Texas Forestland Conservation Initiative

Spearheading the Texas Forestland Conservation Initiative, The Conservation Fund has already preserved more than 75,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest in east Texas in the past three years. The Fund's recent projects and achievements include:

Big Thicket

Often referred to as the "biological crossroads of North America," Big Thicket National Preserve is one of the nation's most endangered parks. The Fund is working with partners such as the National Park Service to conserve nearly 6,000 acres surrounding the Big Thicket National Preserve, securing habitat for 300 species of birds and continuing to provide the public with opportunities to hike, camp and explore Big Thicket's lush flowering plants, forests, cypress swamps, creeks and bayous.

In 2004 a broad-based coalition including the Big Thicket Association, The Brown Foundation, Entergy Corporation and elected officials joined with the Fund to protect 680 acres of spectacular forestlands surrounding the preserve's new visitor center. The recent purchase is part of a larger initiative to help save large tracts of hardwood forest throughout east Texas.

For More Information:

• Big Thicket National Preserve website

Houston Wilderness

The Fund is working in cooperation with regional and local planners to connect forest preserves, state parks and other protected natural areas within the 24 counties surrounding the Houston metropolitan area. The innovative program, known as the Houston Wilderness program, will provide wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts with the opportunity to experience the interdependence of plants and animals within an ecosystem from the prairies and woodlands to wetlands and estuaries in the Houston region.

For More Information:

• Houston Wilderness website

North Neches River

On behalf of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife service, the Fund and its partners are working to establish the Neches River National Refuge - 25,000 acres stretching approximately 38 miles along the Upper Neches River in Cherokee and Anderson counties. The Fund's recent acquisition of 7,000 acres will provide a buffer to the 33,000-acre Middle Neches River project, protecting the quality of water flowing through the Middle Neches River tract and establishing key habitat for the return black bears to the state.

Paddling the Wild Neches

Richard Donovan, a conservationist and East Texas native, tells the story of the Neches River and his quest to secure for it a National Wild and Scenic River designation in this book.

Middle Neches River

The Middle Neches tract, located along the Neches River, near Lufkin, Texas, contains some of the most significant forestlands in the south - important for both wood production and wildlife habitat. In 2003 the Fund and Renewable Resources, a private forest investment group, joined forces with Houston Endowment, the Meadows Foundation, T.L.L. Temple Foundation and several public agencies to acquire and conserve 33,000 acres of working forestland from International Paper in Angelina and Polk counties here.

The Pineywoods Experience

In 2007, the Fund launched the Texas Pineywoods Experience, a large-scale initiative aimed to revitalize and protect the economy and environment of the Pineywoods region of East Texas. In its first phase, the $35 million initiative aims to combine land conservation and tourism to protect 30,000 acres of forestland and leverage millions of dollars from public and private sources to promote economic growth in the area.

For More Information:

• Texas Pineywoods Experience website

Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge

Nearly 4,000 acres of essential bottomland hardwood forest, bayous and cypress ponds in eastern Texas were permanently protected thanks to an alliance of the Fund, Louisiana Pacific Corporation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With financial assistance from the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission and the Houston Endowment, these lands are now part of the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge provides significant breeding, wintering, and stopover habitat for a wide variety of migratory birds.

For More Information:

• Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge website