November 17, 2011

Texas Land Conservation on the rise!

A new report by the Land Trust Alliance shows that land conservation by nonprofit land trusts across the United States is thriving, with more than 10 million acres conserved from 2005-2010. According to TLTC Land Trusts in Texas contributed to that success, reporting and increase in 55% in acres conserved over this period. Read more from USA Today.

September 27, 2011

Is Our Rural Heritage at Risk?

How we conserve our rural heritage is a concern not only of people who live in rural areas of Texas, but also of urban dwellers. Many Texans cherish their family roots in farming and ranching communities and want to ensure the character of Texas continues to include values that spring from a love of the land and a sense of stewardship for our natural resources, including the wildlife that defines our south central Texas region. “Conserving Our Rural Heritage” is the theme of this year’s Farm & Range Forum to be held in Uvalde on October 14 and 15. Read more

August 16, 2011

Austin to buy 611 acres to protect water quality in recharge zone

The City of Austin plans to buy 611 acres in the heart of the sensitive Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, a deal officials are hailing as a major step in protecting water quality in the aquifer and in area springs, including Barton Springs. Read full Statesman.com article here.

July 5, 2011

Scaling Up Conservation for Large Landscapes

The central question facing land conservationists today is how to scale up efforts to protect entire landscapes and whole natural systems. The land trust movement has been built on the individual successes of conserved private properties, but increasingly both conservationists and landowners entering into conservation agreements want to know what is being done about their neighbor, their neighborhood, and most significantly their landscape. Read full Lincoln Institute article here.

June 6, 2011

Texas Conservation Action Plan comment period June 10-July 8

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is seeking online public input as the department revises its six-year-old wildlife action plan, a document now called the Texas Conservation Action Plan. Learn more here.

April 1, 2011

TWPD Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) – Updates from Spring 2011

Read about the extraordinary LIP projects completed within the past year as TPWD collaborates with the Nueces River Authority, Texas Tech Junction, The South Llano Watershed Alliance and many other. Landowners taking care of water resources by taking care of the land. Read more

March 18, 2011

In San Antonio, a Focus on Land Conservation

From Marcy G. Rothe’s hillside home, she can see oaks and grasses and a creek bed spread out, looking much the same as when her grandfather first arrived here in the 1920s. In June, she sold a conservation easement on her land to the city of San Antonio to prevent development that would harm the aquifer below — and also to ensure that the nearly 2,000 acres of land remained undisturbed for her descendants. Read full Texas Tribune article here.

March 14, 2011

American Farmland Trust E-news all about water and conservation

The American Farmland Trust (AFT) recent newsletter highlights programs around the country that improve incentives and programs for farmers and ranchers to conserve land and care for water resources. Here in Texas, SB 449/HB1733 — provides an incentive for landowners who choose to engage in stewardship practices on their land that benefit water quality and quantity.

March 4, 2011

Free workshop gives landowners new tool to control properties’ future uses – March 25 in Llano

Did you know landowners can preserve all or part of their ranch and farm land from development even after they pass away? Or that they can arrange for part of their land to be preserved indefinitely while allowing other parts to be used for various purposes? Conservation easements provide a way to customize these types of agreements to suit the needs and desires of each individual landowner. Find out more