Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R

ISSUE #43 SUMMER 2011

Keystone Migitation Bank, Rains County. Photo by Mark Steinbach

Protecting the Nature of Texas.TEXAS LAND CONSERVANCY

Traveling smiles

We’ve had a busy spring full of workdays, celebrations, and Earth Day. And don’t forget to send us your caption for the picture on page 8!

Page 7

Keystone conservation

Rains County just got greener as over 2,500 acres of the Upper Sabine watershed is protected by TLC and Advanced Ecology.

Pages 1 & 3

Go Oak Cliff!

Our beloved Oak Cliff Nature Preserve needs a face lift and you can help!

Page2

Once upon a time

Mark tells us a story about his family’s “Mountain Home.” Do you have a place that you loved that is now gone?

Page 4

Stewardship Briefs

Daniel has a little advice and a lot of science for you to consider as you straegize about the drought.

Pages 5 & 6

by Kate Vickery

Every year, Texas loses nearly a quarter-million acres of open agricultural land to the pressures of development and

population growth. The DFW Metroplex is one of the top ten most populous and fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. As populations expand beyond traditional city boundaries, rural areas like Rains County feel

the pressure placed on its natural resources. Rains County’s population grew by 20%

from 2000 to 2010, twice that of the national growth rate. Population growth is one of the primary pressures on land and natural resources, making the need to protect large tracts of un-fragmented land even more critical in these regions. In Rains, water supplied by the Upper Sabine watershed is of particular concern to those living downstream.

In response to these incredible pressures on the land and water in Rains County, the Texas Land Conservancy and Advanced Ecology have teamed up to protect and restore the natural condition of 2,558 acres of bottomland hardwood forest. Through this collaboration, the newly minted Keystone Mitigation Bank will be conserved in perpetuity, thereby benefiting the land’s native plants and animals, scenic condition, and vital water resources.

A bridge to the future:Rains County’s keystone conservation

See “Keystone,” page 3

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T E X A S L A N D C O N S E R V A N C Y

The Texas Land Conservancy (formerly Natural Area Preservation Association) is an accredited non-profit land trust with a mission to conserve natural areas in Texas and to protect the physical and ecological integrity of their wildlife habitat, native plant communities, and scenic landscapes for the benefit of present and future generations. We strive:

To reduce the negative effects of land fragmentation and poorly planned development by protecting critical lands through ownership or permanent conservation easements.

To maintain a substantial and diverse inventory of protected lands that reflect the biological diversity and significance of Texas’ natural heritage.

To responsibly steward our conservation easements and land holdings through monitoring, land management, and enforcement of restrictions.

To restore and enhance native habitats.

To collaborate with other organizations and individuals as appropriate to conserve and protect additional areas not protected by TLC.

To educate the public about Texas’ natural areas and provide opportunities for the public to enjoy TLC’s protected properties.

board of directorsP. Michael Jung, President, DallasEarl Matthew, President-Elect, RockportJanell Morgan, Treasurer, DallasTravis Phillips, Secretary, AustinMickey Burleson, TempleEugenia Fritz, DallasRuss Jewert, TerrellAdam Jochelson, DallasEileen McKee, DallasAnne Norvell, DallasRobert O’Kennon, Fort WorthSharon Reed, RichardsonAnne Rowe, DallasPat Spillman, Jr., Houston

staffMark Steinbach, Executive DirectorDaniel Dietz, Stewardship DirectorKate Vickery, Outreach Coordinator

contactTexas Land ConservancyP.O. Box 162481 Austin, TX 78716512.301.6363 (p) 512.301.6364 (f)

info@texaslandconservancy.orgwww.texaslandconservancy.org

This newsletter is produced quarterly and distributed to members and donors at the $30 level or higher. Comments, questions, and concerns may be sent to Kate Vickery via kate@texaslandconservancy.org.

A face lift for OCNP: can you help?The Oak Cliff Nature Preserve is

a 120-acre urban forest in the heart of Dallas. Visited by thousands of mountain bikers and recreational visitors every year, OCNP has long been our most well-used and beloved preserve.

In partnership with the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association, TLC hopes to begin a multi-phase renovation initiative for OCNP to improve the experience of its many visitors. We are currently seeking funding for this project and invite you to join us.

If you would like to make a financial contribution towards the improvements of facilities at the Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, please make a donation online or by mailing a check with “OCNP Renovation” in the memo. We believe that OCNP is a vital and unique resource for the people of Dallas and with your help the preserve will be a better, safer, more user-friendly public park. For more information, contact Kate Vickery.

Cutting edge scienceTLC has conducted the first phase of a

statewide conservation plan which identified key focus areas for targeted conservation efforts. This strategic framework will be used to help TLC identify the most urgent land to protect within these focus areas and will help us act deliberately to affect positive landscape-level changes on the state of Texas. The next phase of the conservation plan will determine conservation priorities within the identified focus areas through the use of geographic information systems (GIS).

This initiative is breaking new ground not only for TLC, but for the land trust community as a whole. The concept of strategic conservation planning has been used by relatively few conservation organizations, and almost no statewide land trusts.

TLC seeks to improve the quality of life for people and natural systems in Texas. This unique partnership with Jonathan Ogren of the Siglo Group and Dr. Neal Wilkins, of Texas A&M’s Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, will offer direction on how to most effectively work towards that goal.

Little bits

Foundation supports staff growthThe Meadows Foundation awarded TLC

a $25,000 grant to support the permanent expansion of our stewardship staff capacity. This grant matches financial support from Trammell S. Crow and the Houston Endowment and will enable us to engage in more proactive land conservation and more management projects with our landowners.

The Meadows Foundation is a champion of environmental initiatives in Texas. The Foundation’s Strategic Plan for the Environment places a priority on environmental issues focused on land and habitat conservation, air quality, water quality and quantity, environmental education and stewardship, and energy efficiency.

TLC is very grateful for this support and would like to thank Mike McCoy for his assistance in securing the grant.

A new face for TLC landownersFormer stewardship director, Chancey Lewis

left TLC in March. We will miss his expertise and Texas charm, but are very excited to soon be able to introduce you to our new director, Leigh Stuemke, who comes to us from Nacogdoches and will bring a wealth of expertise. We know our landowners will enjoy working with her and we look forward to welcoming her to Austin.

Riders enjoying OCNP. Photo by Kerry Olenick.

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T E X A S L A N D C O N S E R V A N C Y

...The Keystone

Mitigation Bank represents the best quality remaining forested wetlands

in the Upper Sabine watershed.

“We are proud to partner with Advanced Ecology on this project,” said Mark Steinbach, executive director. “TLC will hold the conservation easement on the Bank. The conservation of a piece of land this large is going to benefit the people of Rains County and the entire Sabine watershed forever.”

A majority of the Bank consists of high quality forested wetlands, perhaps among the best remaining in the Upper Sabine River Basin. Keystone Mitigation Bank is a unique opportunity to conserve a large block of bottomland forested wetland habitat that provides functions critical to the ecological sustainability of the Upper Sabine watershed and opportunities for significant restoration of the bottomland pastures.

According to a Texas Parks and Wildlife study, “Due to their high productivity, plant species diversity, and proximity to water bodies and river channels, bottomland hardwood forests are important for water resources, fish and wildlife, recreation, and biological conservation. Forested wetlands play a critical role in controlling erosion, recharging groundwater, maintaining water quality, and preventing flood damage. On the other hand, these forests are primary locations

for economic development. Many areas have been cleared for agricultural purposes (farmland and pasture), timber production (logging and plantation), urbanization (industrial and residential development), or inundated for water development projects.”

Keystone - Continued from page 1 which contribute to increased water quantity and quality for regions downstream. This area constitutes one of the last remaining contiguous blocks of forested wetland habitat in the Upper Sabine watershed with the ability to provide this level of wetland function. Indeed, the Sabine watershed is at increasing risk due to habitat degradation through timber exploitation, land use conversion to non-forested resources, and reservoir development, such as Lake Tawakoni.

“Perhaps the most distinctive quality of the Keystone Mitigation Bank is the fact that this site is totally dedicated to the dynamic workings of ecosystem processes,” said Chance Kimbrough, wildlife biologist at Advanced Ecology. “It is a place where diverse and complex processes drive community functions and structure in a myriad of ecological outcomes that will become manifest through space and time on the tract. Truly, Keystone Mitigation Bank is a place forevermore dedicated to conservation of natural resources that we cherish in Texas.”

Most importantly, the conservation of this acreage occurred without public funds for land acquisition or long-term stewardship.

For more information about Keystone or private land conservation, call 512.301.6363.

Particularly critical for the Keystone Mitigation Bank is its large size and inclusion of Sabine River tributaries, the protection of

The Keystone Mitigation Bank protects 2,558 acres of bottomland hardwood forest in Rains County. Photo by Daniel Dietz.

T E X A S L A N D C O N S E R V A N C Y

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TLC Storytellers:

It’s a story about a piece of land that was near to my heart and that could have been saved by some foresight by the owners.

Our family had been part of a hunting lease on a ranch in the Hill Country since before I was born. During graduate school, I returned home for a long weekend and spent it with family at “Mountain Home,” as we called it.

One evening as we sat around the campfire,

one of the realtors replied. We each quickly ran the numbers in our head and realized that the property would fetch almost five million dollars. We could not begrudge our landlord, as most people would jump at such an opportunity, but we couldn’t help but cast doubtful eyes on our uninvited guests as they drove off to survey the property at dusk.

Needless to say, the land was sold and this chapter of my family’s history came to a close. This story is not uncommon. The face of Texas is undergoing a rapid and never-before-seen change. Lands that once spread out unbroken and unpopulated are being sold off piece by piece to the highest bidder.

What does TLC do? In the four years since I became the executive director of TLC, I

have been asked that question a thousand times. As I explain our mission to conserve

land in Texas, more often than not, I am met with polite head nods and a smile. Every so often, someone will say, “Oh! Like the Nature Conservancy!” Of course, TNC is a well-known leader among land trusts and is working world-wide with much success, but I always explain that while TLC

and TNC have similar missions, we are very different in many ways.

Once in a blue moon, I have the privilege of meeting someone familiar with TLC and then get to talk with a fellow believer about our unique preserves, or a recent volunteer field day, or the rare plant or animal we just found, which is really what it’s all about.

For four years, I have been working to understand why I can’t have more of these

conversations. I used to think that our work just didn’t appeal to everyone. However, I’ve come to believe that is not the case.

I recently returned from a Land Trust Alliance training with land trust executive directors from every corner of the country.

As is often the case among peers, land trusts everywhere share similar challenges. The “ah-ha” moment for me during this experience was that many of our frustrations could be tied to a single stumbling point: the public does not understand land trusts.

How can this be? Land trusts provide a unique service to protect land and endangered species, while forestalling land fragmentation

I want to tell you a story.

by Mark Steinbach

Tell us your story. Where is your

“Mountain Home?” Send your favorite place story to kate@texaslandconservancy.org.

and conserving thousands of acres. And therein lies the problem. We in the

land trust community, like many trades, use vernacular or scientific terms to make sure our message is heard accurately, when what we need to be doing is helping people tell the story of their own Mountain Home.

Our work is about places that people care about. We all have a place we remember from our youth, whether

it’s a wide open Texas ranch, a favorite hiking trail, or a piece of family land where we went every Thanksgiving. These places are owned by people who care deeply about the future. TLC has helped landowners make dreams become reality by protecting the family ranch and has ensured that favorite hiking trails remains forever wild.

So what does TLC really do? We strive to give you a Texas that you recognize and want for future generations.

I’m proud to be part of this organization that helps give a natural future for our children. I invite you all to join us in this conversation and tell us about the places you love.

Become one.

u n f a m i l i a r headlights bobbed through the trees and came to rest on our group. Two land developers and a prospective buyer stepped out of a pickup, and we soon realized the property that we had been hunting on for almost three decades would be no more. It dawned on everyone sitting around that fire that the land we had come to cherish would be divided and sold off piece by piece.

“How much do they want?” we asked. “Around $2,400 or $2,500 an acre, I think,”

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T E X A S L A N D C O N S E R V A N C Y

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.

The short answer is that managing some types of woody vegetation can increase the water

yield from a property, but by how much depends on the type of rainfall events that are experienced and the underlying geology. The good news is that when tree and brush control is undertaken in the appropriate location, it can not only increase the amount of water available, but it can help maintain our native grasslands.

First, let’s review the water cycle (see graphic, page 7). Most precipitation does not enter aquifers or creeks, but is returned to the atmosphere through evaporation (from either plant surfaces or soil) or transpiration

(water released by plants during photosynthesis and respiration). These two processes are collectively referred to as evapotranspiration. Not all plants have the same rate of evapotranspiration. Studies suggest that woody plant species evapotranspire more water than grass species. They intercept more rainfall in their canopies since they have a greater leaf surface area, which is then lost to evaporation. When trees and brush are removed and replaced with native grasses, more of the water reaches the soil. If these studies are correct, replacing trees and brush species

with grasses can lead to greater water infiltration and runoff.

While trees and brush may evapotranspire at higher rates than herbaceous vegetation, not all tree species are the same. Surprisingly, mesquite removal does not have a big impact on water yield according to a recent Texas Tech literature review, but juniper removal can have pronounced impacts. Junipers, also commonly called cedar, have greater average evapotranspiration rates than live oaks or mesquite. A Juniper can transpire almost twice as much water as an oak with the same canopy volume. Junipers have

Stewardship BriefsBy: Daniel Dietz

... The good news

is that when tree and brush control is undertaken in the appropriate

location, it can not only increase the amount of water available, but it

can help maintain our native grasslands.

three times more leaf surface area than live oaks per unit of canopy. Juniper often transpires during periods of water stress when live oak decreases photosynthesis and transpiration rates.

With its dense growth and high leaf surface area, Juniper also intercepts more rainfall in its leaves and prevents the water from ever reaching the soil. How much depends on the type of rainfall events that are occurring, but a recent study in the southern Edwards plateau found that the

Become one.

See “Water,” page 6Daniel stands in the tall grasses of Taglewood Prairie, which has benefited from water-saving management.

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T E X A S L A N D C O N S E R V A N C Y

Juniper canopy intercepted 40% of the rainfall over a 3 year period.

The ratio of grass cover to tree cover which provides the most benefit to water quantity is not entirely known. One study indicates that significant water yield gains can be had by reducing tree and brush cover below 30%, whereas another study states that significant gains in water yield may not be seen unless tree and shrub cover is reduced below 15%. How much water can be gained in this way? Once again there is not consensus on this question, but a study by Tom Thurow estimated that moving from 75% brush cover to 15% brush cover would yield an additional 20,000 gallons of water infiltration per acre per year in the western Edwards plateau where rainfall averages 27.5 inches a year.

Increasing water yield and maintaining our native grasslands are important. However, before we all sharpen our chainsaws and fill up our drip torches, let’s keep in mind that there are many areas where brush control may not be appropriate. Trees and shrubs are important

The most common effects of vegetation on precipitation in a rangeland system. Vegetation returns precipitation to the atmosphere by intercepting rainfall before it reaches the soil or by removing it from the soil and releasing it as water vapor as part of photosynthesis and respiration. The vast majority of the remainder either moves overland to bodies of surface water or percolates to the water table. Illustration by Matt McCaw.

components of riparian areas and perform many important functions there.

Extensive land clearing on slopes may cause soil erosion if not revegetated properly. Some research has suggested that dense juniper stands may aid soil formation in areas that have experienced erosion. And let’s not forget that the only songbird that nests exclusively in central Texas, the federally endangered golden-cheeked warbler, can only be found in mature Juniper-oak woodlands.

Water - Continued from page 5

The signature Earth Day Dallas balloons set against an April Dallas skyline. Photo by Kate Vickery.

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T E X A S L A N D C O N S E R V A N C Y

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Will travel: Around the state and back again

1. Girl scouts from Troop 2593 picked up trash from the Oak Cliff Nature Preserve during a work day in April. 2. Volunteers also helped us remove invasive species from the urban forest on that same workday. 3. At our 2011 annual meeting at the Chalk Mountain Preserve, host Chuck Snakard points out a rare bird to board member Anne Rowe. 4. From left to right, Michael Jung, Mark Steinbach, Earl and Lonnie Matthew, enjoy a tour of the Chalk Mountain Preserve. 5. On Easter Sunday, we honored TLC veteran Katherine Goodbar’s 22 years of service to TLC at her church in Dallas. Left to right, Mark Steinbach, Kate Vickery, Janell Morgan, David Bezanson, Genie Fritz, Eileen McKee, Sharon Reed, Jean Laughlin, Anne Norvell and Katherine Goodbar, front.

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NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDAUSTIN, TX

PERMIT NO. 258

ISSUE #43 SUMMER 2011

Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R

8 summer 2010

What’s happening here?

Send your best caption for this picture to kate@texaslandconservancy.org.