The Fund added 26,000 acres to Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park in 2011. Take a tour of this unique and amazing landscape and learn about the park, the petrified wood that gave it its name and the fossils and archaeological sites that are teaching us about the history of the Earth and its early civilizations. Learn more.
Photo: Laurence Parent
Well known as the “biological crossroads of America,” the Fund is proud to have made the largest donation in Big Thicket National Preserve's history when we helped add 6,600 acres of bottomland hardwood forest and cypress-tupelo swamp in 2009. In total we've expanded Big Thicket by nearly 33,000 acres.
From spectacular canyons to working forests, the Fund and its partners have protected more than 60,000 acres across New Mexico, sustaining key wildlife populations, enhancing recreation opportunities and preserving the state’s rich cultural heritage.
The view from north of Catwalks trailhead in Gila National Forest.
Significant portions of Animas Creek in the heart of Gila National Forest are now protected from potential development, thanks to an agreement that we negotiated between a private landowner and the U.S. Forest Service. More than 520 acres on six inholdings, which provide important habitat for a hybrid species of the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, were transferred to the agency.
In 2009, the 40-acre property that contains the historic rock tomb of Sergeant James Cooney, who discovered silver along Mineral Creek in 1870, gained permanent protection. The tomb, which previously was privately owned, lies within the Gila National Forest, completely surrounded by public land. TWe purchased the property and held it until the U.S. Forest Service secured the funding to acquire it as an addition to Gila National Forest.
In addition to its historic significance, the property protects frontage along Mineral Creek and provides access to a trailhead for the Mineral Creek Trail, which winds through Mineral Creek canyon, a narrow gorge with dramatic, colorful cliffs.
Nearly 900 acres of spectacular cliffs, canyons and scenic vistas adjacent to Echo Amphitheater Recreation Area near Abiquiu are now part of Carson National Forest. On behalf of the USDA Forest Service and University of New Mexico, we facilitated the acquisition of the multi-hued, panoramic cliffs once painted by Georgia O'Keefe, a long-time area resident. The new addition to the forest enhances habitat for golden eagle, peregrine falcon and several migratory bird species.
The lush meadows and dense conifer stands of Santa Fe National Forest beckon thousands of outdoor enthusiasts each year with some of the finest mountain scenery in the Southwest. On behalf of the USDA Forest Service, we protected Gascon Point, a pivotally positioned 1,600-acre inholding within the forest's Pecos Wilderness Area. The newly protected acreage is frequented by healthy populations of elk, black bear and bighorn sheep.
For six years we have partnered with the U.S. Forest Service, NMSU-Cooperative Extension Service, Northern New Mexico Stockman's Association, Quivira Coalition, Ford Foundation and McCune Foundation to revitalize public grazing lands under the auspices of the Valle Grande Grass Bank. Balancing economic and environmental objectives, local ranchers place their cattle on the Valle Grande's 36,000 acres while their allotments on federal lands are restored.
Whether sheltering vulnerable wildlife habitat in the hardwood forests of Big Thicket National Preserve or revitalizing local economies and popular recreation areas, the Fund and its partners are dedicated to protecting Texas’ natural, cultural and historic resources. Thus far the Fund and its partners have protected nearly 165,000 acres here.
We have helped preserve more than 41,600 acres at Big Thicket National Preserve, an area renowned as the "biological crossroads of North America." Read more
Fort Davis was originally a frontier post in the fledgling southwest and later home to the Army’s first African-American troops–the famed Buffalo Soldiers. Today, the Fort Davis National Historic Site is one of the best preserved examples of a frontier military post in the American Southwest with many fully-restored buildings and original ruins. In addition, most of the landscape surrounding Fort Davis has been protected. However, when a prominent 49-acre bluff overlooking the fort went up for sale, there was concern that the pristine view would be disturbed. Read more.
Our work along the Neches River includes land protection as well as establishing recreational opportunities, like the Neches-Davy Crockett Paddling Trail, so the river can be enjoyed as an outdoor destination. Read more.
In August 2011, the Fund helped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquire nearly 4,500 acres for the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge. The property, which forms a part of the larger Austin Woods Project, was a high priority for the service. It's a particularly great place for recreational fishing and hunting opportunities for visitors and educational activities for school children.
This project is a great example of the Fund's ability to find solutions to difficult conservation challenges. In this case, in order to add this land to the refuge, a myriad of funding sources needed to be brought together. Ultimately, this project was made possible with funding from the Fund, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, and the Houston Endowment Inc. Our passion for conservation means we're dedicated to saving land—no matter how complex the project, we work to make a conservation happen.
In 2009, we helped to double the size of Village Creek State Park. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) worked for some time to protect Village Creek from the encroaching urban development in nearby Lumberton.
The park includes a diversity of longleaf pine uplands, wetlands and cypress swamps, as well as two miles of valuable creek frontage. The 69-mile long Village Creek is recognized as one of the last free-flowing streams in East Texas and is home to rare fish and mussels.
Through a creative combination of public and private grant funding, we were able to offer 1,500 acres of undeveloped timber land to TPWD at about one-quarter of its market value. The land expands Village Creek's southern boundary and more than doubles the park's original 1,090 acres. The land we protected also adds to Big Thicket National Preserve’s Village Creek and Neches River Corridor units. With this addition, visitors have more outdoor recreational opportunities and state park personnel now have vehicle access to the eastern third of the park.
Galveston - Houston Green Infrastructure Planning (in progress 2011)
At the request of local leaders, the Fund is working on green infrastructure planning and implementation initiative for the Galveston – Houston region, an area about the size of Maryland. As the sixth largest metroplex in the United States, the area is projected to grow to 9.5 million people by 2040, making the need for thoughtful decision making on conservation, local food production, water resources, and development very important. The Greater Galveston - Houston region is blessed with abundant natural assets that help sustain long-term economic health. Galveston Bay is one of the most productive estuaries in the nation, with commercial and recreational fishing resources valued at over $3 billion annually.
Working with a wide range of stakeholders, The Conservation Fund mapped Angelina County’s network of natural assets. We are helping implement community conservation projects that achieve the county’s conservation and economic development vision and better position it as a gateway to the Pineywoods region. This project was completed in 2008. Read More
The Conservation Fund, in partnership with the Houston Parks Board, completed the Houston Parks Rapid Assessment for New Parkland Acquisition in 2005. The rapid assessment facilitated identification and prioritization of parkland acquisition opportunities that implement the 2001 City of Houston Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The assessment identifies the most suitable locations within the City of Houston for new parks, linear parks along creek and bayous, and expansions of existing parks. Read more
In September 2008 The Conservation Fund announced that Texas’s largest wetlands mitigation bank opened for business. The Pineywoods Mitigation Bank encompasses more than 19,000 acres along the Neches River. The new bank will restore native bottomland hardwood forest and provide a wildlife corridor between Davy Crockett and Angelina national forests. Read more
Nearly one million acres of Arizona’s working landscapes and majestic open spaces have been permanently preserved through the Fund’s partnerships. Arizona has the distinction of being the state where we completed our largest conservation project (in terms of acres) in our 25 year history when we protected more than 850,000 acres along a 100-mile boundary of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Petrified Forest National Park, ArizonaIn 2011, the Fund added 26,000 acres to Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park in 2011. Take a tour of this unique and amazing landscape and learn about the park, the petrified wood that gave it its name and the fossils and archaeological sites that are teaching us about the history of the Earth and its early civilizations. Learn more.
The biggest project—in terms of acres—we helped protect nearly a million acres of land near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Learn more about the project >>
Made up of federal, state, county and local lands, Cerbat Foothills is an oasis of open space in the midst of urban development. The area provides needed respite from city life for thousands of people in northwestern Arizona. We acquired 1,167 acres of private land to add to Cerbat Foothills and transferred the property to the Bureau of Land Management.
We partnered with the Hopi Tribe, Mohave County Arizona Water Authority and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to acquire 2,800 acres of nonproductive farmland from the Cibola Valley Drainage and Irrigation District adjacent to the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. The property was identified in the federal Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Plan as an important habitat area for the endangered razorback sucker and other wildlife. It will be donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enlarge the refuge.
Located on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon, the Parashant National Monument is a marvelous testament to the power of nature, providing visitors with a view of 150 miles of deep canyons, rugged mountains and isolated buttes. With support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, we worked with the willing owners and ranching families of the Bar Ten Ranch and Pakoon Springs to safeguard 640 acres as an addition to the monument. The arrangement also retired more than 75,000 acres of unproductive public land grazing leases, which effectively protects more than 90,000 acres of inholdings administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
Cave Creek, only twenty-five miles north of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, is one of the few perennial streams in the Upper Sonoran Desert. Cottonwood, willow, sycamore, and ash trees as well as bulrushes and cattails grow in this riparian area, in sharp contrast to the arid uplands of the watershed. We partnered with the landowners and the U.S. Forest Service to add 28 acres of this oasis to the Tonto National Forest, including areas where Hohokam people lived about 800 years ago.
For financing, the team tapped a little known-federal land conservation program, the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act of 2000. Under this act, the Bureau of Land Management can sell hard-to-manage parcels of public land and lands with significant residential or commercial value, to generate funds to support land conservation. Across the West, this resource promises to extend land conservation's horizon.
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Phone: 703-525-6300
Fax: 703-525-4610
Email: postmaster@conservationfund.org
