Parks And Wildlife Foundation Of Texas Inc

TPWFs Conserve program works to ensure the future of Texas incredible fish and wildlife resources By investing in science-based efforts to restore and sustain healthy populations of native species and the habitats they need to thriveincluding pronghorn, desert bighorn sheep, black bears, quail and other grassland birds, monarch butterflies and other vital pollinators, freshwater sportfish, and saltwater species such as southern flounder, sea turtles, shrimp, and oysters. From restoring a sea of grasslands across West Texas to easing the strain of overharvested oyster reefs along our Texas Coast, TPWF is conserving the wild things and wild places of Texas acre-by acre, species-by-species. In partnership with the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture, TPWD, and private landowners, TPWF continues its work to restore and enhance grassland habitat in Texas and Oklahoma through the Grassland Restoration Incentive Program by implementing on-the-ground habitat restoration projects that directly combat the issues involved in the decline of grassland species, with the restoration of over 9,000 acres completed since the beginning of 2022 and a total of over 110,000 acres restored since the program launched in 2013. A similar project in the Pecos River watershed has restored over 20,000 acres of grassland habitat since its launch in 2021. In 2022, TPWF partnered with Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross State University on a multi-year research and outreach program to investigate the natural recolonization of black bears in West Texas, including bear population numbers, habitat needs, behaviors, and movements. In 2024, TPWF launched the Texas Bighorn Sheep Coalition, a multi-year program to help reverse drastic declines of this species due to disease and resource competition via population assessment, stakeholder engagement (government agencies, private landowners, nonprofit organizations, and outdoor/hunting groups), conferences/workshops, and strategic action plan implementation. TPWF also launched Pollinators & Prairies, a novel science-based initiative dedicated to conserving and restoring Texas vital native pollinators and iconic grasslands through research, outreach, and on-the-ground conservation action. Because pollinators such as native bees are foundational for thriving ecosystems and food production, TPWF is working with partners TPWD, Native Prairies Association of Texas, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and others to conduct cutting-edge research using bee-detecting dogs, educate the public about the importance of native bees, restore grassland habitat on public and private lands, and permanently protect tallgrass prairie, the most endangered ecosystem in North America. Additionally, in 2024, TPWF continued its $6 million fundraising campaign and began the capital renovation of the Edwin L. Cox, Jr., Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens, Texas. Opened in 1996, TFFC is a 106-acre educational facility and freshwater fish hatchery, including a laboratory, over 300,000 gallons of indoor and outdoor aquariums, and 45 ponds covering 37 acres. TFFC serves more than 35,000 visitors each year, many of whom visit with school and youth group field trips. Construction included refurbishing the popular Dive Theater and its dive tank, renovating four large outdoor aquaria exhibits, installing four new outdoor fisheries tanks, and enhancing the indoor exhibits and overall visitor experience. TFFCs fish hatcheries and its ShareLunker citizen-science trophy bass research and breeding program will remain operational during the renovation, and the facility is slated to reopen to the public in summer 2025.

TPWFs Lead program seeks to advance the capabilities of the Texas Game Wardens who have watched over the lands, waters, wildlife, and people of Texas for over 125 years. Every year Texas Game Wardens patrol over 10 million miles by vehicle and 160,000 hours by boat, facing challenges as unique as the 254 counties they serve. With more than 550 commissioned peace officers throughout the state, game wardens tirelessly lead the way in critical search and rescue operations; render aid during times of natural disaster like hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and wildfires; and provide conservation enforcement and education for fishing, hunting, and boating. Texas Game Wardens are widely recognized as the best trained corps of conservation officers in the nation, and 2024 marked the 7th anniversary of TPWFs successful S. Reed Morian Gear Up for Game Wardens program. Since its launch in 2017, Gear Up for Game Wardens has outfitted game wardens across Texas with specialized equipment ranging from thermal search and rescue drones and side-scan sonar units to custom-outfitted ATVs and UTVs for off-road patrols, fully outfitted K-9 units, and even custom-made skiffs for shallow-water patrols and seagrass regulation enforcement. The program has now raised over $5.5 million through 2024 and procured and put into service an estimated value of $6.3 million in specialty equipment for game wardens in every region of the state.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundations (TPWF) Steward program is focused on priority land conservation acquisitions. Since its inception in 1991, TPWF has helped conserve over 215,000 acres of land across Texas. TPWF works to restore and conserve fragile ecosystems, including over 110,000 acres of native grassland habitat, which provides sustenance for hundreds of native and migratory species. TPWF has helped conserve more than 7,100 acres of coastal barrier along Matagorda Peninsula, which serves as a sea turtle nesting location and a nesting and foraging site for a variety of wading birds and shorebirds. The peninsula is also an important part of storm surge mitigation, protecting East Matagorda Bay and the mainland. TPWF also helped acquire the iconic 17,351-acre Powderhorn Ranch to create the Powderhorn Wildlife Management Area and future state park, one of Texas most exciting land conservation projects to date. The Powderhorn acquisition was a multi-partner effort that conserved valuable fish and wildlife habitat and created access to undeveloped, restored coastal prairie. In 2024, TPWF supported Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in the purchase of lands to be added to Bastrop State Park and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (SNA) that would have otherwise risked conversion to residential development. The addition of 43 acres to Bastrop State Park further protects the westernmost stand of loblolly pine trees in the United States and critical habitat for the endangered Houston toad. The acquisition of 630 acres adjacent to Enchanted Rock SNA expands the sites recreational opportunities while also protecting scenic views from one of the states most visited landmarks. Through TPWFs Buffer Lands Incentive Program, which supports partner land trusts that acquire conservation easements across the state, TPWF has supported the protection of more than 24,400 acres from the Trans-Pecos and Edwards Plateau to the Rolling Plains and Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes ecoregions. In 2024, TPWF supported four conservation easement projects totaling over 5,400 acres in Bandera and Val Verde counties. In a state with limited protected public and private lands, TPWFs Steward program is critical to meet the needs of a growing population while simultaneously protecting the wild things and wild places that make Texas special. Our land acquisition program touches every corner of the state, helping steward Texas open spaces for the next generation.