What's New Archive

Carbon is the focus of many land stewardship conversations. What are nature-based ways to sequester carbon? Who do I go into a lease agreement with? How is it measured? When is the return of my investment?

Join us for a TREAD Talk this evening, from 6:00-7:00pm, with James Clement, Senior Vice-Pres. & General Manager, Grass and Rangeland, at Earth Optics.

Register here »

The Agriculture Water Sustainability Summit will create a forum for stakeholders to gather, exchange ideas and knowledge, and create a new vision of how water is used in the future.

At this first summit, we aim to be THE premiere relevant ag water event in North America, where visionary research, applications and practitioners across the US will discuss how to create water sustainability for agriculture, our state and nation.  

Come be a part of the solution with us in Lubbock, August 9-11th!

In 2006, TPWD entered a 20-year Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) with USFWS to work with private landowners to manage and improve lesser prairie-chicken habitat in exchange for assurances that no additional regulatory burden would be placed on participants if the species were listed. The 91 properties currently enrolled in the program, which cover 649,780 acres across 19 Texas Panhandle counties, are exempt from take and habitat management restrictions while they operate under a TPWD-approved wildlife management plan.

Enrollment for the Texas lesser prairie-chicken CCAA program is open until the official effective date of Jan. 24, 2023. Private landowners within the lesser prairie-chicken range are encouraged to contact the TPWD Panhandle Wildlife District prior to the effective date to initiate the enrollment process.

“The CCAA provides landowners the assurances that they can continue to manage their properties to meet their goals while also benefiting the lesser prairie-chicken,” said John Silovsky, TPWD director of wildlife. “We appreciate the tremendous collaboration with private landowners during the past 16 years and we want to continue those important partnerships for the benefit of the lesser prairie-chicken habitat.”

Join this webinar on Wednesday, September 7th to learn about new research conducted by the US Geological Survey that looks at pollinator habitat design and function.  You'll learn about new research results that highlight improved pollinator habitat values.  This webinar will highlight the pollinator habitat designs features that produced increased pollinator species use and benefits.  Learn how to make 'every acre of pollinator habitat the best it can be'.

Register for free at:
September 7th at 10:00 am CST:        Webinar Registration - Zoom

September 7th at 7:00 pm CST:        Webinar Registration - Zoom

University of Wisconsin is going to host the Farm Succession Coordinator Certification Training this fall here in North Carolina. It will be a 2.5 day training in Shelby, NC, on Nov 7th through 9th. It is the prerequisite training needed to take the Farm Succession Coordinator Certification test. This would be a good training for any land trust staff who help farmers work through succession issues with conservation easements. To register visit this website

Half-Earth Day Conservation Conference will focus on The Role of Private Lands in Texas.  This event brings together people from around the world and across disciplines to share their unique perspectives and thought leadership on how we can work together to achieve the goal of Half-Earth and ensure the health of our planet for future generations.  Thursday, October 22nd – 9:00am – 4:00pm CT  Old Parkland Dallas, TX For more information contact: Terry Beck - terry.beck@earthx.org - (817) 999-4893

Pollinator projects empower corporate conservation teams to address global biodiversity issues through site-based action. Providing native pollinators with host and nectar plants is an important part of such conservation efforts, but the work doesn’t stop once milkweed and bee balm have taken root. From there, participants must regularly monitor the habitat. Tying these monitoring efforts to larger citizen science initiatives provides employees and community members with an opportunity to contribute data to large-scale efforts that track species distribution and movement.

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Grassland CRP signup opens from April 4, 2022 to May 13, 2022. Landowners and producers interested in CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply for the program -- for General CRP before the March 11 deadline, and for Grassland CRP before the May 13 deadline.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas today announced opportunities for partners to receive funding through its Texas Partners for Conservation Program. Applications must be submitted through grants.gov by June 1, 2021.

“Conservation of our natural resources can be achieved through effective collaboration with our network of partners to leverage NRCS resources and develop state and community level conservation leadership,” said Kristy Oates, NRCS state conservationist for Texas. “This partner-led approach will accelerate the development of conservation plans to address environmental quality issues on agricultural lands within Texas and improve outreach to historically underserved producers.”

Priority will be placed on Conservation Technical Assistance projects that:

• Provide high quality technical services that help customers achieve their conservation goals.
• Increase adoption of conservation in Texas.
• Increase easement outreach, training, and education.

Priority will be placed on Outreach projects that:

Provide high quality technical services that help historically underserved producers achieve their conservation goals through NRCS conservation practice standards.
Increase participation of historically underserved producers in conservation programs (technical and/or financial assistance) by at least 1 percent of the total number of participants reached.
Provide training opportunities through one-on-one consultations, workshops, conferences, or any other event that focuses on historically underserved producers.
Provide a method to follow-up with historically underserved producers to measure rate of success of their participation in both technical and financial assistance by NRCS staff.
Provide training opportunities, outreach, and education on easements through one-on-one consultations, workshops, and conferences.

There is no cost sharing or matching requirement for this opportunity, but this factor is considered in the review process. The funding floor is $25,000, and the ceiling is $75,000. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period.

All funding applications for USDA-NRCS-TX-21-NOFO0001103 must be submitted via grants.gov by June 1, 2021. For assistance with the registration process, contact grants.gov applicant support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Successful applicants are required to have an administrative and technical contact participate in the Texas NRCS training for Administration of Federal Agreements. This training is usually held within six months of the award start date.

For more information about NRCS and its conservation programs, visit www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov.

Secretary Sonny Purdue announced on Nov. 12, 2020, the signup periods for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the CRP Grasslands in 2021. Signup for general CRP will be open from Jan. 4, 2021, to Feb. 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15, 2021 to April 23, 2021. Both programs are competitive and provide annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes. There will be a free webinar on January 14 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. MST. Register in advance for this meeting After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.  For more information, email Jeff Tranel or call 719-251-0990 

EarthX.org

Attend a workshop on Preparing Landowners for Energy Development
November 14th, 2019 10:30am-2:00pm
Espino Conference Center, Sul Ross State University
Learn More and Register »

Hill Country Soil & Water Conservation District Presents Ag & Wildlife Symposium

September 6, 2019
9AM - 4PM
Grace Fellowship Church
2974 US-281 Lampasas, TX 76550

Doors open at 8 AM for Sign In and Local Vendor Booths
5 CEUs available for TDA Private Pesticide Applicators License Holders

For questions, please contact Lee Gernentz at (512) 556-5572, ext 3 or Lee.Gernentz@tx.nacdnet.net.

Register Online

Download Agenda Download Flyer

USDA announced today it is offering $75 million in funding for the eradication and control of feral swine through the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP) in a joint effort with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The 2018 Farm Bill included this new pilot program to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems and human and animal health. Learn More »

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced today it is seeking public input on its existing national conservation practice standards as part of implementing the 2018 Farm Bill. NRCS offers 150-plus conservation practices to America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to help them meet their business and natural resource needs on their working lands. NRCS is requesting public comments on how to improve conservation practice standards that support programs. The comment period ends April 25, 2019.  Learn More »

Participate to learn about the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) - a free, online tool that helps landowners and natural resource managers track vegetation through time and plan actions to improve America's grazing lands. 

When: Sep 25, 2018 12:00 pm US/Eastern
Length: one hour
Pre-registration not required.

The Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) is a free, online tool that helps landowners and natural resource managers track vegetation through time and plan actions to improve America's grazing lands. The RAP can be used to provide strategies to improve productivity of grazing lands, manage weeds, mitigate impacts of wildfire and drought, and benefit wildlife habitats. Learn more abouth the tool here.

This webinar is presented by USDA NRCS Science and Technology. Contact Candy Thomas, Science & Technology Training Library content manager, for more information about this webinar.

The Hill Country Conservancy and the Hill Country Alliance are joining forces to host a landowner workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, April 20, 2018, at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office, 607 N. Vandeveer, Burnet, TX 78611.

This workshop will focus on conservation easements—a tool available to help landowners steward and protect their land investment and family legacy for the long term. Learn more and register online.

PALACIOS - A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to the Carancahua Bay and Tres Palacios watersheds will be from 1-5 p.m. Feb. 15 at the First United Methodist Church, 209 Lucas Ave., Palacios. Learn more here.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) has selected the honorees for the 2018 Texas Conservation Hall of Fame: Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) and Dr. Dale Rollins. Read more here.

Some Texas landowners may be eligible to be reimbursed for their cost of prescribed burning. Texas A&M Forest Service is now accepting grant applications from private property owners who use strategically-planned prescribed fires to help reduce wildfire risk and restore natural ecosystems. The deadline for application submission is Friday, October 13, 2017. Learn more and download application here.

BELTON - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, along with many area partners, will host the 2017 Conservation Expo Thursday, Sept. 21, at the Bell County Expo Center, 301 W. Loop 121. Program topics will be geared toward answering the questions and discussing the concerns of many new landowners and small acreage landowners in Central Texas. Learn more here.

With a mission to empower farm women to be better business partners through networks and by managing and organizing critical information, Annie’s Project is coming to Stephenville beginning in September. 

Classes will be held in Stephenville at the District 8 Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center (1229 N US Hwy 281) on Sept. 7, 14, and 21 and Oct. 5, 12, and 19 from 6-9 p.m. Learn more here.

According to the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, "HB 2943 represented a win-win for the conservation of Texas' working lands AND the need to protect our state's water resources." Read the bill text here.

Led by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, several Texas conservation agencies and agricultural organizations are joining together in a statewide campaign to highlight the importance of voluntary land stewardship in Texas. Soil and Water Stewardship Week is April 30 through May 7. The focus this year is “No Land No Water.” Learn more here.

The Texas Water Development Board is calling for applications for its Agricultural Water Conservation Grants Program, with a deadline of May 10. Learn more here.

April 4, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture, acting in response to a directive from President Donald J. Trump, today authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program lands located in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas – the three states which were most heavily impacted by ongoing wildfires which began on March 6, 2017. Learn more here.

Texas farmers and ranchers affected by last week’s wildfires should contact their USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to obtain information about disaster assistance programs to aid recovery efforts. Learn more here.

Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) has announced a new campaign to raise awareness for the contributions of private working lands to the water supply.

Learn more here.

There are four major must-knows about a conservation easement: It’s voluntary; it’s an exercise of the owner’s private property rights; it’s a negotiated document; and it’s permanent. “It's not for everyone, and it requires a lot of contemplation to make sure your goals are being met,” says Ken Cearley, stewardship director for Texas Agricultural Land Trust. Watch here.

The Wynne family has decided to sell off portions of their North Texas ranch — land the family has owned going back generations to The Battle of San Jacinto in 1836 — with the hope of keeping it a pristine working ranch. "The goal would be to sell it as a working ranch...There's not a conservation easement on the property, but it's ideally suited for that." Click here to learn more about the property.

The Texas Soil Health Short Course will be held on February 22-23, 2017 at the Region 9 Education Service Center in Wichita Falls, Texas. The short course will offer the opportunity to gain a better understanding of soil properties including water infiltration, water holding capacity, and organic matter content. Click here for more details.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is adding 11 new projects to Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW), the agency’s targeted, science-based effort to help producers restore and protect habitat for declining species on farms, ranches and working forests.

The Texas Farm & Ranch Lands Conservation Program (TFRLCP) is now accepting applications for the purchase of conservation easements. To qualify, a landowner must partner with a land trust who will submit the application.

Applications are scored based on criteria such as threat of development, water resources protected, and the availability of matching funds. To meet the matching funds criteria, we encourage landowners to also consider applying to the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) through the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

If you are a forester, private landowner, or state/federal agency habitat manager, then you will want to learn the results of a project assessing "Desired Ecological States Provided by Open Pine in Managed Forests," sponsored by the Gulf Coastal Plains & Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative.  Why?  Because existing data was incorporated into HabPlan harvest scheduling software to simulate a variety of management options across 50 years.  The results identify options for providing open pine wildlife habitat conditions in managed forests across the region as well as biodiversity responses to those management options. The Society of American Foresters has pre-approved this webinar for one Continuing Forestry Education credit hour.

Register Here »

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, through the Great Texas Birding Classic, awarded Quinta Mazatlán a conservation grant to support its Great Homes for Great Birds project, which focuses on Purple Martins, the largest swallow species in North America. Learn more here.

Central Texas is home to many of the nation's fastest growing cities and counties and almost entirely privately owned, but it is also a hotspot for biodiversity, including some species unique to Texas and protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Learn more here.

Texas now has a new statute offering liability protection for agritourism operations. The Act, carried as SB 610 and now codified as Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 75A, offers important protections of which landowners need to be aware.

Learn more here.