https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories daily 0.75 2025-11-03 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories/taltconserves300kmilestone monthly 0.5 2025-11-03 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories/rimranchpaloduroconserved monthly 0.5 2025-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/a99d33eb-875e-4e63-8cf6-1a21a143f22d/Rim+Ranch+picture+11-12+%281%29.JPG Latest Stories - Rim Ranch Conservation Easements Forever Protect Palo Duro Canyon Views and Vital Grassland Habitat - Make it stand out Rim Ranch, Photo by Brandon Ray. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories/the-herald-zeitung-new-braunfels monthly 0.5 2025-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/76b5c0ad-68b2-4951-868d-84e067eb7289/68939aa6df7ad.image.jpg Latest Stories - The Herald-Zeitung New Braunfels - Make it stand out Leesa Brieger poses on her property with a sign from Texas Agricultural Land Trust indicating the property has a conservation easement on August 5, 2025. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories/nuecesriverwatershedapplications monthly 0.5 2025-01-06 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories/coastalprairieconservationinitiative monthly 0.5 2025-01-06 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories/forevertexasfund-endowment-surpasses-10million monthly 0.5 2025-01-06 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories/talt-secures-25-million-to-enhance-coastal-prairie-conservation monthly 0.5 2024-03-26 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories/talt-joins-collaborative-initiative-to-conserve-250000-acres-in-five-states monthly 0.5 2024-01-30 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/latest-stories/blog-post-title-three-b7elh monthly 0.5 2024-01-30 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy daily 0.75 2026-01-27 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/sevenoaks monthly 0.5 2026-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/643d57ce-0bf8-4aef-9654-bb63cf76b158/IMG_5662.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future For Wayne and Philip, the decision to place the ranch under easement was not a single moment, but the culmination of generations of stewardship and years of careful thought. “To protect our family’s legacy,” Wayne says. “And all the work my grandmother, Ellen Ward, our step-grandfather Jack Ward, and our father Kelly Walker put into the ranch over the years. We don’t want our ranch to get chopped up into subdivisions and ranchettes. And we don’t want it to turn into something that loses the value of what our family has created.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/64a60a81-6119-42b4-8a81-1da678303e40/FamilyEllen.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future “Open space and the ecosystem services it provides has worth,” Philip says. “Raw land has value but society doesn’t recognize that value economically for the most part. You don’t need to build things on it for it to be worth something. It has value for protecting wildlife and plants, dark skies, clean and ample water and air, and life in general. And letting the ecosystem work the way it always has.” That philosophy has guided decades of decisions at Seven Oaks, from restoring fire to the landscape to welcoming the next generation of the family as well as students, volunteers, and conservation partners onto the ranch. Philip has led many of those efforts, opening the gates to college burn crews, wildlife researchers, and nonprofit partners. “We want to continue public outreach, education, fellowship and innovation,” he says. “How can we help get people outdoors? How can we help teach them how the world really works? It’s not in your cell phone. It’s clean water, open land and dark skies at night the way they used to be.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/bba0a768-ff6c-409c-bc51-26bf7f49e463/88962739_10108277540873827_6881280727728521216_o_10108277540863847.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future Fire, in particular, has become both a management tool and a gathering point. “Fire has always represented fellowship,” Philip explains. “If it’s a wildfire, people come together to fight it. If it’s a campfire, they’re having fellowship around it. If it’s a prescribed fire, they’re coming together as well to help restore and maintain the land. People put their cell phone down for that, especially the young ones!” For Wayne, education is the true measure of success. As they have learned from one of their mentors, Dr. Butch Taylor, “Until we’ve educated the next generation, we are not successful,” he says. “Putting the easement on the ranch is a huge step. But it’s not the end.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/ba3b55ae-65c9-4f76-8912-2565f797fa0e/X-6_19.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1769021974874-S1T4ODDQXM2YAVD8NXIB/Field.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1769022015851-V4RJ4TG3EQCPMYBFKIQ7/BigGroupGate.JPG Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1769022015347-CO6ZGXWYLW6MVEMRIGJO/DadDonkey50s.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1769022016331-QS65O1RVQ26YT4WG4XF8/DadJackBoys.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1769022016982-87W18IXVAP4GTNHAU6YX/JackWaynePhilip.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1769022019666-JSLGEOQ0PG1726UUEWZB/PollinatorDadWayne.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1769022022901-K0L7UN9ZND0EER8RSCL9/WayneFire.JPG Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1769022022623-AJHM3WLC52GVKQQ4KHP1/1920%27s.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/ca4edc1a-44b9-467a-a819-ce823391618d/EllenPhilipWayne.jpg Legacy Pages - Rooted in Legacy, Committed to the Future For Wayne and Philip Walker, the hope is simple and enduring: that others who love their land as deeply as they do will see what is possible, and choose to act. “We’re just trying to do our part,” Philip says. “And we hope it inspires others to do the same. After all, we aren’t making any more land so we need to protect every acre we can for current and future generations.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/wofischerranch monthly 0.5 2025-11-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/3ed02abb-25b6-4f05-bd0d-5f8371b73d79/Fischer+Ranch+39.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f49549d3-896e-4c1f-8369-2be9b1ed610f/grandma-and-grandpa.png Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County The land has been in Brieger’s family since the 1850s, when two Fischer brothers established adjoining homesteads. One founded the mercantile that became the heart of the community; the other built the ranch that remains in family hands today. Through droughts, the Depression, and generations of inheritance, the ranch endured. Brieger’s grandparents, W.O. and Alma Fischer, raised their family in the farmhouse she now calls home. “When I was a child growing up near Houston, spending summers here felt magical,” she recalled. “There were goats, hills, and rocks—so different from the flat coastal plain. It was the place that shaped us.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/94693373-4e84-44e7-b374-f65ec4a8471d/grandma-mama-leesa.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County Her mother carried that connection forward. In 1994, Merle Fischer created a family partnership, Merle J. Fischer Ltd., to hold the land intact for future generations. Long before conservation easements were common in Texas, she was searching for a way to keep the property from being divided again. Years later, Brieger and her sister Lucianne picked up that thread. After several prior applications for partial funding to place the ranch under easement with other land trusts, they learned about the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) through Comal Conservation, a local nonprofit dedicated to conservation in Comal County where Brieger served on the board. The sisters found in TALT an approach that resonated. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/9c18805d-5642-4461-a59c-05cfbb5a566e/Fischer+Ranch+28.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County With support from a private foundation grant, TALT completed a purchased conservation easement on the W.O. Fischer Ranch in 2025. The family contributed a charitable donation covering three-quarters of the easement’s value to make the transaction possible. The agreement ensures the land will remain intact and available for agricultural use, protecting more than 7,500 feet of tributaries that feed Carpers Creek in the Lower Blanco River watershed. For Brieger, the closing brought profound relief. “I just kept thinking, thank God,” she said. “This land won’t turn into another subdivision. My grandparents’ work, my mother’s foresight—it all lives on here.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/844da654-89ab-41cd-838b-9f2696fefaa8/Fischer+Ranch+22.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1763489029708-2MPJF29UUAHT545FPIUF/Fischer+Ranch+40.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1763489030048-5AV3CYPJRSDZ2BBDJ7AQ/Fischer+Ranch+24.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1763489041421-EMBTXAMXKR4ST63GNULC/Fischer+Ranch+35.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1763489052914-2B2TABO8LIW72UR8QFQ2/Fischer+Ranch+16.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1763489057546-1JIRACPHVX05THX68CFZ/Fischer+Ranch+3.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1763489077213-HX8DXYXA1LY4CQEQMKWL/Fischer+Ranch+22.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1763489076239-6O4M90KVOSJZ8CDKP7G4/Fischer+Ranch+39.jpg Legacy Pages - Coming Home to Keep the Legacy Whole: W.O. Fischer Ranch | Comal County https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/cemillerranch monthly 0.5 2025-11-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/e045019b-e7e2-45de-bf5d-68ef4dcd3b22/1-TALT_MR_2024-11.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos - Make it stand out Watch the family film on Facebook to hear it from their perspective: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17BU5y77hc/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/eaf12382-bf25-4c44-a444-8261c862fe74/10-TALT_MR_2024-116.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos The brothers are stair steps. Albert was born in 1950, Bill in 1952, Jim in 1954 and Walter in 1956. Their early childhood coincided with Texas’ Drought of Record, a scorching dry spell that spanned most of the 1950s and shaped everyone who lived through it. “My earliest memories are feeding cattle during the drought and the never-ending dust that boiled up everywhere,” Albert said. “This isn’t easy country when the rains fall, but when they quit it really gets challenging—and we’re in a hard drought again.” The boys started doing man’s work early on. During that time, the family experimented with a 100-acre irrigated field where they raised sorghum, barley and winter crops, which they chopped into silage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/9db23cf9-a9a2-457b-8af2-a8d07e3d15b7/11-TALT_MR_2024-132.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos “I remember my grandmother telling me that she and my grandfather would lay in bed and she could feel my grandfather’s finger tapping on the bed because he was trying to decide if he wanted to borrow money to buy more land,” Albert said. “It was a big decision, a big commitment and a big sacrifice.” When the first generation of Millers passed the ranch to their son and two daughters, their son Clay Espy Miller Jr. took the management reins. As a zoologist trained at the University of Texas, Clay, with the help of his wife Jody and their four sons, added a new chapter in the family’s stewardship legacy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/8a2ef5f0-8b2c-4a19-9dad-b66973521c64/3-TALT_MR_2024-51.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos “I like to think of my father as a bit of an enigma in this part of the world,” Walter said. “He was a very much a cow person—that was his business—but he was more of a naturalist. Some would say almost a Renaissance Man. He was very interested in all things scholarly.” During Clay’s university years, Dr. Frank Blair, 22 fellow students and he spent six weeks collecting small mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians. The collection is still housed at UT Austin and Texas Tech. In the early 1950s, Clay helped capture pronghorn antelope on the Rocker B Ranch near Mertzon, Texas and relocate them to the Trans Pecos. He traveled to Washington D.C. to testify to protect the Golden Eagle. He and Jody opened the ranch to the Peregrine Fund to help sponsor Aplomado Falcon Restoration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/c9a81a67-8bee-4d3b-b254-eb890aeb1519/15-TALT_MR_2024-187.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759978146586-OT6QLM77KSBYYR4SKO8W/2-TALT_MR_2024-36.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759978148316-OM3T6ZTG0N86JD9NA30E/4-TALT_MR_2024-54.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759978166935-WGDGNGX30KHTX9KAVE3N/5-TALT_MR_2024-64.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759978169509-ZZ6IGAG44WBU06H75K5D/6-TALT_MR_2024-78.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759978179299-R7UAMF3IE77CBLCY6UBE/8-TALT_MR_2024-110.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759978185351-HIH3WHPW8B6NA0QDC6QX/9-TALT_MR_2024-111.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759978196124-OEJ4BPMZXIF5E4FGBEYV/12-TALT_MR_2024-150.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759978200202-1CS3WGW4B8TR6NVMUOFK/13-TALT_MR_2024-155.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/28b05b03-f964-43df-98e8-b279c17db267/14-TALT_MR_2024-184.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos “This place will teach you how to do practical things. Out here we learned to be more self-sufficient and get along without a lot of resources,” Albert said. “We learned to get by without things—those are all important lessons for our children and grandchildren as they make their way through the world.” He continued, “Our grandfather and our father both passed on legacies of conservation because they felt this was where they wanted to live. And we followed the same practice and certainly hope to pass it on to our kids, grandkids and the rest of the family on down the line. Bill added, “You know, we don’t really own this place. We’re just taking care of it and trying to make it better. You know that’s the aim.” Thanks to the shared commitment to stewardship, the land and the family, the next generation is fully aware of the legacy with which it has been entrusted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/452e314a-0e2a-411a-9f9a-ee5acced5dc8/7-TALT_MR_2024-84.jpg Legacy Pages - A Land Legacy Forged by the Trans Pecos Clay, Albert’s son who is actively involved in the day-to-day management of the ranch, said, “My grandfather was always very conscientious of taking care of the ranch and his family because the ranch took care of the family. If you didn’t take care of the ranch, you couldn’t take care of the family. When my grandparents passed, there was a definite change on the ranch because they had been fixtures in all our lives. It seemed like the heart of the ranch had left. But that puts it on us to create that heart again—where everyone wants to come and takes the time to come. You know, there may come a time when most of Texas is nothing but concrete, there will be children who have never set foot on dirt, and they can come here and set foot on dirt. To me, it’s a huge comfort to know that this piece of Texas will always be this piece of Texas.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/rimranch monthly 0.5 2025-10-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/417bad38-99e3-4f21-872e-52118e9d3c8e/Gingy+on+horseback+next+to+tank+1952.jpg Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon - Family Memories on the Rim Rim Ranch has always been more than land—it’s a family gathering place with its own heartbeat. Ginger’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grew up with the ranch as their touchstone, even as they lived in big cities. For Becky Monning, summers meant bunking with cousins from up East. “We would all sleep in one room in bunk beds,” she said. “It was interesting living in Texas and having Northern cousins. They were different!” Afternoons were spent splashing in a shallow concrete pool. “It only had about a foot of water, but it was the highlight of a hot summer day.” Her brother DeWitt’s fondest memories involve his grandfather’s determination to make sure every grandchild could enjoy the ranch. “I was allergic to just about everything out there—grass, hay, animals,” he laughed. “So my granddad built go-karts and even had a dune buggy made so I could have fun. That sparked my lifelong passion for cars. Meanwhile, Brandon’s passion became the land itself.” Brandon Ray, Ginger’s youngest, eventually made the ranch his home. “Growing up in Dallas, I was always a wannabe country kid,” he said. “After college, I moved here and have lived either at the ranch or in Amarillo ever since. It’s where I belong.” Today he manages daily operations, balancing cattle leases, wildlife habitat, and an eclectic mix of animals around the headquarters—from chickens to donkeys. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759845933001-3JYJ1TI9B6UF8D2H8FZD/2-+Ranch+house+in+snow.JPG Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759846006146-DGPQPOKK8NZSRLZ14587/Horseback+color+1955.jpg Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759845926186-ZX6FK5JYESZ1VNAJDC4T/4-A+windmill+at+sunset+on+Rim+Ranch..jpg Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759845935866-T5BC0VHJVFDH05MDR880/5-A+whitetail+buck+near+the+creek+on+Rim+Ranch..JPG Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759846006320-FLES08CAUAHVANEIZMUX/Grandad+portriat+1981.jpg Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759845970341-EYSOYUYX5N9ITUMBKGHF/Flag+2014.jpg Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1759846115979-SUTVN1GGVIM2T7RKJMK0/Deer+hunt+1968.jpg Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/8dbe19fc-272e-4db9-9aed-08f96f0be5ec/2013+Thanksgiving+Jeep.JPG Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon - A Place of Solace The ranch has also carried the family through hard times. Becky endured unimaginable loss, tragically losing two husbands—one to a brain tumor just five months after their marriage, and later her children’s father to a premature death. “After both funerals, I remember finding solace at the ranch,” she said quietly. “It was a place of solitude where I could mend. I would cry, talk to God, and just heal. It holds a special place in my heart.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/a99d33eb-875e-4e63-8cf6-1a21a143f22d/Rim+Ranch+picture+11-12+%281%29.JPG Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon - Photo by Brandon Ray Ripple Effects across the Canyon Already, the Rim Ranch easement is inspiring neighbors. “There’s a ranch just south of us already under easement,” DeWitt said, “and now two more neighbors are seriously considering it. In a few years, we could have more than 15 miles of canyon rim permanently protected. Visitors to Palo Duro Canyon State Park will never have to worry about seeing subdivisions or apartments on that skyline.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/47733e5b-7db7-4f0e-b9c6-c378593bbf35/6-A+mature+aoudad+ram+on+Rim+Ranch..JPG Legacy Pages - Preserving the Rim of Palo Duro Canyon - Make it stand out Photo by Brandon Ray https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/littleblanco/haierranch monthly 0.5 2025-10-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/eaa31c60-8cca-4a7d-8009-2ae646cbc4fb/picture-20250220-155601.jpg Legacy Pages - Haier Ranch - A Meeting of Minds The seller, Little Blanco Partners LLC, was a trio of conservation-minded individuals who had purchased the land to keep it from being carved into ranchettes. They were searching for a buyer who shared their vision—and they found one in Bobby Haier. When Bobby called one of the partners, in September 2024, he already knew the land was being sold subject to a conservation easement. Rather than see that as a hurdle, Bobby saw it as a blessing. “I was basically getting the property at near half price from market with all of those benefits built in,” Bobby says. “The objectives of the easement completely aligned with what we wanted to do.” In fact, Bobby was involved in negotiating the easement terms before the sale even closed—an unusual but vital collaboration that ensured both the seller’s and the buyer’s visions would be honored. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f5803102-a2bf-4859-92f7-3caa25dc8f95/picture-20250220-160422.jpg Legacy Pages - Haier Ranch - Land with Legacy The property itself—formerly known as the Dubose Ranch—is remarkable in its conservation value. It sits along more than 8,000 feet of Little Blanco River frontage and includes upland brush, native grasslands, and habitat for white-tailed deer, songbirds, and other wildlife. The land is part of the Edwards Plateau, an ecologically diverse region that plays a critical role in aquifer recharge and biodiversity. TALT’s conservation easement permanently protects this land from subdivision and intensive development—pressures that are increasingly common in Blanco and Comal counties, which have seen staggering population growth and loss of working lands in recent years. “Without the easement, a place like this would’ve been gone,” Chris says. “It would’ve been just another subdivision.” Instead, it will become a working cattle ranch, with 25 to 30 mama cows—just like the one Bobby grew up on. “This land is a gift,” Bobby says. “We want to take care of it, restore it, and pass it on.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/parksranch monthly 0.5 2025-04-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/213bc849-e55e-426c-8fbc-769b17837b6e/6-_C8C9819+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Parks Ranch David Crow is living his dream. The Corpus Christi native owns five ranches in Texas that he lovingly stewards with his son at his side as his partner. His ranching career began in the 1970s when his wife’s father passed away and his mother-in-law asked him to help manage their family ranch. He did that while he ran his own family’s trucking and concrete company in Corpus. In 1988, a San Antonio company made him an offer on the family business that he couldn’t refuse, which provided the resources and time to pursue his passion for ranching fulltime. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/b39a52a6-37f8-47fe-9654-f48ad16af8ab/4-DJI_0101+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Parks Ranch In a story he’s told many times since, he took another peek at the property when the realtor was otherwise occupied. “The gate was unlocked, and I didn’t see a no trespassing sign, so I took another look to see the lay of the land,” David recalled with a chuckle. “I can make up my own mind without listening to a sales pitch!” It was a dry year, and David noticed that despite that, the cattle were in good shape, and he also saw plentiful deer, turkey and quail. The abundance of wildlife impressed him enough to talk it over with his wife, and they agreed to pursue the deal. Photos taken by Wyman Meinzer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/349a6d0e-5d1f-4991-ba08-73f39c23e916/1-DJI_0095+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Parks Ranch Over the next two decades, the ranch was transformed under David’s careful stewardship. He first began tackling brush encroachment and the ongoing battle to control mesquite and huisache is a never ending one. David is a fan of rotational grazing, but the ranch’s classic Savory cell grazing system didn’t work well. The only thing the malfunctioning electric fences stopped was a man on horseback. There was a dearth of available water for cattle and wildlife. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/d6de396c-c93d-45d9-b251-c0b27d529d8f/3-_C8C9796+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Parks Ranch “We’ve put more than 24 years into this ranch, and I don’t know how to express it other than to say it almost comes alive. It’s like a friend or family member that you are very fond of. When there are hard times like a drought, wildfire or hurricane, it’s like seeing a friend suffer,” said David. “It’s been a lot of work, and we’ve seen good times and bad, and no matter what, the land bounces back. In the last few years, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to preserve it into the future.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/44ae5df7-21b9-4a94-807b-1fc4474b9f1e/7-_C8C9824+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Parks Ranch “During the fight for Texas Independence in 1836, Colonel Fannin left Goliad on the orders of Sam Houston to head to Victoria,” explained David. “General Urrea was dispatched by Santa Anna to intercept them, and he caught up with Fannin’s men right here on this ranch. This is where the Battle of Goliad was fought in March 1936.” The Goliad Massacre followed, and that horrific chapter of the Texas Revolution, on the heels of the fall of the Alamo, inflamed and unified the Texian Army on to victory at the Battel of San Jacinto. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/7e5549e1-6146-4704-a93d-5d1c8231c18b/Crow+Stills+5.jpg Legacy Pages - Parks Ranch “I have spent the last 15 years of my life dedicated to learning the ranching operation and taking care of this property along with our other family land,” said David’s son Matt. “I can’t imagine doing anything else. My dad has a passion for conservation, and he is my mentor. Since I was a little boy, I wanted to be just like him. And I still do.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/durstlakes monthly 0.5 2025-04-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/7132db56-92d9-4e89-9939-7e033da08523/P1020288.JPG Legacy Pages - Durst Lake The land was handed down from mother to daughter for the next two generations. Moore and Hackney’s father was in the military, and they lived away from Texas during their formative years. They seldom visited the land as children or even much as adults. But they treasured it, nonetheless. Durst Lakes encompasses 632 acres in Cherokee and Nacogdoches counties, 15 miles north of Lukin and 12 miles west of Nacogdoches. Approximately 2.5 miles of the Angelina River runs through the property. The land is primarily used for timber production and has a mix of pine and hardwood species, including longleaf pine planted by the family. Deer, ducks, migratory birds, and eagles have all benefitted from the management and conservation of the land which has been leased for a hunt club for decades. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/9c3f9d5c-73d1-4255-a216-4c1c88028ce3/20240402_130709.jpg Legacy Pages - Durst Lake Neither of the sisters have children, so when they inherited the land from their mother, they briefly considered offers to divide it and sell it. But after some soul-searching, they decided they wanted to forever protect the land that has been in their family for close to 140 years. They began exploring options that would keep the land intact for timber and wildlife, while providing a monetary return by selling it. “I was familiar with easements through conservation work I’ve been involved with in Georgia and North Carolina,” said Moore. “We heard about the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) and began exploring the idea in earnest.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/be2d4859-d61a-4511-b1fd-1b9fe1586940/P1020275.JPG Legacy Pages - Durst Lake “Our grandmother probably cared more about this land than anyone,” said Hackney. “She held on to that land, even during the Great Depression when times were so hard. She had a real feel for the land, and I think she would be very happy about the way this has turned out.” Thanks to the conservation ethic of these two sisters, eagles will soar over Durst Lakes for generations to come. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/liveoakestuary monthly 0.5 2025-04-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/8a97aa88-a579-413d-a918-9e8552ef0cfb/JVAIL_TALT_Live_Oak_Estuary-2298.jpg Legacy Pages - Live Oak Estuary He purchased the land in 1999 after his childhood friend George Strickhausen showed him the property and helped him envision keeping it an untouched, undeveloped wildscape. Dobson and his family love the place for its natural beauty, rural-like environment, and easy access. “We immediately fell in love with all the mature beautiful oaks. There’s lots of wildlife and it has that remote feeling, yet it is just 35 miles from Corpus Christi.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1103d49d-276e-4273-b963-8c37b00021e8/JVAIL_TALT_Live_Oak_Estuary-2531.jpg Legacy Pages - Live Oak Estuary “TALT is helping us put 88 acres into a conservation easement,” said Dobson. “We were excited to have a smaller sized parcel get approved for a conservation easement. I imagine we are one of the smaller TALT holdings, but I think in the long run we will look back and know this was a good choice to make to forever protect this property.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/2218ee23-8a87-4da9-8389-2be477ad20e1/3-JVAIL_TALT_Live_Oak_Estuary-2407.jpg Legacy Pages - Live Oak Estuary “I’m feeling positive about taking this step because I’ve always wanted to contribute to protecting this property and continue gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of the life cycles of this land and its animals,” said Dobson. “A part of our strategy is finding a way to help boost awareness and knowledge and engagement to support these types of environments rather than exploit them. We are grateful for the support of TALT and other partners in taking these steps now so we are assured the place we love will be around for many generations to come.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/pearljacksonranch monthly 0.5 2024-06-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/5da047dd-fdc3-44c7-b880-ebc4bc5f10d6/Low+Water+Crossing.jpg Legacy Pages - Pearl Jackson Ranch The ranch is in the eco-region in Oklahoma known as the Cross Timbers, and encompasses a mosaic of forests, woodlands, grasslands, old growth forest, tallgrass prairie and riparian woodlands. Four named creeks run through it and it is a haven for fish and wildlife.“Bob just loved the ranch,” she said. “Towards the end of his life, he started worrying about what would happen after he was gone. He would say over and over again that he didn’t want to see it paved over.” The land’s proximity to Tulsa has been a big draw for developers. For years before he died, the Jacksons were inundated with requests to sell. Had it sold, it would have been a devastating loss of natural habitat, because not only is the land adjacent to the Oklahoma Department of Conservation’s Heyburn Wildlife Management Area, it also lies within the heart of the 430,000-acre Keystone Woodlands Conservation Area, a significant natural area for the protection of the region’s biodiversity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/85763105-8342-429f-b8a4-c0b8146f20a3/Small+pond+with+water+promrose+and+smartweed.jpg Legacy Pages - Pearl Jackson Ranch “Bob would have been so happy to see this conservation easement finally come to fruition,” said Andrea. “It’s gratifying to know the land that he and his grandmother Pearl cherished will be forever protected for future generations to enjoy.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/tomahawkconservationbank monthly 0.5 2024-06-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/b7a37b2d-fbc2-4a2c-8d59-b59063bc5e96/Lesser+prairie+chicken.jpg Legacy Pages - Tomahawk Conservation Bank The Lesser Prairie Chicken and agricultural production will always have a home on the Williams Family Ranch in Yoakum County thanks to the Tomahawk Conservation Bank. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/9c0b479e-225b-4e71-a597-cf67ac536b60/_X9A2432-2.jpg Legacy Pages - Tomahawk Conservation Bank “The ranch is located in deep sand that is unsuitable for farming, so it has remained in its native state, making it suitable habitat for Lesser Prairie Chickens and other plains species,” Williams said. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/daba28c5-d0c4-4a79-8908-de1a3ad6105e/_C8C8233.jpg Legacy Pages - Tomahawk Conservation Bank According to Wayne Walker with LPC Conservation/Common Ground Capital, “When private landowners and private investors are compensated at a free market rate that is superior to the to the income they receive from the traditional government program activities while meeting the highest conservation standards for rare species, all of the stakeholders win: species receive strategic and accountable conservation; landowners receive income that allow them to independently decide how they will be used; and investors earn a return that is equal to or more than conventional investments.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f9f3ee6a-0874-4596-a0fa-f8fdf5a5f055/_C8C8382.jpg Legacy Pages - Tomahawk Conservation Bank “Excluding cattle is not necessarily a good thing because well-managed grazing is one of the best habitat and land management tools available,” Williams said. “Frankly, grass keeps the world together, even though many people have lost sight of the economic, ecological and aesthetic benefits of well-managed rangeland. TALT understands the value of allowing land stewards to continue actively managing the land.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/happycoveandhighlonesome monthly 0.5 2024-10-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/d3c83329-1cdd-4dc2-9f49-d351b046fb89/_MG_9518.jpg Legacy Pages - Happy Cove and High Lonesome Ranches Together, the Williamses implemented conservation practices ranging from rotational livestock grazing to water distribution in order to enhance the native grasslands and habitat. Their goal was to make it productive for cattle and wildlife, such as antelope, mule deer, scaled quail and myriad others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/cddbc3c1-0afa-4511-8598-d4d573b764e4/High+Lonesome+Pano+%232Blair.jpg Legacy Pages - Happy Cove and High Lonesome Ranches “God put me on this earth to leave things better than I found them. It is my responsibility to be a good steward of Texas land and resources so that the next generation of Texans can enjoy them as much as I have.” – Claytie Williams https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/44fff0a9-8b0f-471e-8913-59fae3174b7d/IC8C9827.jpg Legacy Pages - Happy Cove and High Lonesome Ranches But the most important reason was family. While reminiscing recently why – ten years ago – they chose to enact a conservation easement, Modesta pointed to a photograph of her daughter’s family horseback at Happy Cove. “THAT is why we did it. These kids should always know this land is here for them. We couldn’t take the chance that it would someday not be a part of our lives.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1bb2f650-a0ce-4780-9e79-719326b3696d/Annual+report+proof+ESS5+small.jpg Legacy Pages - Happy Cove and High Lonesome Ranches - Happy Cove and High Lonesome Ranches were featured in TALT’s FY2023 Annual Report. To view that article, click the image. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/fallcreekranch monthly 0.5 2024-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1ae35ce3-40a9-4036-a673-9e4301174c0c/295A3334.jpg Legacy Pages - Fall Creek Ranch In recent years, the family has watched with some trepidation as the population of Granbury and Hood County has exploded. According to Texas Land Trends data from Texas A&M’s Natural Resource Institute, the population of Hood County has grown by 70 percent since 1997, and land values have skyrocketed, with attendant increases in property taxes and other expenses. Anyone who lives in or has visited Granbury in recent years has certainly noticed the astonishing increase in traffic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/00fa742d-ce53-4b15-a30f-c8e46c976f0b/295A3367.jpg Legacy Pages - Fall Creek Ranch “After he was gone, they found out that he had not done that, and the land was divided up among many grandchildren and cousins, most who were not connected to the land anymore,” said Joe. “Much of the original ranch was recently sold. It was such a shame to see because there was so much history there.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/9177df2a-eb2f-4d01-b864-ba87dcfe3599/Langdon_From+Kelly.jpg Legacy Pages - Fall Creek Ranch “We’ve had a wonderful experience with TALT’s staff, from the very beginning,” said Joe. “They worked with us to be sure our needs would be met, and they were all so professional. It just gives us a feeling of confidence that they will be around for a long, long time.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/thedixonwaterfoundation monthly 0.5 2024-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/2fbdfa39-703f-42ff-a30d-500d01bb6ecf/dixon-water-foundation-wins-the-2017-lonestar-land-steward-leopold-conservation-award_33911849094_o.jpg Legacy Pages - The Dixon Water Foundation He continued, “We chose to enact a conservation easement because it seemed to be the best tool for maintaining private ownership and management, giving us the most flexibility to achieve our goals for the ranch now and our vision for the ranch in the future.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/927eb6ab-e576-4afe-82ed-2e86b6c75b2d/dixon-water-foundation-wins-the-2017-lonestar-land-steward-leopold-conservation-award_33945218013_o.jpg Legacy Pages - The Dixon Water Foundation “We could’ve purchased stocks and bonds much more easily, but we invested in conservation,” Potts said. “We realized that if we removed the development rights, we wouldn’t have to own the land to protect it. By working with a conservation easement, TALT and conservation-minded buyers, we came up with a solution that is better for everyone.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/d18aabeb-e1cf-4e38-93ca-3853f0aa4b61/dixon-water-foundation-wins-the-2017-lonestar-land-steward-leopold-conservation-award_33945217283_o.jpg Legacy Pages - The Dixon Water Foundation “A conservation easement is not the right tool for everyone or for every situation, but, under the right circumstances, it is extremely useful,” Potts said. “A conservation easement is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it does many things well. In our case, a conservation easement held by TALT offered the best balance of conservation and agriculture.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/theandersonfamilyranch monthly 0.5 2024-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/6a993c87-1608-42fc-b71b-40a66a1fb775/Jim+Bill_long+header.jpg Legacy Pages - The Anderson Family Ranch “As stewards, we believe that we have a responsibility to care for the land during our time and to leave it better than we found it for future generations,” Anderson said. “We have built our entire operation on the concept of sustainability — the ability to carry a practice on into the future — and a conservation easement fits into that framework. It helps us accomplish our long-term goals.” Photos taken by Chase Fountain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/b3bd505a-498b-4466-a292-6f3995c83127/Anderson2.jpg Legacy Pages - The Anderson Family Ranch “Canadian is not the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, but that doesn’t mean that fragmentation won’t come,” Anderson said. “While our area probably won’t be dealing with strip malls and hotel chains, we could see the big ranches carved up into 300-acre recreational properties. It’s already happening in adjoining counties.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/affbaf29-d03e-4e08-b648-a3751d979722/jim_bill_and_deborah_anderson--chase_a__fountain.jpg Legacy Pages - The Anderson Family Ranch “People enter into conservation easements for all sorts of reasons, including tax considerations and estate planning benefits, and while those were important considerations for us, the big reason we chose to do this was philosophical. In the long-term, keeping our land intact is as good for the people who live in the city as it is for us. Open space land benefits us all.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/sycamorecanyonranch monthly 0.5 2024-03-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/b82eb6fa-a181-4e2b-b8b6-d5082fe3cf53/IC8C5089.jpg Legacy Pages - Sycamore Canyon Ranch “The Devil’s River is too perfect to leave its fate to chance,” said Ruthie Russell, who was the initial driving force behind the conservation easement on the Sycamore Canyon Ranch. “The conservation easement formalized our commitment to keeping the river and the land pristine and wild. My sons, who now own the ranch, share my pride in our stewardship. There are few things better than conserving unique, important land for the future.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/76697e6e-e2b1-4927-a7a0-09038875ec25/IC8C5245.jpg Legacy Pages - Sycamore Canyon Ranch The ranch lies at the juncture of the Tamaulipan, Balconian and Chihuahuan desert ecoregions, meaning that the plant community is diverse, changing from canyon to canyon, and ranging from giant live oaks and pecan trees to desert cactus and ocotillos. The diverse habitat, combined with the phenomenon of water in the desert, attracts abundant wildlife including white-tailed deer, Rio Grande turkey, javelina, scaled quail, waterfowl and white-wing and mourning doves as well rare species such Black-capped vireos, Golden Eagles, Peregrine falcons and the Devil’s River minnow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/314d0e09-8794-4238-8696-fe6024a77593/IC8C5307.jpg Legacy Pages - Sycamore Canyon Ranch “While my family is committed to doing its part to conserve land, we recognize that we can’t do it alone,” she said. “Young people from all walks of life have to be exposed to the miracle of the land, if they are going to understand it and value it.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/28b16b62-3d85-4ab3-bc8a-28bb0b612c11/IC8C5185.jpg Legacy Pages - Sycamore Canyon Ranch “Thank goodness for TALT,” Ruthie said. “They understand that land stewards have to have the ability to manage the land to make a difference. While they provided first-rate information as we were going through the conservation easement process, they also respected our experience as landowners and land managers and allow us the leeway to do what we think is best for our land, now and in the future.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/openvranch monthly 0.5 2024-11-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f6e08c5a-53f1-461d-b1d8-73712eddc00d/_C8C2171.jpg Legacy Pages - Open V Ranch The Open V Ranch sits on more than 200 acres along the Nueces River and Bird Springs Creek in Uvalde County and is part of the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. The upper Nueces River basin is responsible for about 60% of the annual recharge to the Edwards Aquifer, and for the most part that recharge occurs in streambed and riparian areas like that found on the Open V. The Edwards Aquifer provides water for more than two million people in Texas, including the city of San Antonio. Photos taken by Wyman Meinzer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/2374aed5-f1e3-4bf9-ac52-242ec387d810/_C8C2234.jpg Legacy Pages - Open V Ranch “Development pressures are mounting all around, especially along the rivers. We really needed the support of the conservation community to continue our legacy of stewardship on the Open V that shares benefits far beyond the fence line,” said Lewey. “Until the development of the Texas Farm and Ranchlands Conservation Program, an easement was unattainable for us. We are thankful for TALT and TPWD, the Hershey Foundation, and the Texas Land Trust Council for making it work. We could not have done it without their support.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/48382dd2-5594-4925-8f74-d43f1387d4ab/_C8C2207.jpg Legacy Pages - Open V Ranch “A conservation easement is a powerful tool to protect the lands you care for and pass on the values that have formed you,” she said. “We hope that future generations will love and steward the ranch as we have and continue to learn from it.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/4df7867c-8faf-4415-b0b4-0dbab0271ee8/YE+Appeal+Facebook+%283%29.png Legacy Pages - Open V Ranch - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/so3ranch monthly 0.5 2024-04-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/822b9979-2ae7-4582-ab02-91f024a1fde2/_C8C1728.jpg Legacy Pages - SO3 Ranch The 1,000-acre SO3 Ranch is in the San Gabriel River Watershed, providing protection for the North Fork of the San Gabriel River, which is a tributary of the Brazos River. The property includes native prairie and open space which provides habitat for myriad species of native wildlife. The ranch is also home to 15-20 species of exotic animals, which Lewis breeds and sells. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/116edff8-6276-4981-97bc-658b400a4046/DJI_0513.jpg Legacy Pages - SO3 Ranch Data from the 2017 Texas Land Trends Report confirms Lewis’ observations. Burnet County has seen a population increase of 67% from 1997 to 2017, and Williamson County has seen a whopping 133% population increase during that same timeframe. That population increase has been one factor in the decrease in agricultural working lands in both counties. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/87dc2092-c9fc-4ae7-b4f5-2046e95ab6e3/_26Q9861.jpg Legacy Pages - SO3 Ranch “I love spending time here, watching the birds and wildlife,” he said. “The older I get, the more I appreciate it. It’s satisfying to know that my grandchildren and great grandchildren will be able to enjoy the same piece of Texas that I have loved for most of my life.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/sanpedroranch monthly 0.5 2024-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/5acd432c-7f1e-4857-b4c1-6512cdd89e13/San+Pedro+Generations+Sepia2.jpg Legacy Pages - San Pedro Ranch The people of TALT understand the people of the land because they come from the land themselves. As a rancher, it’s comforting to find a group of people who inherently understand our goals, our challenges, and the value of maintaining our way of life. San Pedro Ranch Family https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/8a845dff-ecc2-4d40-91e1-7075b32d1ad7/SanPedroDyer2+-+Copy.jpg Legacy Pages - San Pedro Ranch - San Pedro photos © John Dyer 2004 “We’re blessed to have a loyal and devoted team at the San Pedro who shares our family’s commitment to improving the natural resources in our care,” Pam said. “Together, we’ve learned what works best and what doesn’t work at all. They share in our excitement when a management technique works particularly well and in our frustration when nature gets out of balance. We feel a sense of responsibility toward one another and toward the future.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/prairiedogriverranch monthly 0.5 2024-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/42d8d242-189b-4880-992a-00f6ecf95c83/83-_DSC0911.jpg Legacy Pages - Prairie Dog River Ranch “The woman who was the ranch’s second owner had witnessed the impact of oil and gas development on the land of her childhood and she never forgot the changes that development brought,” Hughes says. “It was her wish that this ranch would stay the way it was – and we wanted the same thing. We enacted the conservation easement to keep it as open space forever.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/95c23696-fab1-4efb-bf46-e0637028c56b/206-_DSC1057.jpg Legacy Pages - Prairie Dog River Ranch “The conservation easement allows us to continue to use the land and enjoy its benefits, while prohibiting future development,” says Hughes. “It is a perfect fit for our family and the ranch.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/moultonwaringranch monthly 0.5 2024-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/d2626de0-9e73-4c13-a69d-9561371ae8d9/_C8C1994.jpg Legacy Pages - Moulton Waring Ranch “I don’t remember much about being in kindergarten, but I remember a lot about being on the land,” Moulton said. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/b3423f46-83fc-4d79-9279-a60ee584b10f/DJI_0588.jpg Legacy Pages - Moulton Waring Ranch “Waring has been spared so far, but pressure is mounting,” said Moulton, who has declined multiple offers from developers interested in purchasing a portion of the ranch. “Several neighbors had enrolled their properties in conservancies and they introduced me to conservation easements.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/cf900e4f-5f03-4211-bd3b-dca98be9cf66/_C8C2108.jpg Legacy Pages - Moulton Waring Ranch She continued, “As a student of history, I know we must learn from the past or we will make the same mistakes. Destroying habitat and the natural world that gives us life is a huge mistake that we can’t recover from.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/laurelsranch monthly 0.5 2024-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/bac97b71-380a-493d-bd7d-ed9a0d843e7c/_C8C2139.jpg Legacy Pages - Laurels Ranch In October 2020, TALT closed on a donated conservation easement on Langford’s beloved Laurels Ranch in Kendall County. Laurels Ranch is his family’s part of the historic Hillingdon Ranch, which has been in Langford’s extended family for seven generations. Langford’s wife, Myrna, his children and their spouses, and four grandchildren were all involved and on board with the decision that will forever affect future generations of their family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/a2af8810-b4fa-4628-b6aa-9948d99d06c7/laurelsranch.jpg Legacy Pages - Laurels Ranch “David K. Langford has been a leading voice for private land stewardship for decades,” says TALT CEO Emeritus Blair Fitzsimons. “Now he’s a leading voice for the value of a conservation easement for working lands. TALT is honored to play a role in preserving the legacy of his family’s land for generations to come.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f034bdbb-02c0-448d-8fc2-1be0f11a1d67/laurelsranch2.jpg Legacy Pages - Laurels Ranch “I’ve unashamedly come full circle on the topic of conservation easements,” said Langford. “Today, I find myself extolling the benefits of conservation easements to my extended family and to anyone who will listen.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/kleinfarms monthly 0.5 2024-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/8a8fdcd6-b34f-4ee2-a62f-4087536fa3eb/_C8C7459+%281%29.jpg Legacy Pages - Klein Farms In January 2019, Klein Farms, LLC of Milam and Falls Counties partnered with TALT to donate a 773-acre conservation easement. Gene and Jan Klein had always been innovative and passionate land stewards. In 1995, after almost 20 years of traditional farming, Klein’s bank went belly-up and his farming assistance was delayed. Gene had a choice to make – quit farming or quit plowing. “I just quit plowing the ground. I had to,” Klein said. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/7631be54-bf45-47e9-88c1-7136d199abf1/DJI_0715+%281%29.jpg Legacy Pages - Klein Farms Though no-till farming was still an enigma to most of the region, Klein was determined to find a way. He engineered his own equipment and developed new farming techniques when existing tools were not sufficient for his situation, and he is now seen as a trailblazer in the central Texas farming community. In the years since he made the conversion, Klein has seen his costs decline and his yields increase. Added benefits include the reduction of wind and water erosion and the development of healthy organic matter levels in the soil. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/982e599c-a6fd-4525-ba46-09b5af8c574a/DJI_0751.jpg Legacy Pages - Klein Farms The Kleins and their children, who always enjoyed hunting and observing wildlife on their working lands, made this decision together. “Gene and I love to spend evenings in the box blind we call our ‘hotel’ watching the wildlife,” said Jan at the time of the easement closing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/e8dc49bf-837e-4ce5-8a69-f1989e641b43/_C8C7445+%281%29.jpg Legacy Pages - Klein Farms - All photos by Wyman Meinzer. Jan Klein passed away in 2020. She will be missed but her memory remains ever-present on the very lands she helped protect and in the family time spent there. Thanks to the Klein family and their commitment to conservation, a piece of Texas is permanently conserved for future generations. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/jtwranch monthly 0.5 2024-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/c81e1fe0-3bc3-4c5d-a70f-504b0cd21cdc/_C8C6295.jpg Legacy Pages - JTW Ranch “My dad loved to quail hunt in Texas, and on our very first hunt after he purchased the ranch in 1988, we walked for hours following our bird dogs,” recalled Walker. “We stopped to rest on the banks of Pena Creek and I noticed an arrowhead on the sand between my boots. It is one of the few arrowheads I have ever found, and it was just an incredible coincidence that we stopped there. It was as if God himself, the Great Spirit, had placed it there for me to find.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/408ff290-036e-4d82-82be-05f0c3899af2/_C8C6291.jpg Legacy Pages - JTW Ranch “When my dad bought this property, he immediately became obsessed with improving it. From clearing invasive mesquite, to planting food plots for wildlife, to building and enlarging tanks to provide water, he poured a lot of work into it,” he said. “His efforts not only enhanced the hunting and fishing adventures we shared with friends, but also benefitted the cattle and the many non-game species of wildlife. Now, that’s what I do. There’s always another project waiting to be done on the ranch.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f31c1fa5-b8ff-42e1-a231-3fad8d90df68/DJI_0939.jpg Legacy Pages - JTW Ranch Thanks to Walker’s perseverance and a little help from his friends at TALT, TPWD and NRCS, the easement closed in November 2021, forever protecting 433 acres of the South Texas ranchland he cherishes. Photos taken by Wyman Meinzer. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/joranch monthly 0.5 2024-02-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/dec6a97d-0967-49e8-9b19-cffbe4815892/_C8C6220.jpg Legacy Pages - JO Ranch “What I’ve observed is that dividing land all too often divides a family,” said Teresa. “I don’t want to create unnecessary friction in the family because we own land. Rob and I have decided that we are going to make those decisions, and we’ve talked about it with our children. This conservation easement will protect this land, and our family legacy forever.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/43e4ec74-7357-4727-9ffd-9b71a919b2b1/_C8C6200.jpg Legacy Pages - JO Ranch Over the last two decades, Rob has overseen extensive habitat management activities, including clearing hundreds of cedar trees. The habitat restoration has allowed for the growth of native grasses that enhances water retention in the soil, land that lies over the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, the drinking source for millions. The cedar-clearing efforts have also yielded some surprises. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/b6017505-74c3-4bb0-94d1-42a8b72d3770/_C8C6188.jpg Legacy Pages - JO Ranch “We’ve tried to raise them to understand who they are, and what kind of peoplethey came from — strong, determined, hardworking people. I hope they see this decision as a gift for their children and grandchildren to come.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/hollyfarms monthly 0.5 2024-02-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/c908676b-5338-4a39-8362-d232e3f8cd1b/HollyFarmPasture.jpg Legacy Pages - Holly Farms - All photos taken by Clint Faas “My grandparents weathered World War I, the Depression and World War II on this land. I know the sacrifices that were made to hold on to it—and my generation and I are not going to sell it,” said Rhodenbaugh. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/e9ece6d5-ae62-4128-896d-f0df5686ce00/HollyFarmMRSign.jpg Legacy Pages - Holly Farms “Establishing a conservation easement is not easy, but it is a tremendous learning experience,” Rhodenbaugh said. “While Holly Farms is not huge by Texas standards, I hope it will be example of what can be done on smaller acreages. It doesn’t have to be 10,000 acres to be important. We’re conserving land—and it all matters.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/herfffarm monthly 0.5 2024-02-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/74b62e0a-6e4a-4153-a40d-a9540a665500/DSC00262+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Herff Farm “Conserving Herff Farm fits into the overall goals of the Nature Center,” Evans said. “We advocate for conservation. Now, thanks to our experience with a conservation easement, we have another land stewardship tool that we can share with landowners and the public.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/520779df-b6be-42b7-8da2-801908d84ddf/DSC00272+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Herff Farm “The rate of fragmentation throughout Kendall County increased along with the population making our efforts even more urgent,” Evans said. “The board of directors went through hell and brimstone to raise the money to purchase the property.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/6c5f2226-3921-49a8-8205-ecc007df7b3c/DSC00988.jpg Legacy Pages - Herff Farm “Enacting a conservation easement takes time, serious thought and soul searching,” Evans said. “You’re trying to look in the crystal ball and imagine what life will be like in the future. It can seem daunting, but what can be better than forever protecting a piece of land?” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/goodwin300 monthly 0.5 2024-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/e62136b0-cb0d-4909-a0b0-d6e44ea0acaf/goodwin300-1024x768.jpg Legacy Pages - Goodwin 300 “Our whole mission is to provide revenue for landowners so the land is conserved into the future,” said Day. “Factoring in the conservation value and added revenue of carbon credit projects provides one more reason for a landowner to enter into a conservation easement. We’re bringing private voluntary carbon market revenue to the table to enhance the deal for landowners. We hope this will encourage more farmers and ranchers to consider a voluntary conservation easement as they contemplate the future of their family lands.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/georgeranch monthly 0.5 2025-04-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/3c4b7361-78c5-43b5-a97f-52d1d6b7ff26/15.jpg Legacy Pages - George Ranch The Marfa grasslands are rich in nutrients for cattle and wildlife alike. Home to diverse vegetation, the grasslands provide essential habitat for plains species such as pronghorn antelope and grassland birds such as Baird’s sparrows and grasshopper sparrows, whose populations continue to decline as habitat becomes rarer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1a325bb7-4091-41e6-97fb-29a86d2eddfe/IMG_4644.jpg Legacy Pages - George Ranch “The ranch and the Texas Ag Land Trust easement are a natural fit for us,” said Robert Potts, CEO of the Dixon Water Foundation. “Both are in complete alignment with our mission to promote watershed health through sustainable land management and regenerative grazing. Plus, it complemented our other management efforts in the region.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/4b360c3b-09a7-4ae8-9183-b754ffb0fcd8/DSC_7696.jpg Legacy Pages - George Ranch “Thanks to the George family’s commitment to conservation, a piece of Texas’ wide open space, with its unique grasslands, is permanently conserved for future generations to enjoy,” Fitzsimons said. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/ecrosscattlecompany monthly 0.5 2025-07-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/9cd4e330-14a2-46aa-8d21-6653fe80a214/1965+Australia+flight.jpg Legacy Pages - E Cross Cattle Company Inc. “My dad had eight kids, including me and my seven sisters, and we were the cattle crew,” said Herff. “Anytime there was cattle work to be done, he loaded us all up and we went there and worked. I remember a lot of my childhood being on horseback working cattle.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/d33fc6e4-ce63-4c24-9087-1e80a3cc0aa3/IMG_4270.jpg Legacy Pages - E Cross Cattle Company Inc. “One thing led to another and we began serious discussions about how we might keep this land together to benefit everybody,” said Herff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/fcbe67bb-2b99-49cb-8d61-f68dcf8e62d2/1.jpg Legacy Pages - E Cross Cattle Company Inc. More than six years after the Cornelius family began considering the idea, the conservation easement finally closed in January 2023, forever protecting 3,547 acres of precious coastal habitat. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/donopllanoriverranch monthly 0.5 2026-01-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/557a48f5-f5c6-4ef6-92d6-f88ef3e461c8/DJI_0575.jpg Legacy Pages - Donop Llano River Ranch The family land in present-day Mason County has been a working ranch ever since, but over the years, other surrounding ranches have been cut up into pieces and sold, a familiar story across Texas and beyond. While the land may be a precious legacy, the practical matter is that it can be expensive to maintain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/740d86da-04d5-4738-8ac5-db3cad4cd8f0/_C8C1950.jpg Legacy Pages - Donop Llano River Ranch “Their program is geared toward people that are ranchers who are still working the land,” said Donop. “Once I had a few conversations with TALT, I knew it was going to be a real good fit for me and that we would be able to continue on as a ranching operation, like it always has.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/9b60c296-a374-491d-8d5f-8922b7924642/_C8C1914.jpg Legacy Pages - Donop Llano River Ranch “There is a lot of misinformation out there about what you can and can’t do on your own land if there is an easement,” he said. “What I learned is that I can do pretty much everything I’m doing now while protecting this historic property for generations to come.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/8dee47ce-60af-4163-ac6c-bb6e8f9e48e9/_C8C1899.jpg Legacy Pages - Donop Llano River Ranch Donop is comforted in knowing that the land that has been in his family since 1859, the land where Heinrich Conrad Pluenneke and his ancestors are buried in a family cemetery on the ranch, will be forever protected. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/decieranch monthly 0.5 2024-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/c90601b3-d1e1-4d30-9f4c-85c641baae21/3-IC8C8901.jpg Legacy Pages - Decie Ranch “As a state, we need to be more proactive in conserving landscapes, agriculture offers a strong conservation option because it offers an opportunity for economic benefit.” - Sarah Harte https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/b67c0243-b511-4037-a260-b002db40158b/1-IC8C8825for+web+jpgs.jpg Legacy Pages - Decie Ranch - All photos by Wyman Meinzer. Preserving the scenically vast landscape and the diverse life forms that include species of concern like black bear and black-tailed prairie dog is a gift to the Harte’s neighbors. “In remote areas like this, the concept of being a neighbor is taken very seriously,” she said. “Neighbors have a responsibility to one another.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/9b37ecd0-cb3b-44dd-8ce4-1cc98a67c983/2-IC8C8892.jpg Legacy Pages - Decie Ranch “Whether the motivation is protecting the dark skies or the vast landscape, we have to take action and strike a balance,” Harte said. “Enacting a conservation easement is not an easy decision, but if you’re concerned about issues of control in perpetuity, consider this: how can you go wrong putting the intrinsic, ecological value of the land over the materialistic desires of someone far in the future?” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/billmooremitigationbank monthly 0.5 2024-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/2b4a34c2-6a80-4a5e-ad6f-0bad94bc74da/1-Rosewood102.jpg Legacy Pages - Bill Moore Mitigation Bank Selling mitigation credits is the next logical addition to ranch’s income stream. A generation ago, under the leadership of Sands’ uncle John Bunker Sands, conservation became a hallmark of the Rosewood Ranches. Working alongside Braddock, he embraced the principles of HRM and began balancing the needs of the livestock operation with those of wildlife. Because of Bunker Sands and Braddock’s conservation work, the ranch not only produced cattle, but the improved habitat allowed the family to offer waterfowl hunting leases as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/a03d4577-6ba4-4ed1-b45d-ddc5c205d3bf/3-Rosewood090.jpg Legacy Pages - Bill Moore Mitigation Bank From a technical standpoint, stream banking is a different undertaking than wetlands banking, but in both cases the goal is to restore and enhance degraded aquatic resources and benefit by selling mitigation credits for lost ecological functions. “Creating a stream mitigation bank is not a quick or easy process, but it fit into our family’s conservation and business models,” said Wilson noting the project started in 2012 and the first credits were released in 2018. “As a family, we have the benefit of ‘patient capital.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/0069a143-2a44-435a-ba31-38d2471bb14c/2-Rosewood076.jpg Legacy Pages - Bill Moore Mitigation Bank “Mitigation banking and conservation easements are complicated; TALT’s staff was incredible,” Wilson said. “Plus, TALT was founded to work with agricultural producers. We have been—and always will be—primarily beef producers. TALT understands what we do.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/buenasuerteranch monthly 0.5 2025-04-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/86e70776-b2c1-4a65-84e9-3937231b9fd3/2-DJI_0067+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Buena Suerte Ranch “Charles has always been very interested in doing what he can to improve wildlife habitat, especially for quail,” said Wagner. “When he sets his mind on a wildlife management goal, there’s no getting in his way, he’s going to get it done no matter what it takes. That’s an admirable quality.” Photos taken by Wyman Meinzer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/a4ce23f4-cf49-4bd2-9d36-86daa88b8fe6/1-IMG_2796.jpg Legacy Pages - Buena Suerte Ranch “We love this land, and we looked into many different options on what we could do within our will to ensure it would always be protected,” said Charles. “Everything we explored seemed very impractical.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/04879471-1a53-463d-a1fa-a8a100eb1412/3-_C8C9691+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Buena Suerte Ranch “We’re very concerned about the fragmentation of wildlife habitat that’s happening across Texas,” said Wagner. “We’re a fairly rural county, but we’ve seen our fair share of habitat loss, and we want to do what we can to encourage landowners to take steps to conserve their land in perpetuity.” https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/calvertbrothersranch monthly 0.5 2024-02-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/216bb60c-5667-42ca-bd9d-11cc59b6378c/3-_C8C9564+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Calvert Brothers Ranch For more than 45 years, the extended families of Jonathan and Richard Calvert have been gathering on the banks of the Leona River on their family’s land in Frio County, Texas. “Our annual family gatherings started in 1976 with a small campout with our dads,” said Blair Calvert Fitzsimons, one of four cousins who now operate the Calvert Brothers Ranch. “Now there’s about two dozen of us who gather each year for a treasured family tradition.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/0325bc17-6c0c-4b32-af58-4cf8dfb7a72f/2-DJI_0682+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Calvert Brothers Ranch “As the ranch has transitioned to the third generation, we have all taken on the responsibilities of owning and managing the ranch,” said Blair. “We began nibbling around the edges of the idea of a conservation easement because this ranch is our touchstone. We love it and don’t want to see it divided up anymore.” Photos taken by Wyman Meinzer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/8bbdef23-a8dd-4124-99ff-243554acb8e1/3-_C8C9564+copy.jpg Legacy Pages - Calvert Brothers Ranch “This generation has the ability to stop any future fragmentation or division of this ranch, and that’s what we’ve accomplished with this easement. It really forces our hand to ensure that our families continue to have fun together and create memories together. When tough times come, we’ll figure out ways to work it out for the sake of the land that we love so much.” - Blair Fitzsimons https://www.txaglandtrust.org/legacy/birdwellclarkranch monthly 0.5 2024-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/a4151669-f7d4-4a41-af38-54c0eb2716fa/3-DJI_0571.jpg Legacy Pages - Birdwell & Clark Ranch Emry Birdwell and Deborah Clark are partners in every way. Married since 1991, the two are also joined at the hip when it comes to running their Birdwell and Clark Ranch in Clay County in North Texas. Birdwell has ranched his entire life. Clark’s family owned a telecom company, and after the family business was sold, Clark was restless to try something else. So, the couple decided to buy a ranch together. Birdwell sold his family land in Palo Pinto County, and Clark used her share of the proceeds of the sale of the telecom business to finance their dream. They bought a more than 14,000-acre ranch in Clay County in 2004. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/86471632-65af-4dbc-9bb5-fcc347d058c3/2-DJI_0507.jpg Legacy Pages - Birdwell & Clark Ranch Anyone who ranches in Texas knows there are good times and bad. A few years ago, Birdwell and Clark experienced one bad cattle year after another, and ended up with a large debt they needed to pay off. They made the incredibly difficult decision to sell off a portion of the ranch to cover the losses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/5a435ba9-dacb-4230-921f-2e55427a550c/295A3590.jpg Legacy Pages - Birdwell & Clark Ranch The Texas Agricultural Land Trust is a private non-profit organization founded by farmers and ranchers for farmers and ranchers. As the largest state-based land trust in Texas with more than 250,000 acres under conservation easements, TALT promotes the conservation of open space, native wildlife habitats, and natural resources of Texas’ private working lands. Texas is losing agricultural land at a faster pace than any other state in the nation. In September 2022, the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) closed on a conservation easement with Emry Birdwell and Deborah Clark, forever protecting close to 12,000 acres in one of the fastest-growing areas of the state. This brings the total acreage of land protected by TALT easements to more than 250,000 acres. https://www.txaglandtrust.org/home daily 1.0 2026-02-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511387030-5LI1E5QMVTQ2RY9S00A4/20140228_Trade+151_0046+1.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511440608-5BVMHVN4WR2I9YQV1WWR/Aro+Ha_0010+1.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511467879-K5J9BYNACHJVDV3BNSFU/Aro+Ha_0387+1.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511743693-J3A8OYH6X8C7RXNU5K0J/20140301_Trade+151_0124+1.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f8f1c0b9-5970-43a1-9622-8ce2b234c2d4/TSCRAGray-1024x972.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/04d520b0-d7e5-4245-a02c-e5481a50f779/TWAlogograyscale.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/9b408edc-3a29-435f-a7e6-5765545ae8f1/TxFarmBureau.jpg https://www.txaglandtrust.org/protect-your-land daily 0.75 2026-01-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/c11645af-485a-4dc7-b5cc-0d6f2641af21/conversation.jpg Protect Your Land https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/bc52c6e3-46b1-49aa-b064-c11c34ad630a/application.jpg Protect Your Land https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/c5ec21f9-035a-4bdd-85c5-a4bd29b7e766/preparation.jpg Protect Your Land https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/e98b3ac0-dd13-4d4b-9c29-f0260d8ec7ad/closing.jpg Protect Your Land https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/34e17caa-e44c-4da2-9e37-794631bd98f3/stewardship.jpg Protect Your Land https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/5bd90429-de01-4dfd-ae40-0d1903430a74/1.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/cab4a13a-796f-4726-b46d-9073da4118a6/3.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1b9911c3-5d3d-4cac-b876-2fd1e710d08b/2.png https://www.txaglandtrust.org/support-talt daily 0.75 2025-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/27f50d30-e7e3-4e9d-b749-eda338457428/Steve+%26+Susan+Lewis+photo_2020.jpg https://www.txaglandtrust.org/contact-us daily 0.75 2025-04-03 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/board-of-directors daily 0.75 2025-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511387030-5LI1E5QMVTQ2RY9S00A4/20140228_Trade+151_0046+1.jpg Board of Directors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511440608-5BVMHVN4WR2I9YQV1WWR/Aro+Ha_0010+1.jpg Board of Directors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511467879-K5J9BYNACHJVDV3BNSFU/Aro+Ha_0387+1.jpg Board of Directors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511743693-J3A8OYH6X8C7RXNU5K0J/20140301_Trade+151_0124+1.jpg Board of Directors https://www.txaglandtrust.org/our-team daily 0.75 2025-03-12 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/annual-reports daily 0.75 2025-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f5116767-9822-4d72-8989-2692316abead/Cover+Page.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/8b94d94e-e865-4112-b152-a32c8a56b36e/Screenshot+2024-01-15+at+4.23.23+PM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/ad1be4ab-86d2-408e-ada7-6aabe23d3bfa/Screenshot+2024-01-15+at+4.25.32+PM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/90027fae-d6e8-4964-b911-5e6ad50534e5/Screenshot+2024-01-15+at+4.25.18+PM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/d61b4d55-3cdc-49ed-87bc-38497a306b11/Screenshot+2024-01-15+at+4.25.03+PM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/fbea1cad-58ea-4c19-9f5a-6d48dfd2d969/TALT+FY26+Annual+Report https://www.txaglandtrust.org/our-story daily 0.75 2025-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/52693642-e488-47b2-8c49-59a97b54e70b/1.png Our Story https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/772c596b-f0aa-4634-9c96-0b5c595fcd12/2.png Our Story https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/5d17763f-07f9-4909-ba88-ff988283b280/4.png Our Story https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/489e861f-d799-4273-9f7a-214c0bf8d800/3.png Our Story https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/4f3d343c-1973-4bff-a0c9-b8773278e4a9/5.png Our Story https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/37463778-eb80-4cdf-8ada-91cd8c8b2ebb/6.png Our Story https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/517e7c74-5e92-4a29-9557-e1ff6433a82d/seal_green_tagline.png https://www.txaglandtrust.org/our-partners daily 0.75 2025-03-12 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/forevertexasfund daily 0.75 2025-11-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/d18aabeb-e1cf-4e38-93ca-3853f0aa4b61/dixon-water-foundation-wins-the-2017-lonestar-land-steward-leopold-conservation-award_33945217283_o.jpg Forever Texas Fund https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/daba28c5-d0c4-4a79-8908-de1a3ad6105e/_C8C8233.jpg Forever Texas Fund https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/5e83ca78-596f-4837-9aac-aca4fb803e24/ForeverTexasFund_WhiteTransparent.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f793ff20-f4c5-42f6-9ff1-2c376987de60/TALT+Foundation+logo_7.24.19.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/752ef372-1f28-43f6-bdac-8b21e412610e/TALT_FINAL_Web.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/f793ff20-f4c5-42f6-9ff1-2c376987de60/TALT+Foundation+logo_7.24.19.jpg https://www.txaglandtrust.org/our-work daily 0.75 2026-02-10 https://www.txaglandtrust.org/additiveconservation daily 0.75 2026-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/fd9cd3d0-e4b8-414e-8822-621581eac12b/Rim+Ranch+picture+11-12+%281%29.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/e117df60-3f38-4ed9-8f88-fae082280b95/295A3566+%281%29.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/004d6195-6703-45be-8df6-5da18f65e02d/Screenshot+2025-12-10+121314.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/c54e6822-c814-407f-b4f2-585fd7e075ad/Screenshot+2025-12-10+123256.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/c633b1fe-e0eb-4e12-a06c-ac5879ddd3ab/Screenshot+2025-12-10+125328.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/55caebb9-7a7b-499f-9e8b-01d718aca0c3/Podcast+Features+%28Twitter+Post%29.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/34dfc148-7b31-44cf-b888-502d7f100d13/Untitled+design+%283%29.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/20532e60-ed74-40fa-bae0-adba8b5a18f2/Untitled+design+%282%29.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/7742f05c-85f7-4e16-89cc-e7269eff7eb4/4.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/2fba6499-ca37-429b-a2a3-6198925333c8/9.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/b56e6b2c-33c6-4c65-8fec-eedfa3509101/5.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/654a6dabf272140fead689ea/1c7e8746-f2c0-453d-8069-1bd2c94b0103/1.png