Representative Gary VanDeaver with those who testified in favor of HB2109 on April 23rd, including TCA Executive Director, Grahame Jones | | From Grahame Jones, Executive Director | | |
Grassroots efforts are the backbone of conservation. Local initiatives, often led by volunteers, community groups, and small nonprofits, play a critical role in identifying and addressing conservation issues on the ground. They bring intimate knowledge of local ecosystems, foster public engagement, and build community support for environmental stewardship.
For TCA, grassroots efforts help amplify the voices of those most directly affected by environmental change, creating a groundswell of support for sustainable practices and habitat protection. I witnessed this first-hand during the House Natural Resources Committee Hearing on HB 2109, which – if signed into law – would remove a proposed reservoir project from the state water plan if construction has not begun within 50 years. One northeast Texas resident after another testified in front of the Natural Resources Committee with passion and sincerity regarding the impact that Marvin Nichols Reservoir would have on their community, including the region’s irreplaceable natural resources.
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While grassroots efforts provide essential energy and local expertise, their impact is greatly enhanced when paired with larger grants from major donors, foundations, and philanthropic organizations. These financial resources enable small, community-based projects to scale up, access expert guidance, and implement long-term strategies. With the support of major funding sources, grassroots groups, staff, and conservation partners can conduct scientific research, restore critical habitats, educate the public, and influence policy in ways that would be difficult to achieve alone. In addition to funding, foundations and major donors bring opportunities for strategic planning, technical assistance, and a broader network of partnerships that increase the reach and efficacy of TCA’s conservation initiatives.
Together, grassroots conservation and funders form a powerful alliance that allows TCA to accomplish its mission of conserving wildlife and wild places across Texas. By leveraging the passion and local engagement of grassroots efforts with the structure and resources provided by grants and larger donations, TCA can unite diverse stakeholders around shared goals. This network of staff, volunteers, members, concerned citizens, foundations, and donors creates a more resilient, connected, and effective conservation movement, ensuring that both local ecosystems and the broader environmental landscape of Texas are protected for generations to come.
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September 26th and 27th
Canyon of The Eagles
16942 Ranch Road 2341, Burnet, TX, 78611
- Friday, September 26th TCA Update begins at 3p
- Friday afternoon cruise on Lake Buchanan
- Friday Night Dinner
- Saturday Morning Speakers
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Saturday Lunch Speakers: Chrissy and Jay Kleberg, Chasing the Tide Presentation, featured on PBS
- Depart by 1:30p on Saturday
- For room reservations, call: 512-334-2070
- https://canyonoftheeagles.com/
| | Sulphur River in Northeast Texas | | |
Marvin Nichols Reservoir Generates Statewide Opposition
The proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir captured statewide attention in the Texas legislature this session when State Rep. Gary VanDeaver introduced HB 2109 to require that any reservoir that had been in the State Water Plan for more than 50 years be removed from the Plan. What followed was an exceptional hearing before the Texas House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, resulting in a 12-1 vote in favor of sending the measure to the House floor. After the measure failed to reach the House floor in time to be voted on, Rep. VanDeaver proposed an amendment to another bill that would prevent construction of Marvin Nichols.
The House vote on the amendments was telling – a clear split between urban representatives voting to keep Marvin Nichols in the Plan and rural representatives voting to take it out. While the urban majority prevailed, the amount of attention to the huge impacts the reservoir would have on the people and natural resources of Northeast Texas garnered wide media attention and, for the first time, statewide awareness of the true cost of using eminent domain to condemn vast tracts of land in one region to provide resources for the water-wasteful DFW Metroplex.
| | Native tallgrass prairie at Lake Ringgold site | |
Fight Against Lake Ringgold Continues
As reported last summer, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rubber-stamped a state permit approving the proposed Lake Ringgold, despite a strong recommendation to deny the permit by Judge Christiaan Siano, who had conducted the hearing in the case. Since then, TCA and landowners impacted by the proposed reservoir have filed a petition in District Court to overturn the permit. The District Court Judge is waiting on TCEQ to submit the administrative record in the hearing before initiating court proceedings.
Meanwhile, TCA and other opponents of the reservoir are gearing up for the federal permit process conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers, which involves drafting of an Environmental Impact Statement. TCA will build on the information from the state permit hearing with additional information from expert witnesses. A report commissioned by TCA, but conducted independently by the engineering firm LRE Water, came to several conclusions concerning Lake Ringgold: proponents have overestimated the yield of the reservoir; an independent review of alternatives is needed, rather than the suspicious ranking of options by the firm that would oversee the project; and the amount of water granted in the permit is dramatically large compared to the projected future demand.
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Engaging Texans Through Action: This spring, nearly 600 Texans stepped up to protect wildlife habitats by participating in restoration events. From sea turtle rescues to community clean-ups and invasive plant removals, people across the state learned practical ways to reduce their environmental impact in daily life.
TCA also brought citizen science into the field—using apps like iNaturalist and Merlin Bird ID to help participants connect with nature and experience the world around them through observation and discovery.
| | Delivering Native Plants through the Native Plant Propagation Center: As spring brings new life and vibrant colors, plants grown at the Native Plant Propagation Center are finding their way into more homes, local nurseries, school campuses, and restoration sites across North Texas. Through seasonal plant sales and city partnerships, the Center has earned a strong reputation for providing native species grown from mostly regionally sourced seeds and cultivated without pesticides. | | Now in its fourth year, the Center is a collaboration between the Dallas Zoo and Texas Conservation Alliance. This spring, we hosted visiting groups from the Native Plant Society of Texas, Wild Ones, and the Dallas County Master Gardeners Association, offering tours and sharing our mission to grow community through conservation. | | |
Spring 2025 TCA Interns:
Gracie Lugo, Mia Anguiano, Tonatiuh Perez, Hannah Lederman
| | Cultivating Future Conservation Leaders: Four young professionals recently completed their spring internships through hands-on conservation experiences. Interns helped lead bird collision surveys in Dallas, Fort Worth, and College Station and organized an invasive plant removal effort at Crawford Park in Dallas. | | TCA’s Careers in Conservation Internship Program provides students with practical experience, strengthens their academic and career paths, and sharpens the skills needed for future leadership in conservation. https://www.tcatexas.org/internships | | Lights Out, Texas! Protect Migrating Birds: From early morning bird-collision surveys and curriculum development to community outreach and policy advocacy, the Lights Out, DFW! team has been going full steam this spring to raise awareness across North Texas. In collaboration with the Dallas Zoo, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Trinity River Audubon Center, Audubon Texas, American Bird Conservancy, and Environment Texas - we’re working together to promote bird-safe glass and dark sky compliant lighting to help protect migratory birds in Texas. | | Additionally, led by A&M student Skyler Nix, the Lights Out, College Station! (LOCS) team has made a significant impact at Texas A&M University. In partnership with the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, through continued engagements with campus administrators, Skyler and the partners have helped guide the school in adopting bird-safe practices to address collisions on campus. | | |
Looking ahead, our Lights Out curriculum is set to launch in early August—just in time for the new school year!
👉 Share with educators who may be interested in early access to the resources. Fill out the form to connect with us!
https://lnkd.in/gzJRqBdi
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Texas Conservation Alliance is the Texas Affiliate of National Wildlife Federation.
All donations remain in Texas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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