Hill Country Land Trust - Managing Cedar (Ashe Juniper)

This is the first in a series of short educational videos on land stewardship and conservation produced by the Hill Country Land Trust - Prickly Pear Management. This video is hosted by well-known range specialist Steve Nelle. You can also download a pdf of more detailed guidelines on managing prickly pear by visiting www.HillCountryLandTrust.org

[@jeremybrooks6473]

Learned some things about my land that I didn't know. Thanks!

[@onthefarside2096]

Juniper has been a great thing for me for over thirty years. If you know how to use it, you'll be grateful for the juniper. Cut all the bottom branches and use them to heat your home or cook at your BBQ. The flavor is wonderful.

[@BrandonTran]

Nice work Gentlemen. You have a tremendous knowledge of being great stewards of the land.

[@giveregard2truth502]

I had our 10 acres in Hill County of very think junipers trees mulched. We could only afford to mulch about 6 of the acres. Right now I’m cutting branches, removing the logs bigger than my arm width and laying them in rows to hopefully get mulched again. I was glad to learn that it’s good for the land to just leave the branches. It’s har to be patient but the land was so sick from overgrowth, I’m sure it’s earn the few years rest to come back thriving- I hope... I wish we had family or friends near us who could help us do the best we can for our property-

[@cbriangilbert1978]

Nice work!

[@TrustworthyExpert]

well it looks like crap leaving dead trees all over. I have a 30 acre hill. I am going to try to make swales on the hill side to catch the water I like the idea of planting native grasses though.

[@jcadams8232]

If you do a conservation easement, always be sure to reserve the natural asset credit that the land trusts won't tell you about.
You don't want your natural asset credit to be sold to a foreign sovereign wealth fund like China that can come back and require extra requirements to make the credit qualify as a credit on the Chicago Commodities Exchange.
Also, the IRS is known to come back and revalue the land at a lower price and require back taxes and penalties to be paid.
Beware that American law recognizes that perpetuities are against the wealth of the country and against public policy.
Given that there are no written records preceding American development, there is no way to claim some certain vegetation existed then or how long prior to the existence of written records.
Cedar makes good fence posts.

[@sharonsandmann37]

interesting. i have many Juniper trees here. Blue berries not red. We're clearing land to graze cattle .

[@eduardovinuesa7428]

How come the Texas Hill Country can grow anything let alone high Oak Trees. There is absoluty no soil,
Only a huge mass of sandstone. I would appreciate any info. Thanks

[@chinesenoodles8005]

The hill country is very unique and the rocky soil just has to do with the fact that the hill country is a giant limestone uplift. Coupled with semi arid rain cycles it creates and ecosystem where only certain plants can thrive, and nothing can get too big as it just isn’t possible because there isn’t enough soil to sustain giant trees.

[@AlanVoges-lb9nt]

Always heard cedars suck up water depleting water supply, stunt or choke out live oaks and make great wildfire potential . The single trunk tree can be trimmed up to make nice shade trees but the big round bushy kind are a nuisance. Don’t mulch em if you want grass growing to replace the tree.

[@ChukaCustoms]

Does Bastrop fall into your jurisdiction? If not would you help with some leads? On a hill that is eroding due to the dry creek.

[@hillcountrylandtrustinc.4321]

I would recommend contacting the local Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist or the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

[@Templetons]

What about the cedar eaters that mulch up the cedar trees. That’s what I’m going to do

[@susyfrenzel]

Where do I find a schedule of your upcoming field days?

[@hillcountrylandtrustinc.4321]

We currently have no field days scheduled.

[@ruthannegarcia5932]

Please let us know if there is anything available. We're in lampasas county. Thank you for the video. Very informative

[@stargazer9172]

Chop down the mountain cedar and throw em in the fire

[@stargazer9172]

@SendMeNoodles
Burn'em all down !!

[@JNS512]

If you do that you destroy the natural ecology of this region. Its short sighted to simply say cut or burn them all down. There are both Animal and plant species that would not survive here without Blueberry Ash Juniper.

[@stargazer9172]

@@JNS512 what species? We'd all be better off without those tress. But maybe if u tell me who CANT live without cedar trees, I'll change my thinking. Please enlighten me

[@JNS512]

@@stargazer9172 Two endangered bird species for one Black-Capped Vireo
Golden-Cheeked Warbler,
not to mention plant species that live in the Hill Country which need the soil from which the needles break down into. Check out this video about how important Blueberry Junipers are. The Hill Country would be a barren wasteland without them.
th-cam.com/video/FG6FR-2jrfw/w-d-xo.html
Here is an in depth history of the Hill Country ecology.
th-cam.com/video/PSNqoUDDOEY/w-d-xo.html

[@stargazer9172]

@@JNS512 ok cool. Thank you