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    Gaining Ground

    Texas

    1,902,116

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 1,440,997 football fields!

    Land trusts have already conserved 61 million acres of private land across the nation — more than all of the national parks combined. Help us conserve another 60 million acres by the end of the decade.

    Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

    Visitors to Land Trust Properties

    19,865

    More and more people are enjoying the benefits of nature.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    65%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    129,792

    Land trusts provide programs and activities to get people outside and learn about the land.

    Miles of Trails

    46

    Walking, hiking and other outdoor recreation improve people's health and well-being.

    Miles With Universal Access

    1

    Universal access trails are designed to be used by all people, regardless of ability.

    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Community Engagement in the Last Five Years

    50%

    Land Trusts Are Deepening Relationships With:

    • People from various racial and ethnic backgrounds

    • Older adults or those living in retirement communities

    • People who identify as LGBTQ+

    • People living with disabilities

    • Veterans

    Land Trusts Are Helping Address Community Needs, Including:

    • Youth education and development

    • Community and economic development

    • Food security and agriculture

    • Health and wellness

    • Social and environmental justice

    Demographics

    Every land trust is as unique as the community it serves.

    Texas land trusts are community-led and supported and protect lands and waters that help the entire state.

    Active Land Trusts

    27

    A land trust is a nonprofit that conserves land by acquiring and stewarding land or conservation easements.

    Learn more about land trusts
    Alliance Member Land Trusts

    25

    Land Trust Alliance members commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Learn about the land trust alliance
    Accredited Land Trusts

    14

    Accredited land trusts undergo a thorough review of their practices in governance, finance, transactions and stewardship.

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 35,082

    • 2,983

    • 98

    • 21

    • 300

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 72 years old (1952)

    • 18 years old (2006)

    • 32 years old

    State Association
    Texas Land Trust Council
    View website
    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

    63%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    25%

    Land Protected

    There has been a 46% increase in Texas land protected by land trusts since 2010.

    Acre by acre, land trusts are helping to conserve Texas lands, waters and ways of life.

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    1,303,935
    1,803,535
    1,902,116
    +46%
    Under easement
    601,758
    887,257
    990,749
    +65%
    Owned
    254,773
    335,468
    335,971
    +32%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    423,595
    454,840
    401,510
    0%
    Protected by other means
    20,808
    33,364
    173,886
    +736%

    Disclaimer: Land trusts conserve land in many different ways and every project is unique. Category totals may change depending on how acres are reported by survey respondents to reflect the most current data and minimize double-counting. In some instances, the total may be greater than the sum of the separate categories due to organizations that provided total acres not broken down by category.

    Percent of Land Owned and Under Easement Held by an Accredited Land Trust

    91%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $859 million

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    541,600

    Source: NRCS - Natural Resources Inventory

    This information reflects data collected in the National Land Trust Census, the longest-running comprehensive survey of private land conservation in America. Learn more about the Census and see which land trusts participated in the 2020 National Land Trust Census.

    Making a Difference

    Texas land trusts are gaining ground.

    Land trusts across the state are helping find solutions to some of Texas' most pressing issues.

    • Conserving wildlife habitat: Over 4,700 acres of coastal habitat in Texas along Halls Bayou and West Galveston Bay were recently acquired by Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) and will be permanently protected with a conservation easement held by the Coastal Prairie Conservancy (both accredited). The newly named Chocolate Bay Preserve includes tidal marshes, freshwater and brackish wetlands and coastal tallgrass prairie.

      Read more

    • Tackling climate change: A Harris County Flood Control District study on property protected by the accredited Katy Prairie Conservancy in Houston found that prairie grasses absorb more than 8 inches of rainfall per hour compared to just half an inch for turf grass.

      Read more

    • Protecting land for future generations: Hill Country Conservancy, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, worked with the owners of Four Winns Ranch to conserve 165 acres of land in central Texas with a conservation easement.  James Buchanan “Buck” Winn, Jr., one of Texas’ most well-known artists in the 1900s, owned and resided on a 1,164-acre piece of land that the Four Winns Ranch is a part of. Buck Winn’s descendants chose to protect its culture, history and beauty. .

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Texas

    Land Trust Alliance member land trusts, listed below, commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Access Fund
    Access Fund
    Boulder, CO
    10 acres protected in TX
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    Bayou Land Conservancy
    Bayou Land Conservancy
    Spring, TX
    14,196 acres protected in TX
    Big Thicket Natural Heritage Trust
    Big Thicket Natural Heritage Trust
    Kountze, TX
    877 acres protected in TX
    Coastal Prairie Conservancy
    Coastal Prairie Conservancy
    Houston, TX
    30,678 acres protected in TX
    Colorado River Land Trust
    Colorado River Land Trust
    Dripping Springs, TX
    6,387 acres protected in TX
    Connemara Conservancy Foundation
    Connemara Conservancy Foundation
    Allen, TX
    6,491 acres protected in TX
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Memphis, TN
    10,860 acres protected in TX
    Frontera Land Alliance
    Frontera Land Alliance
    El Paso, TX
    123 acres protected in TX
    Galveston Bay Foundation
    Galveston Bay Foundation
    Kemah, TX
    8,299 acres protected in TX
    Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas
    Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas
    San Antonio, TX
    64,971 acres protected in TX
    Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust
    Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust
    Seguin, TX
    14,162 acres protected in TX
    Hill Country Conservancy
    Hill Country Conservancy
    Austin, TX
    12,789 acres protected in TX
    Houston Audubon
    Houston Audubon
    Houston, TX
    4,038 acres protected in TX
    Mississippi River Trust
    Mississippi River Trust
    Stoneville, MS
    373 acres protected in TX
    Mitigation Futures Conservancy
    Mitigation Futures Conservancy
    McKinney, TX
    150 acres protected in TX
    Moore-Odom Wildlife Foundation, Inc.
    Moore-Odom Wildlife Foundation, Inc.
    Orange, TX
    150 acres protected in TX
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    3 acres protected in TX
    Native Prairies Association of Texas
    Native Prairies Association of Texas
    Manchaca, TX
    5,769 acres protected in TX
    Pines and Prairies Land Trust
    Pines and Prairies Land Trust
    Bastrop, TX
    2,575 acres protected in TX
    Save Barton Creek Association
    Save Barton Creek Association
    Austin, TX
    72 acres protected in TX
    Texas Agricultural Land Trust
    Texas Agricultural Land Trust
    San Antonio, TX
    270,251 acres protected in TX
    Texas Land Conservancy
    Texas Land Conservancy
    Austin, TX
    147,774 acres protected in TX
    The Cibolo Conservancy
    The Cibolo Conservancy
    Boerne, TX
    14,183 acres protected in TX
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    235,424 acres protected in TX
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    Washington, DC
    593 acres protected in TX
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    994,843 acres protected in TX
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    36,706 acres protected in TX
    Unique Places To Save
    Unique Places To Save
    Chapel Hill, NC
    151 acres protected in TX
    Upper Trinity Conservation Trust
    Upper Trinity Conservation Trust
    Lewisville, TX
    Valley Land Fund
    Valley Land Fund
    McAllen, TX
    10,380 acres protected in TX
    Wilbarger Creek Conservation Alliance
    Wilbarger Creek Conservation Alliance
    Austin, TX
    1,646 acres protected in TX