Oak wilt in Kerrville, TX
Kerrville sits in the heart of live oak country, and Texas A&M Forest Service's Hill Country region is named for it, with a staff forester listed at a Kerrville address. Here's what local homeowners should know.
Kerrville's tree rules
Kerrville's tree pruning rules, now part of its landscape ordinance, emphasize protecting oaks from oak wilt. Within city limits, oak wounds from pruning broken branches or exposed roots must be painted with an acceptable wound dressing within 30 minutes of cutting. Topping trees is prohibited. (City of Kerrville pruning ordinance document.) In 2025 the City also adopted a tree preservation ordinance, Ordinance No. 2025-01, with penalties up to $2,000. Check with the City before removing large trees.
We didn't find a Kerrville city rebate for oak wilt like Boerne's. If that changes, we'll update this page.
Help from Texas A&M Forest Service
Kerrville is in Texas A&M Forest Service's Kerrville region, which covers Kerr County and the surrounding Hill Country counties. Their forester can give landowners free technical advice. Contact details are on the TexasOakWilt.org forester contacts page.
State cost-share
Texas A&M Forest Service runs the federal Texas Oak Wilt Suppression Program, available since 1988 across Central Texas. It can pay up to 50% of approved costs for root-barrier trenching (up to $5,000 per landowner per year, or $7,500 for multi-landowner projects), for pushing/roguing trees inside the trench (up to $5,000), and for removing certain diseased red oaks (up to $2,000). It doesn't cover fungicide injection. A forester must confirm the disease and your application must be approved before work starts. Source: Texas Oak Wilt Cost-Share (Texas A&M Forest Service).
Local resources
- Kerr County AgriLife Extension — (830) 257-6568
- Texas A&M (AgriLife / Forest Service): Identify and Manage Oak Wilt
What to do if you're worried
Stop any oak pruning, especially Feb–June. Take photos and get a diagnosis. See what to do if your oak is dying and how to spot oak wilt.