with the facility fully operational in 2027.
Officials said the new space will serve as the central hub for the Lost Pines Task Force, which handles emergency responses and wildfire readiness in the region.
“We now have the room to bring in additional resources, host larger training courses and respond more effectively when it matters most,” said Reilly Ruggiero, wildland urban interface coordinator.
The agency has operated in Bastrop County since the 1990s, relocating multiple times as staff and demand grew following wildfire seasons, including the devastating 2011 fires. Leaders selected the Schulze Tract in Smithville as a permanent home, citing its suitability to support operations.
“This area is no stranger to fire history,” said Brian Hurtuk, regional operations chief. “We’re excited to be putting our feet down in our permanent home here and having a stake in both the fire response as well as the forest management and getting ready for the fire and recovering after the fire.”
Al Davis, director of the Texas A&M Forest Service, emphasized the facility’s importance in strengthening emergency responses and local partnerships.
“People don’t get to do this because they want to be rich … they do this because they are self less, professional servants,” Davis said. “We don’t do it alone, we do it with a lot of partners.”
“People don’t get to do this because they want to be rich … they do this because they are selfless, professional servants.”
— Al Davis, Texas A&M Forest Service
