In a joint effort with the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has secured a conservation easement on O’Connor Ranch in Goliad County. The move protects around 6,410 acres of coastal prairie, which is one of the largest remaining habitats of its kind in Texas.
Steven Schar, Deputy Executive Director with TCEQ and Governor Greg Abbott’s designee to the RESTORE Council, said, “This is a huge milestone, not only for Texas, but the entire Gulf Coast. This is the largest conservation easement acquired to-date by the RESTORE Council and ensures critical coastal habitat will remain intact for future generations.”
The total purchase price of the conservation easement was $8.863 million. Of this amount, $7.6 million came from a grant managed by TCEQ as Texas’ representative to the RESTORE Council; The Nature Conservancy contributed the remaining funds.
Mary Walker, Executive Director of the RESTORE Council, stated, “The RESTORE Council is very pleased to support the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality’s and The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to protect critical coastal prairie habitat on Texas family ranchlands. Conservation of such valuable natural habitat is a key strategy to support ecosystem health, and effective partnerships such as this one are essential to Gulf restoration success. We commend TCEQ and TNC for this meaningful effort to advance Gulf Coast restoration and maintain the productivity of these important agricultural lands.”
The RESTORE Council includes governors from all five gulf states along with leaders from six federal agencies. This transaction represents both the first conservation easement approved by the RESTORE Council and the largest land protection initiative funded under the RESTORE Act in the Gulf region. The O’Connor Ranch will continue to operate as a private cattle ranch while being shielded from development and fragmentation due to this agreement. Maintaining these grasslands helps buffer communities from floods and hurricanes, improves air and water quality, and contributes to carbon storage.
Jeff Francell, associate director of land protection for TNC in Texas, commented, “The O’Connor Ranch marks conservation milestones from one of the first major permanent protections in Texas’ largest intact coastal prairie to the first conservation easement purchased with RESTORE funding. The Nature Conservancy is grateful for this collaborative effort that helped make securing a family legacy in a key conservation area possible.”
Funds administered through Texas’ RESTORE program are derived from penalties related to environmental damages such as those caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These resources are directed toward ecological restoration projects along with initiatives that promote economic development, coastal protection, and community resilience across the Texas Gulf Coast.
The Nature Conservancy operates globally with a focus on conserving lands and waters through science-based solutions aimed at supporting both nature and people.
