Austin, Texas — Audubon Texas is pleased to announce the launch of its new, interactive Texas Landowner Toolkit—a comprehensive resource designed to assist private landowners in navigating the diverse array of conservation resources available in the state.
Anita Hoskins, Senior Private Lands Coordinator for Audubon Texas, says creating and improving bird habitat at scale depends on private lands, and that Audubon plays a key role in integrating bird-friendly practices into private land management. “But for many interested landowners, it can be like working through a maze to find the right conservation program. Whether they are looking for financial assistance, technical assistance, or conservation organizations, Audubon wanted to streamline the process and be a guide.”
The Texas Landowner Toolkit features three distinct pathways to cater to the unique needs of private landowners:
- The first pathway, "Explore my property," directs participants to lists, descriptions, and links of online informational resources that can be tailored to their land. Whether landowners seek information on soil types or the location of old pipelines, this pathway aims to guide them in the right direction.
- The second pathway, "Find Help With Conservation," provides short descriptions of a plethora of state, federal, and private conservation assistance programs. This page is intended to help participants uncover maximum opportunities for financial and technical support for land and habitat improvements.
- The third path, "Get Involved," assists landowners in learning more about volunteer opportunities and different conservation organizations in their area.
Hoskins says because conservation programs change over time, another goal for the tool is to keep it dynamic, reflecting available programs within the state. “We also hope to foster interest in Audubon as a private lands conservation resource by attracting new users to the site.”
Hoskins points out that the Audubon Conservation Ranching program, Audubon’s largest grassland habitat effort both nationally and in Texas, informed the development of the Texas Landowner Toolkit. A land certification program, Audubon has certified 14 ranches and over 88,000 acres in Texas as bird-friendly. “The certification is rooted in a ranch-specific habitat management plan, and bringing these plans to life means taking advantage of valuable existing conservation resources.”
For more information about the Texas Landowner Toolkit or Audubon Conservation Ranching in Texas, contact Anita Hoskins, Senior Private Lands Coordinator, at anita.hoskins@audubon.org.
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About Audubon Conservation Ranching
A wildlife habitat initiative of the National Audubon Society with a unique market connection, Audubon Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with ranchers – on whose land 95 percent of grassland birds live. Audubon Conservation Ranching’s enrollment includes over 100 ranches and nearly 3 million acres that have earned status as Audubon Certified bird-friendly land. Incentivizing this habitat work for birds and biodiversity are consumers with an appetite for conservation, who support it with the purchase of products grazed on these lands. Shoppers see a special package designation – the Audubon Certified bird-friendly seal – that sets these products apart. For more information, visit www.audubon.org/ranching.
Anthony Hauck, Communications Manager
Audubon Conservation Ranching Initiative
National Audubon Society
(651) 395-1379
