| Texas leads the Nation in the amount of farmland converted to development on an annual basis. According to Texas A&M, more than 2.2 million acres of rural land were converted to urban uses between 1982 and 1997, and the annual rate of conversion was nearly 30 percent higher than in the previous 10 years. Right now we have a great opportunity before us to reverse this trend and to help protect Texas' valuable and celebrated agricultural landscapes!
The proposed Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program will be a grant-making program that provides Texas landowners with financial incentives to conserve Texas' water resources and wildlife habitat through the voluntary sale of either perpetual or term conservation easements. As the state becomes more urbanized, the pressure to protect natural resources will increase. Through the purchase of agricultural conservation easements, cities and other public entities can achieve resource protection goals without resorting to regulation or land acquisition. The program will also help to protect and leverage existing investments in conservation---whether public projects through Texas Parks & Wildlife or private endeavors like The Nature Conservancy. |
