Environmentalists have expressed concerns about the ecological impact.
By Ariana Garcia, CHON Assistant News Editor -Houston April 24, 2025
Ashe juniper trees are known for releasing massive clouds of pollen each winter.
Recent legislative proposals would make it easier to axe trees known for causing some of Texas’s worst allergies. House Bill 3798 and Senate Bill 1927 seek to amend state law to remove municipal protections for Ashe juniper trees—commonly known as mountain cedar—permitting their removal without local oversight. The trees are widely considered problematic in Texas for their impact on rangelands, ability to outcompete other vegetation, as well as the massive clouds of pollen they release due to their high concentration, causing severe allergic reactions.
Authored by State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Lakeway), a former Austin City Council member and co-founder of Troxclair Residential Real Estate Group, HB 3798 would prevent a municipality from prohibiting or imposing a tree mitigation fee for the removal of Ashe junipers from a residential property. SB 1927, authored by State Sen. Adam Hinojosa (R-Corpus Christi)—who also has ties to real estate—would allow cities to prevent removal or charge a fee if the tree is within 15 miles of a military base with active training and in a county with more than 2 million people.
Both bills apply to dead or dying trees, as well as trees that pose a threat to people or property. Proponents of the proposed laws argue that they would empower private landowners to manage their property without excessive government interference. “SB 1927 is about freedom. The ability to do with your land, that you own, as you see fit,” Hinojosa said during a public hearing on April 7.
Hinojosa also claimed that cedar trees are detrimental to the water supply, adding that, if left unchecked, their growth could worsen power outages. “Ashe juniper canopies stop rainwater from reaching aquifers,” he said. “Wildfires can be stopped by controlling cedars.”
In an interview with KXAN, Troxclair asserted communities like Austin are “trying to put cedar trees over private property rights and over protecting native flora and fauna,” adding: “There are historic trees that are worth preserving… and let me just tell you, cedar trees are not one of them.”
However, environmentalists have expressed significant concerns about the potential ecological impact of the bills, warning that the removal of these trees could disrupt local ecosystems and biodiversity. Elizabeth McGreevey, a scientist and author of Wanted! Mountain Cedars: Dead or Alive, argued against the misconception that junipers are invasive and harmful, instead highlighting the need for selective management.
Environmentalists noted species endemic to the Hill Country, like the golden-cheeked warbler, rely on Ashe juniper trees.
“It is hogwash to say that ash junipers are water hogs, highly flammable, invasive, and all these other things,” McGreevey said. “Using these false beliefs to justify clearing is irresponsible and causes more erosion, flooding, and fire risk.”
Chloe Crumley from Audubon Texas said the bill could negatively impact communities, property values, and endemic birds such as the golden-cheeked warbler. “You can only find it here in the Hill Country, which, quite frankly, is really good for our tourism dollars because people travel from all over the country to visit this bird,” Crumley said.
Craig Nazor, conservation director of the Texas chapter of the Sierra Club, also opposed the bill, arguing that it doesn’t make sense to single out these trees, which are a keystone species in the Hill Country, without considering their ecological importance. “Ashe junipers are not water hawks,” he said. “They help water infiltrate into the system. They help keep our aquifers filled. These are all good things.”
Hinojosa’s bill was approved by the Senate on April 16 and referred to the House’s Land & Resource Management committee. HB 3798 is scheduled for a hearing before the Land & Resource Management Committee on April 24. If enacted, the bills would take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.
🏛️ Where the Bills Stand
- Senate Bill 1927
✅ Passed the Senate on April 16, 2025, with a 31-0 vote. It was reported favorably without amendments by the House Land & Resource Management Committee on May 2, 2025, and is now awaiting consideration by the full House.
(Source: legiscan.com) - House Bill 3798
🕒 Held a public hearing on April 24, 2025, in the House Land & Resource Management Committee.
🟢 As of May 23, 2025, the bill has been reported favorably and is now also awaiting a full House vote.
(Source: capitol.texas.gov)