A Victory for Private Lands Conservation!

Good news! The 2015 Texas legislative session has ended in a victory for the conservation of Texas’ working lands.

HB1925, authored by Representative Charlie Geren, will move the Texas Farm & Ranch Lands Conservation Program to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD). TPWD is well-suited to ensure that the program meets its purpose, which is to conserve Texas’ farms and ranches that provide our state’s critical natural resources. TALT worked with our partner organizations – the statewide agricultural and landowner groups – as well as the Texas Land Trust Council and other conservation organizations to build support for this move. We appreciate their time and dedication!

Thanks to the support of Speaker Joe Straus, the Texas Farm & Ranch Lands Conservation Program, which has been around since 2005, also received its first legislative appropriation. While a nominal amount compared to the $30 million that was originally in the budget, the $2 million appropriation will help the land trust community and TPWD demonstrate how the program is supposed to work and make our case again in two years for more funding. TALT would like to thank the budget committee conferees in both the House and Senate, as well as House Appropriations Committee Chair John Otto and Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson for their support.

As always, we deeply appreciate the support of our friends for this very important effort. Stay tuned, as we start working today to prepare for the 2017 legislative session!

, , , ,
Previous Post
2015 Sportsman Conservationists of the Year
Next Post
Ken Cearley Honored by TWA

Related Posts

Menu