Eight years of monitoring support Texas hornshell conservation in the Devils River

Researchers waded carefully through the Devils River, snorkeling below the surface and searching the riverbed for freshwater mussels. The recent sampling trip marked the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute’s (NRI) eighth year of monitoring the Texas hornshell, Popenaias popeii, a federally endangered species found within the Rio Grande basin. The annual surveys provide long-term biological data that help researchers and resource managers track the species, understand changes in its habitat and guide conservation and recovery efforts.

Wild pigs, hard questions and the art of managing the unmanageable

Texas landowners have no shortage of questions about wild pigs. NRI is putting those questions to work through a new video series and a growing collection of educational resources.

NRI Special Edition Sourcebook: Mapping the work of conservation

NRI’s new Mapping Sourcebook brings together research and partnerships that help us understand changing landscapes and make informed conservation decisions.

Texas Invasive Plant Solutions (TIPS) Cost-Share Program

Controlling invasive plant species improves the health and productivity of forest ecosystems, but it can be expensive and laborious. Therefore, the Texas A&M Forest Service offers a reimbursement cost-share program, the Texas Invasive Plant Solutions (TIPS) Cost-Share, to support the removal or treatment of invasive plant species in forests across Texas. The program covers 75% of treatment or removal costs, up to $7,000 per landowner.

NRI broadens cultural resources program through national partnerships

Kate Plimpton and Alejandra Rodriguez represented the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI) at the Society for American Archaeology Annual Conference in San Francisco, where they shared how NRI’s conservation science experience can support long-term cultural resource stewardship on military lands.

America’s Longleaf highlights 2025 accomplishments with annual report

America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative is thrilled to announce the release of the 2025 Range-wide Accomplishment Report! Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of our many dedicated partners, America’s Longleaf has made great progress in restoring and caring for longleaf pine forests, to the tune of over 1.9 million acres of management activities.

Lone Star Healthy Streams program set for Sept. 15 in Nacogdoches

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Water Resources Institute, NRI and the Department of Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University will host a free Lone Star Healthy Streams Program on Sept. 15 in Nacogdoches.

Endangered Species Act Toolbox: A Guide for Department of War Natural Resource Managers

Across Department of War (DoW) installations, natural resources managers operate at the intersection of mission execution and statutory conservation responsibilities. Military training and testing lands support high‑tempo operations while sustaining habitats for listed and at‑risk species. When mission activities intersect with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), installations need tools for early planning, coordinated action, and mission‑sustaining conservation solutions.

The ESA Toolbox, developed as part of the Recovery and Sustainment Partnership by the DoW’s Natural Resources Program and the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, provides installation natural resources managers and partners with a practical, mission‑focused resource for navigating ESA requirements while maintaining readiness.

Updated Texas Land Trends map shows where working lands face growing fragmentation risk

Texas is known throughout the world for its vast rural landscapes and agricultural heritage, yet much of the state’s population is concentrated in urban and suburban areas surrounding cities such as Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. Many of these cities developed as important centers of trade, transportation and agriculture, and their continued outward growth is reshaping the surrounding landscape. Today, Texas’s privately owned working lands, including farms, ranches and forests, encompass approximately 139 million acres, or 81 percent of the state’s total land area. It’s the stewardship of these lands that benefits all Texans by supporting environmental quality, supplying food and other natural resources, and sustaining rural communities and economies.

Landowners invited to learn about Camp Bullis RCPP conservation resources during Aug. 13 webinar

Landowners in the Hill Country and Camp Bullis region are invited to attend two upcoming events focused on land stewardship resources and conservation opportunities available through the Camp Bullis Regional Conservation Partnership Program.