by: Callie Thompson
In a great win for conservation, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously on November 16, 2011, to approve $300,000 of matching funds to the Texas Land Conservancy. This funding is dedicated to the conservation of a 244-acre property just 20 miles from Austin.

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by: Daniel Dietz
With much of Texas suffering an extreme drought - October to April was the driest seven-month period in recorded history - it is not surprising that many of us have water on our mind. One question that often arises in central and western portions of the state is whether or not managing the surface vegetation can increase the amount of water available for our aquifers and reservoirs, and, if so, by how much.

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At the 29th Annual Meeting of TLC members, landowners spoke candidly about their passion for their land and the reasons they have worked with TLC to conserve it. Liz and Bart Soutendijk have worked tirelessly to protect an incredible endangered pitcher plant bog in Wood County. Watch this great video to hear Liz's story.

The DeGolyer Library at Southern Methodist University is an archival library which collects papers of noteworthy persons to preserve for posterity.  The library is now home to the papers of our founder, Edward C. “Ned” Fritz, who passed away in late 2008. “Dr. Russell Martin, the director of the library, asked for Ned’s papers because Ned was considered ‘the father of conservation in Texas,’” said Genie Fritz, Ned’s wife and current TLC board member.

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Joyce Lucas  cares about history and she cares about land. “I have a passion for what people did before me; when people left their [home] country, they wanted to have land. I think my passion for the land was born in me.”

While Joyce wouldn’t describe herself as a “tree hugger,” she is deeply committed to conservation. “There has to be a balance,” she says thoughtfully. “I would probably consider myself more of a conservationist than anything else, but I think too much of anything makes you crazy. Life is difficult; you always have to make decisions about what is practical, what is reasonable, and what makes the most sense for the greater good.” 

Lee Sommerfeld (seated), surrounded by his daughter, Joyce (standing left), granddaughter Liana (standing right), and great-grandchildren, proudly displays his Centennial Ranch certificate, awarded in 2000 by the Family Land Heritage Program.

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We reached a monumental milestone in late 2009 when we completed our 100th conservation project, placing us in a very elite group of land trusts with that many conservation properties. We were thrilled to learn that the number of acres we protect puts us in the top 2% of all land trusts in the entire United States. We are very proud to be a conservation leader locally and nationally! Please click HERE to read about our centennial conservation property, the Patroon Mitigation Bank in Sabine County.