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SUCCESS STORIES
Comal & Surrounding County Landowners Save The Land By Putting Their Ranches Into Conservation Easements
Comal County
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Teresa Ohlrich Johnson’s love for the land near New Braunfels that has been in her family for generations runs deep. Her ancestors were among the German settlers who traveled with Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels on a journey to settle immigrants in the heart of Texas in 1845. Owning land in Germany was all but impossible for anyone other than royalty, and the yearning for their own piece of land was a driving force for most immigrants in seeking a new life in the rough and tumble Texas of the mid-1800s.
Five generations of Teresa’s family have lived on the land her ancestors settled, but in recent decades, the land has been divided among different factions of the family, and tracts of the original land holding have been sold off. Teresa and her husband Rob Johnson purchased the land where they have lived since 1998 from her father so it would remain in the family. Their four children grew up a pasture away from their grandparents and enjoyed an idyllic childhood. Along the way, the Johnsons have watched the explosive growth of Central Texas all around them. Where there were once sprawling ranches as far as the eye could see, now there are subdivisions all around and the legacy of the land settled by German settlers is disappearing. Teresa and Rob want to ensure that never happens to the land they’ve stewarded for their family. That’s why they’ve put 123 acres of the JO Ranch under a conservation easement held by the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT). “What I’ve observed is that dividing land all too often divides a family,” said Teresa. “I don’t want to create unnecessary friction in the family because we own land. Rob and I have decided that we are going to make those decisions, and we’ve talked about it with our children. This conservation easement will protect this land, and our family legacy forever.” The property has extensive rolling terrain that has great vistas of the Texas Hill Country in one of the fastest growing areas of the state. According to the Texas A&M Real Estate Center, land |
values over the past few years have increased more than 400 percent. Were the JO Ranch to be sold to a developer, more than 600 homes could be accommodated. Now, because of the easement, that will never happen.
Over the last two decades, Rob has overseen extensive habitat management activities, including clearing hundreds of cedar trees. The habitat restoration has allowed for the growth of native grasses that enhances water retention in the soil, land that lies over the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, the drinking source for millions. The cedar-clearing efforts have also yielded some surprises. “We had several areas of the ranch covered with 30 to 40-foot cedar trees, and we knew we might find some oak trees underneath,” said Rob. “We cleared one area and uncovered a huge oak tree that Teresa had never seen, and she’s been on this land all her life. It’s probably several hundred years old, and it was fighting for its life. Now it’s healthy and thriving.” Rob and Teresa are actively involved in preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the community where they have raised their children. In 2015, Rob worked with local stakeholders on the creation of the Comal Trinity Groundwater Conservation District and has served as a County-appointed board member since its inception. Teresa currently serves on the Comal County Historical Commission. Both Rob and Teresa are actively involved with the Sophienburg Museum of New Braunfels which is dedicated to preserving the history of their community. The Johnsons are confident their children will thrive in their lives and careers and are hopeful that the decision to protect their land forever and the heritage of their small piece of family history will be appreciated by future generations. “We’ve tried to raise them to understand who they are, and what kind of peoplethey came from — strong, determined, hardworking people. I hope they see this decision as a gift for their children and grandchildren to come.” |
Kendall County
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David K. Langford loves the Texas Hill Country land that his family has cherished for five generations. His passion for the land has informed his career as a professional photographer, and he has been a tireless advocate for working lands conservation and private property rights his entire adult life.
He was among a small group of private landowners who got their heads together in the 1980s to form the Texas Wildlife Association (TWA) to raise the profile of private land issues in Texas. He served as Executive Vice President of the organization until late 2001 and shepherded the organization as it became one of the leading voices for private landowners in Texas. At one point in his TWA career, he was also one of the loudest critics of conservation easements. A 2005 trip to Billings, Montana for a meeting of the Partnership of Rangeland Trusts with his friend Blair Fitzsimons changed that. At the time, Fitzsimons was exploring conservation easements as a potential tool to stem the rapidly increasingly loss of working lands in Texas. What Fitzsimons and Langford learned in Billings was that conservation easements, properly used, could be a powerful tool for landowners to keep working family lands intact in perpetuity. That seminal trip ultimately resulted in the formation of the Texas Agriculture Land Trust (TALT) in 2007. In October 2020, TALT closed on a donated conservation easement on Langford’s beloved Laurels Ranch in Kendall County. Laurels Ranch is his family’s part of the historic Hillingdon Ranch, which has been in Langford’s extended family for seven generations. Langford’s wife, Myrna, his children and their spouses, and four grandchildren were all involved and on board with the decision that will forever affect future generations of their family. The easement protects 298.1 acres in one of the fastest growing areas in the country. According to the Texas Land Trends report from the Natural Resource Institute at Texas |
A&M University, more than a quarter-million acres of farms and ranches in Central Texas were converted to other uses between 1997 and 2007.
Laurels Ranch is home to numerous native and exotic species, including Rio Grande wild turkey, migratory waterfowl, native and migratory songbirds, and white-tailed deer. Exotic and non-native species of both plants and wildlife are carefully controlled. Block Creek runs through the property, together with numerous flowing springs, and all feed the Guadalupe River system downstream. “David K. Langford has been a leading voice for private land stewardship for decades,” says TALT CEO Emeritus Blair Fitzsimons. “Now he’s a leading voice for the value of a conservation easement for working lands. TALT is honored to play a role in preserving the legacy of his family’s land for generations to come.” Langford’s extended family is looking to him to share what he’s learned as he navigated through the easement process. Other members of Langford’s extended family own other parcels of land that once made up Hillingdon Ranch are likely to follow suit with an easement to protect more of the historic ranch. “I’ve unashamedly come full circle on the topic of conservation easements,” said Langford. “Today, I find myself extolling the benefits of conservation easements to my extended family and to anyone who will listen.” Langford believes that a conservation easement, properly executed, can build a retaining wall around a family’s land legacy. He cautions that it is not an easy process. “We have poured ourselves into this process for almost four years,” he said. “It is exceptionally challenging to predict what will be right forever. The Texas Agricultural Land Trust is our family’s partner in perpetual conservation. It is a voluntary solution that works for us.” |
Herff Farm — Kendall County
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“Forever protecting this property and its history was the most generous gift we could give to the community and the region. I’m extremely proud that we accomplished this.” Carolyn Evans Executive Director Cibolo Nature Center |
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As executive director of the Cibolo Nature Center, Carolyn Evans is a steward of both the land and the legacy of Dr. Ferdinand Herff, a pioneering physician who was one of the first settlers in Boerne.
“Herff Farm not only represents our past, but our future,” Evans, who is a descendant of Herff, said. “It was the site of one of the first agriculture operations in Kendall County. Today, as an education center, it offers an opportunity to help modern Texans reconnect to the land and understand the complex, vital relationship between natural resources and our lives.” Under her leadership, the Friends of Cibolo Wilderness, Inc. enacted a conservation easement, held by the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, on the 60-acre farm located in the riparian area of Cibolo and Menger creeks. The landscape is classic, quintessential Texas Hill Country. The holding is the original homestead of Herff, a German immigrant who practiced in San Antonio, but maintained a second residence and thriving farm in Kendall County. Eventually, Herff amassed 10,000 acres of farm and ranch land. The property has been divided over time. “Conserving Herff Farm fits into the overall goals of the Nature Center,” Evans said. “We advocate for conservation. Now, thanks to our experience with a conservation easement, we have another land stewardship tool that we can share with landowners and the public.” The conservation easement is the pinnacle of a project that began in 1999 when the Nature Center staff board realized the property, which is directly across Cibolo Creek, was abandoned. Its location in proximity to the Nature Center and in the creek’s riparian zone made its acquisition a top priority. |
“The farm was ripe for development,” Evans said. “We knew a development would irreparably damage the watershed and the overall atmosphere of the Nature Center and adjoining preserve.”As the board was working to acquire the property, the population of Boerne exploded, increasing by 87 percent between 1997 and 2014. As the population grew so did the demand for land pushing the price higher.
“The rate of fragmentation throughout Kendall County increased along with the population making our efforts even more urgent,” Evans said. “The board of directors went through hell and brimstone to raise the money to purchase the property.” Understanding the realities of the non-profit funding and the ever-rising value of land, the board wanted to protect their efforts. “Funding a non-profit isn’t always easy,” Evans said. “We knew that future generations of board members and staff might be tempted to sell off portions of the land to fund the work, but if Herff Farm disappeared one-quarter acre at a time it would change the character of the land—and dismantle 20 years of effort.” While protecting their efforts motivated the board to consider a conservation easement, it was the opportunity to protect the culture, the health and the history of the region represented by this land that prompted the board to engage in the actual process. “Enacting a conservation easement takes time, serious thought and soul searching,” Evans said. “You’re trying to look in the crystal ball and imagine what life will be like in the future. It can seem daunting, but what can be better than forever protecting a piece of land?” |
Celebrate 2020 Conservation Successes! Texas Land Trusts Made Some Great Projects Happen in a Challenging Year
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Green Spaces Alliance: 5 H Ranch, Bexar County
The 5H Ranch represnts 247 acres of native grassland, interspersed huisache and honey mesquite woodlands, and containing two major water impoundments that serve as critical stopping grounds for migratory waterfowl. This beautiful property is now protected in perpetuity by a conservation easement that was acquired by Green Spaces Alliance in partnership with and utilizing state Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program funding, as well as a transaction grant from the Texas Land Trust Council. |
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Hill Country Conservancy: Four Winns Ranch, Hays County
The Four Winns Ranch is owned by Buck Winn's descendants who recently chose to forever protect its history, culture and beauty with a conservation easement - held by Hill Country Conservancy, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The 165 acre conservation easement ensures protection of the native wildlife inhabiting the property as well as water resources and historic features within the newly-designated Historic District. The Ranch is among the largest tracts remaining in the Wimberley valley, where suburban development and sprawl threaten sensitive water resources. The property is within the highly-sensitive Edwards Aquifer, fronts the Blanco River and boasts two miles of Pierce Creek, one of its major tributaries. Thus, preservation of Four Winns Ranch is critical to safeguarding clean drinking water for hundreds of thousands of Central Texans, now and well into the future. |
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The Nature Conservancy- Texas: Brown Ranch; Kendall County
TNC assisted the City of San Antonio with purchasing an easement on the 1,600 acre Brown Ranch, protecting bigtooth maple forest, miles of pristine creeks and springs, and the headwaters of Cibolo Creek - which flows downstream to other conservation areas in Boerne and San Antonio. The ranch represents a jewel of the Texas Hill Country and conserving it in perpetuity will preserve these incredible natural resources for generations to come.
TNC assisted the City of San Antonio with purchasing an easement on the 1,600 acre Brown Ranch, protecting bigtooth maple forest, miles of pristine creeks and springs, and the headwaters of Cibolo Creek - which flows downstream to other conservation areas in Boerne and San Antonio. The ranch represents a jewel of the Texas Hill Country and conserving it in perpetuity will preserve these incredible natural resources for generations to come.
Springs that Form Headwaters of San Antonio River Protected Forever |
Sunday, August 9, 2020
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Rivard Report
Brendan Gibbons July 28, 2020 The springs that form the headwaters of the San Antonio river will be forever protected from development, thanks to an agreement involving the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and Green Spaces Alliance. On Friday, leaders of the Headwaters Preserve at Incarnate Word told the Rivard Report they had placed the 53-acre preserve north of downtown under a conservation easement. A conservation easement is a restrictive covenant that permanently bars construction, paving over natural surfaces, mining, or drilling on the land. 
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The springs that form the headwaters of the San Antonio river will be forever protected from development. Credit: Bonnie Arbittier / Rivard Report
The Blue Hole is the largest of the artesian springs on the property that form the headwaters of the San Antonio River. Credit: Bonnie Arbittier / Rivard Report
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Local Family Dedicates Hill Country Land to Conservation
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SAN MARCOS, Texas – Jason and Ashley Roberts partnered with Colorado River Land Trust to protect their family ranch from future development in the rapidly growing area of San Marcos, Texas.
Riding horseback across the wide-open spaces of the Hill Country is one of the most iconic images of Texas... Windemere Farms, located along the banks of Sink Creek in the city of San Marcos, is a pristine equestrian boarding and training facility offering dedicated care for horses. When Jason Roberts and his family purchased the property, they knew it was a special place to not only operate a horse facility but also to allow the family access to the outdoors and riding horses. As an integral part of their day to day lives, the Roberts family believed it was time to ensure the property would be protected for future generations. |
Read more about this land conservation effort.
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Shield Ranch Working to Protect the Natural Wonders of the Texas Hill Country
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The wide-open spaces of Texas are a gift to all who live here, but they're not a given. Ninety-five percent of the state is privately owned. This means that landowning families—working together with government, nonprofits, developers, and concerned citizens—play a crucial role in sustaining our most treasured natural environments.
At Shield Ranch, stewarding and protecting the Hill Country ecosystem is our solemn purpose. Located just 18 miles southwest of downtown Austin, we are a 6,800-acre family ranch established in 1938. Today, we are home to a mosaic of habitats, a diverse community of native plants and animals, and over six breathtaking miles of Barton Creek. Through an evolving program of land management, unique nature immersion experiences, and conservation easements with the Nature Conservancy and the City of Austin, Shield Ranch offers something exceptionally rare in our rapidly urbanizing community—a truly wild place. Join us in making sure it stays that way. 
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Nature Conservancy in Partnership with Hays County Aquire Over 530 Acres of El Rancho Cima
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With a majority vote by the Hays County Commissioners Court, The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with Hays County, closed on the acquisition of more than 530 acres of the historic El Rancho Cima on November 22. This represents a $13 million effort to safeguard an iconic piece of the Texas Hill Country.
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Edwards Family & Hill Country Conservancy Establish Conservation Easement
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The Edwards family and the Hill Country Conservancy announced the conservation easement on September 24. Straddling the Burnet-Blanco county line, Cherry Springs Ranch has a range of landscapes, including lush, vegetated grottoes. Seventy-seven unique species of birds and 16 native wildlife species "of greatest conservation need" are found on the property. A species is identified as one of greatest conservation need based on declining populations and alarming rates of habitat loss.
The property even has dinosaur tracks. Texas historian and folklorist J. Frank Dobie once owned it before selling it to the Edwards family in 1958. 
The Hill Country Conservancy and the Edwards family of Cherry Springs Ranch in Spicewood announced the signing of a conservation easement on the 1,038-acre property that will protect many of its unique features such as this grotto. The Edwards still own the property and control access to it, but they agreed to certain management practices that conserve and protect it as well.
Courtesy photo |
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San Marcos City Council Passes Resolution for Support of Emerald Crown Trail.
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The San Marcos City Council voted 7-0 to pass a resolution for support of the Emerald Crown Regional Trail Proposal on Tuesday.
The Emerald Crown Trail is a proposed regional trail system that aims to connect Hays County cities and ultimately cities to the North and South. The project was developed through a collaborative effort between members of the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance, Hays County, the City of San Marcos, the City of Kyle, the City of Buda, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust, the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, the Hill Country Conservancy, Take-a-hike San Marcos and the Texas State University Geography Department with the assistance of the National Parks Services.
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Sink Creek Project Awarded US Forest Service Grant
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The City of San Marcos will receive a $423,500 grant from the United States Forest Service to fund the land purchase of the Sink Creek Community Forest Tract. This is the first Community Forest and Open Space Program grant awarded to a project in Texas.
The City purchased the 102-acre tract through a three-year lease with The Trust for Public Land in 2017 for a total purchase price of $1.27 million. City Council approved the lease-purchase agreement with the expectation that external funding sources would be sought to match the commitment of public funds.
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Seventy-five Acres of Sink Creek Purchased
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In 2013, the River Foundation purchased 75 acres in the highly sensitive Sink Creek recharge zone just above Spring Lake, the head of the San Marcos River.
The purchase was the culmination of several years of work with the landowner who was threatened with the use of eminent domain to create a roadway easement for large housing developments on either side. SMRF's purchase of the land will protect the area from over-development and limit impervious cover. With many caves and other recharge features, the property is critical for ensuring a clean and steady flow of recharge into the aquifer, lake and river. SMRF is also encouraging other land owners in the area to consider land conservation easements and protections, and is helping to guide them through the process. |
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Puryear Family Puts 423 Acres into Conservation Easement
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Restored 5,500-Acre Ranch in Blanco County
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The mission of Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve is to teach ethical land stewardship — by example and outreach. The ranch offers seminars for landowners and serve as a research lab for botanists, zoologists, and other scientists. They also provide nature camps and hands-on science classes for school children. The public tours and workshops attract birdwatchers, photographers, and animal and plant enthusiasts.
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Protection of National Forest Lands by Texas Conservation Alliance
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As part of our campaign to protect national forest lands, Texas Conservation Alliance built the support for designation of five areas in Texas’ national forests as wilderness areas, ended clearcutting on 200,000 acres of national forest land in Texas, and has been instrumental in obtaining special protections for tens of thousands of additional acres of forest.
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San Antonio Creates Edwards Aquifer Protection Program
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Los Madrones Ranch Puts 396 Acres of Wildlife Habitat into Permanent Protection
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"Texas Land Conservancy recently completed the permanent protection of 396 acres in the Hill Country. The newly protected Los Madrones Ranch is a beautiful landscape of limestone bluffs, open pastures, and diverse woodlands located in Travis County along Hamilton Pool Road. The ranch has been in the same family for the last 40 years."
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Kirchoff Family Farm Restored to Prairie
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The Kirchoff Family Farm supports reestablished grasslands in the fields as well as a dense, woody plant community commonly found in South Texas. The Kirchoff Family's "Farm to Native Prairie" philosophy is a working example of how native prairies will become invaluable as more landowners become interested in restoring their own lands to native prairies.
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Coastal Prairie Becomes Wildlife Management Area
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Over 15,000 acres of the Powderhorn Ranch along the Texas coast in Calhoun County, prime unspoiled coastal prairie, is now a state wildlife management area. The newest crown jewel in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) system is the result of a unique conservation land acquisition coalition led by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF).
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