TALT Works To Conserve 250,000 Acres

Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) is joining forces with the Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and four land trusts in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Kansas to conserve more than 250,000 acres of vital grassland, benefiting wildlife and communities across the region.

The Southern High Plains Grassland Protection, Restoration and Enhancement Project is backed by a significant four-year, $4 million America the Beautiful grant awarded to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to support the Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV). The grant program is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and is an outgrowth of PLJV’s granting work with ConocoPhillips, which has a long history of supporting conservation initiatives across the country.

The PLJV partnership, which includes Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, Nebraska Land Trust, New Mexico Land Conservancy, Ranchland Trust of Kansas and TALT, represents a pioneering effort to protect and enhance working grasslands. With TALT’s active participation, this project aims to accelerate grassland protection by supporting transactional, acquisition and stewardship costs of new conservation easements; invest in regional outreach to landowners to encourage enrollment in permanent conservation easements; and restore and manage grassland to maintain high-quality blocks of grass to benefit wildlife.

“We believe in the power of innovation and collaboration to drive conservation forward, and we’re thrilled to be part of this new initiative,” said TALT CEO Chad Ellis. “Working with landowners in Texas and Oklahoma, we hope to foster best practices, drive ecosystem service markets, and perpetually safeguard the region’s natural treasures.”

TALT’s pivotal role within this initiative involves acquiring 100,000 acres in new conservation easements on working lands across Texas and Oklahoma. Beyond the immediate impact of acquiring conservation easements, TALT is pioneering additive conservation through ecosystem service markets. This innovative approach introduces novel tools and resources for landowners, highlighting the value of working lands and compensating them for their invaluable contributions to society and nature.

These ecosystem services markets, championed by TALT, exemplify a transformative strategy that not only preserves our cherished grasslands but also nurtures a sustainable future where the contributions of working lands are acknowledged and rewarded.