2,257 More Acres of Hill Country Landscape Protected Forever
A trio of new Texas Hill Country area conservation easements are part of TLC’s many recent successes. The Texas Hill Country—which boasts the greatest number of pristine streams in the state and is home to countless rare and endemic plants and animals—is a significant focus area for the organization, and includes three of our six priority watersheds.
Las Palmas – Real County – 1203 Acres
Along the upper reaches of the Nueces River, north of towns Camp Wood and Barksdale, sits a Moroccan-inspired horse stable and arena built by Douglas B and Margaret Cullen Marshall. The beautiful facilities were home to award winning Arabian horses for two decades. The current owners have committed a significant part of this gorgeous ranch to be protected with a conservation easement. Over 2 miles of the upper Nueces River frontage along with its pristine waters and riparian corridor are among the key conservation values of the property. The river valley boasts impressive scenic views along public roadways. The vast open space includes lush savannah grasslands and shrublands grazed by a herd of American bison, and the wooded oak/juniper hillsides that rise from the valley will always remain unmarred.
Cardwell Sunshine Ranch – Sutton County – 993 Acres
Roughly between the three rural Texas Hill Country towns of Junction, Rocksprings, and Sonora, lies Sutton County’s first conservation easement on the Cardwell Sunshine Ranch. Dawn, David, and Eric Cardwell inherited the Cardwell Sunshine Ranch, a portion of the original 10,000 acre Cardwell Ranch founded in 1908.
The landowners are deeply passionate about the family land, its hunting and ranching legacy, and ensuring the land doesn’t get subdivided any further. The property lies on the divide between the North and South forks of the Llano River, one of TLC's priority watersheds recognized for its still-intact ecosystems and opportunity for landscape-scale conservation. Its upland savanna grasslands and shrublands include native grasses that are particularly absent of invasive grasses like KR Bluestem. It also lies among the far southeastern extent of unique Edwards Plateau upland playas/depressions that are primarily along the divide between the Upper Devils River and Colorado River basins.
Murray Hodges Oaks – Kendall County – 61 Acres
Murray Hodges Oaks is a modest Hill Country tract just outside the charming town of Kendalia in booming Kendall County. Don't be fooled by its size, this property has significant plant and wildlife diversity and provides vital ecosystem services to the surrounding area which is experiencing explosive growth and development. Springs, lush riparian corridors, limestone bluffs, scenic views, and classic oak/juniper forest supporting the beloved Golden-cheeked Warbler are what make this property important. Texas Land Conservancy is proud to partner with the landowner to achieve their life-long goals of conservation for the property.
We are extremely grateful to the landowners across the state who have made the commitment to permanently conserve their land. In addition, we’d like to thank our members and supporters – YOU make this important work possible!
