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Think Twice Before Removing Old-Growth Cedars Posted on Jul 30th, 2010 This Edwards Aquifer article provides a good historical perspective of Texas Hill Country habitat and a different view of cedar brush management.   (Old-growth trees no longer have the squat, bushy appearance that characterizes most cedar trees in the Hill Country today. They lose their lower, dead branches and develop shaggy, twisting trunks and branches. They intercept much less rainfall than young bushy trees, use less water, and channel water down their trunks into the ground during large rainfall events. An endangered species, the Golden-cheeked warbler, uses strips of shaggy bark from old-growth trees for nest building. Habitats for endangered species are protected by federal law, and some cities that value rare natural resources have adopted tree ordinances that protect old-growth trees from destruction. Hardly anyone proposes to remove old-growth cedars as part of a water management scheme, and many are realizing they are a rare and precious component of Texas' natural heritage.)  <<read full article>>