Eric Otto Siecke

Siecke was Texas’ second state forester, taking the position in 1918, and serving until his retirement in 1942. During his tenure, five state forests were acquired for management and demonstration, including those named I.D. Fairchild, W. Goodrich Jones, John Henry Kirby,  State Forest No. 1, and Mission Tejas (later a state park). In 1926, his administration created Texas’ first pine seedling nursery and organized early slash pine plantings to help with reforestation after decades of lumbering in the east Texas woods. In response to wildfires, his agency built the first fire lookout tower in 1926, and set up a system of fire detection and suppression, including towers, patrols and equipment, such as backpack pumps. During the 1930s, his staff oversaw thousands of Civilian Conservation Corps workers active in firebreak construction and reforestation. State Forest No. 1 was renamed the 1722-acre E.O. Siecke State Forest in his honor in 1951.