Animal Protection Issues
Habitat Protection
Preserving Natural Habitat is Essential to Protecting Wildlife
Habitat destruction costs lives
Unfortunately, everywhere we look there are reports of losses in wildlife diversity, primarily due to habitat destruction. We often feel helpless to stop the destruction of rainforests on the other side of the globe, however there is something we can do locally - right here in Texas - to preserve our own Texas heritage. Protecting and conserving habitat ensures natural resources for future generations, as well as wildlife. And just like us, wildlife need natural habitats and their resources to survive, thrive and raise their families.
Fortunately for us, there are incentive programs to help us conserve our Texas natural resources. In Texas, 95% of lands are privately owned, so it may come as no surprise that Texas Parks & Wildlife started the first government program in the nation that provided incentives to landowners to improve and protect their habitat. The Texas Landowner Incentive Program provides grants to private landowners, focusing on habitats that support a diversity of wildlife or that support rare, threatened or endangered species. To find out which wildlife species your land may support, visit Texas Park & Wildlife's Rare, Threatened and Endangered Wildlife Species database (listed by county). Texas Landowner Workshops are even offered throughout the state to get you started.
There are also a variety of other non-profit land trust conservation organizations that will provide you with the technical assistance you need to achieve your conservation goals. Land trusts have the expertise and experience to help you find the best ways of protecting your land. Investigate these land trusts that are available to Texas landowners.
Texas Land Trust Council
Wildlife Land Trust (An affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States)
Land Trust Alliance (Maintains a listing of Land Trust lands in Texas, searchable by county).
