Whether sheltering vulnerable wildlife habitat in the hardwood forests of Big Thicket National Preserve or revitalizing local economies and popular recreation areas, the Fund and its partners are dedicated to protecting Texas’ natural, cultural and historic resources. Thus far the Fund and its partners have protected more than 130,000 acres here.

Ongoing Projects:

Big Thicket National Preserve

We have helped preserve more than 41,600 acres at Big Thicket National Preserve, an area renowned as the "biological crossroads of North America."   Read more

Texas Pineywoods Experience

The Texas Pineywoods Experience is a Sustainable Tourism Program initiated in 2006 that aims to combine economic development and tourism to protect the Pineywoods region of East Texas. Click here for the Texas Pineywoods website.

Recent Projects:

Davy Crockett Paddling Trail on the Neches River

In June of 2010, we were one of several organizations, including The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, The Lufkin Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, who joined together to christen the state’s newest Texas Paddling Trail.

"The development of the Davy Crockett Paddling Trail sprung from a community-wide demand for greater access to the Neches River and from a desire to diversify the county’s economic base through nature tourism, as identified in the Angelina County Green Infrastructure Plan," commented Julie Shackelford of The Fund’s East Texas office, who worked with the county and its cities to develop the Plan. "The Neches River represents a huge economic opportunity for Lufkin as more and more people look for ways to enjoy the natural beauty of our area," said Mayor Jack Gorden. "The Neches-Davy Crockett Paddling Trail will become known statewide and draw people looking to experience the last wild and scenic river in Texas."

Shelly Plante, nature tourism coordinator for The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, adds, "The trails help promote habitat conservation through sustainable economic development, while providing additional recreational opportunities to the public. More Americans canoe, kayak or raft than play soccer, making it one of the fastest-growing nature tourism experiences."

This 9.2 mile trail makes a perfect half-day paddle. The Trail will help make the region a sought-after destination for outdoor adventure.Paddlers along the Neches might see deer, alligators, otters and many bird species such as Barred Owl, Belted King Fisher, Wood Ducks and more.

Fort Davis National Historic Site

Fort Davis was originally a frontier post in the fledgling southwest and later home to the Army’s first African-American troops–the famed Buffalo Soldiers. Today the Fort Davis National Historic Site is one of the best preserved examples of a frontier military post in the American Southwest with many fully-restored buildings and original ruins. In addition, most of the landscape surrounding Fort Davis has been protected. However, when a prominent 41-acre bluff overlooking the fort went up for sale, there was concern that the pristine view would be disturbed.

Conservation buyer Roy Truitt stepped in and purchased the property as a temporary solution, holding it for two years while we work with the National Park Service to add the land to Fort Davis National Historic Site. The National Parks Conservation Association provided key support by assisting with congressional and public outreach.

“We are thrilled that the bluff overlooking Fort Davis remains protected for our children and grandchildren,” said NPCA Texas Regional Director Suzanne Dixon. “Protecting this land in perpetuity is an important victory for Fort Davis, for Texas, and for the National Park System.”

For more information, read the February 2010 news release about the purchase here.

Village Creek State Park

In November 2009, we helped to double the size of Village Creek State Park, located about 10 miles north of Beaumont near the city of Lumberton. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) worked for some time to protect Village Creek from the encroaching urban development in Lumberton. Through a creative combination of public and private grant funding, we were able to offer 1,500 acres of undeveloped timber land to TPWD at about one-quarter of its market value. The land expands Village Creek's southern boundary and more than doubles the park's original 1,090 acres. With this addition, visitors have more outdoor recreational opportunities and state park personnel now have vehicle access to the eastern third of the park.

Village Creek State Park includes a diversity of  longleaf pine uplands, wetlands and cypress swamps, as well as two miles of valuable creek frontage. Sixty-nine-mile long Village Creek is recognized as one of the last free-flowing streams in East Texas and is home to rare fish and mussels. The 1,500 acres adds to Big Thicket National Preserve’s Village Creek and Neches River Corridor units.

"This is an exciting acquisition that will more than double the size of the park and provide for a better visitor experience,” said Texas State Parks Director Walt Dabney. “It’s a perfect example of how a public-private partnership can work to benefit the environment and all
Texans.” 

Green Infrastructure Plan: Lufkin-Angelina County

Working with a wide range of stakeholders, The Conservation Fund mapped Angelina County’s network of natural assets. We are helping implement community conservation projects that achieve the county’s conservation and economic development vision and better position it as a gateway to the Pineywoods region. This project was completed in 2008.  Read More

Pineywoods Mitigation Bank

In September 2008 The Conservation Fund announced that Texas’s largest wetlands mitigation bank opened for business. The Pineywoods Mitigation Bank encompasses more than 19,000 acres along the Neches River. The new bank will restore native bottomland hardwood forest and provide a wildlife corridor between Davy Crockett and Angelina national forests.  Read more

Past Projects

Houston Parks Rapid Assessment

The Conservation Fund, in partnership with the Houston Parks Board, completed the Houston Parks Rapid Assessment for New Parkland Acquisition in 2005. The rapid assessment facilitated identification and prioritization of parkland acquisition opportunities that implement the 2001 City of Houston Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The assessment identifies the most suitable locations within the City of Houston for new parks, linear parks along creek and bayous, and expansions of existing parks. Read more

Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge

We partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect this diverse assemblage of fresh and salt water lakes, ponds, streams, marshes and lagoons, which enabled the restoration of some 6,500 acres of the Bahia Grande tidal wetlands. The reflooding of this once tidally influenced area by USFWS has enhanced the habitat for migratory waterfowl, shrimp and fish nurseries. Within months, rather than years as projected, wildlife returned to the area.

In 1999, The Conservation Fund worked with private landowners and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to complete the acquisition of nearly 20,000 acres as an addition to the refuge. Known as Redhead Ridge for the redhead ducks that gather here, these lands also support endangered species such as the aplomado falcon and the ocelot.

Considered one of the most biologically diverse areas in the nation, the Lower Rio Grande Valley is recognized as one of the top birding destinations in North America and is host to more than half the bird species that breed or migrate in the continental U.S. Situated at the juncture of two migratory flyways, the isolated wetlands and clay loma flats are prime habitat for songbirds, waterfowl and shore birds such as Reddish egrets, sandpipers and plovers.

Roma Restoration Project

In partnership with The Meadows Foundation, The Conservation Fund has provided technical assistance in real estate acquisition, restoration, National Historic Landmark designation and heritage tourism in Roma since 1992, acquiring eight historic buildings that leveraged more than $3.5 million in public funding. Roma is in the Texas Heritage Trails Program, preserves National Historic Landmarks and is the northern anchor of the World Birding Center's Rio Grand complex. A center for Mexican commerce in the mid-1800s, Roma is now distinctive for its cultural tourism opportunities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

The sale in 2003 of three protected historic properties to the private sector completed the preservation and restoration of Roma's historic district and the Los Caminos del Rio, a Sustainable Community Development Initiative, returning vitality to the city and ensuring its future.

Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge

Nearly 7, 692 acres of essential bottomland hardwood forest, bayous, and cypress ponds in eastern Texas are permanently protected thanks to an alliance of the Fund, Louisiana Pacific Corporation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With financial assistance from the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission and the Houston Endowment, these lands are now part of the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge provides significant breeding, wintering, and stopover habitat for a wide variety of migratory birds.

Banner Image: J. Stephen Conn/Flickr