At Audubon Texas, we know that protecting birds means taking care of the places they — and we — depend on. Our policy and advocacy efforts focus on ensuring Texas remains a haven for birds, wildlife, and people. Through strategic legislative priorities, conservation partnerships, and science-based advocacy, we safeguard the natural resources that sustain both birds and local communities.

Rooted in Audubon’s Flight Plan, our policy approach supports our Healthy Birds, Healthy Planet agenda, emphasizing the connection between bird conservation and environmental health. Our 2025 state legislative agenda builds on this foundation, targeting key areas where policy can make a meaningful impact on Texas’s landscapes and ecosystems.

Using a nonpartisan approach, we engage directly with policymakers to advocate for science-backed solutions that enhance resilience, habitat protection, and responsible energy development. From the Gulf Coast to the Hill Country and beyond, we are committed to protecting Texas’s special places.

Priorities at the Texas Legislature

For the 2025 Texas Legislative session, Audubon Texas is focused on supporting policies that steward our lands and waters and speaking up when they are threatened. We support continued investments that support preserving and protecting Texas’ land and water resources, assistance for private landowners to steward their land, and other natural-climate solutions that will help us bend the bird curve.

We also support the addition of responsibly sited clean energy resources alongside policies that give landowners the flexibility to prioritize their land’s resources while ensuring the safety and conservation of wildlife, guided by the latest scientific research.

Protecting Critical Bird Habitats

Texas’s coastal and grassland habitats support diverse bird species, including shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds. These landscapes face growing threats from development, pollution, and climate change. Audubon Texas plays a vital role in protecting these habitats through our rookery island management efforts, ensuring colonial nesting birds like herons, egrets, and pelicans have safe breeding sites free from human disturbance and predators. Through policy advocacy, public engagement, and partnerships with landowners, we work to maintain and restore these critical ecosystems.

Supporting Landowner Stewardship  

Strengthening landowner incentives is key to private stewardship in Texas. Programs like the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program (TFRLCP) help preserve working lands and essential bird habitats. Sustainable funding mechanisms are essential for long-term conservation success, and we support efforts to secure robust state funding through the budget process and other innovative funding models to preserve this critical investment.

Advancing Climate Resilience

Birds are on the frontlines of climate change, with shifting migration patterns, habitat loss, and extreme weather affecting their survival. That’s why we champion policies that promote responsibly-sited clean energy expansion while ensuring wind and solar developments are responsibly sited, minimizing risks to bird populations and habitats. Smart energy policies help reduce carbon emissions while protecting species at risk from climate-related threats.

Conserving Water for Birds and Communities

Water is life for birds, people, and Texas’ diverse ecosystems —  from coastal wetlands to inland rivers. Audubon promotes policies for sustainable water management, including efforts to enhance water conservation, safeguard drinking water supplies, and maintain the health of Texas’s rivers, bays, estuaries, and wetlands. Investing in nature-based solutions—such as restoring wetlands to filter pollutants and buffer against flooding—benefits our shared ecosystems.

Engaging Communities in Conservation

Ensuring access to outdoor spaces fosters a strong conservation ethic and connects communities with nature. We support initiatives that expand access to nature, particularly in areas with limited opportunities, to encourage greater engagement with the environment. Expanding STEM education and workforce development is critical to the future of conservation. We also advocate for increased public funding and programs that introduce youth and young professionals to conservation careers while promoting environmental literacy and leadership skills.

Our Commitment

Audubon Texas is committed to bending the bird curve—reversing bird population declines through targeted conservation strategies. Whether strengthening protections for Gulf Coast habitats, working with landowners to preserve native grasslands, or advocating for smart energy policies, we support actions that ensure Texas’ landscapes remain vibrant and resilient.

Conservation requires collaboration, and we look forward to working alongside lawmakers, industry leaders, landowners, and communities to develop pragmatic solutions that benefit both birds and our communities — today and for future generations.

With your support, we can continue advocating for a healthier, more resilient Texas. To learn more about our policy initiatives and how you can get involved, visit Audubon Texas’s policy and advocacy page.