2024

AgriLife Today: Hibbitts adds herpetology expertise to Texas A&M Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology

New role, innovative classes introduce students to reptile and amphibian conservation, ecology

SERPPAS: Red-cockaded Woodpecker Downlisted

We are excited to share the announcement from the Department of Interior that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is downlisting the red-cockaded woodpecker from endangered to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act.

NRI Announces $2 Million for Conservation Easements in Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape

In response to the rapid urbanization surrounding Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, NRI is offering $1.9 million in funding through the USDA NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program. This funding is available to help private landowners within the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape area protect agricultural and open lands through conservation easements.

The Fall Sourcebook is Here

Directly from the field, the Fall 2024 NRI Sourcebook is here. Each year, we publish a digital collection of recently published peer-reviewed scientific publications, research reports, and resources developed to support the improvement of conservation, natural resource management, and private land stewardship. This collection is for you, your partners and community to use and share where we can collaborate to create resiliency.

Millions of bats call Texas home sweet home

Everything is indeed bigger in Texas, including its bat colonies. Texas has 33 species of bats, more than any other state, and is home to the largest bat colony in the world.

New SERPPAS publication provides overview of living shoreline permitting and regulatory review

In a new publication, “Overview of Living Shoreline Permitting and Regulatory Review in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi,” University of Georgia experts partnered with the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) to examine the use of “living shorelines” to stabilize the coastlines of military installations facing erosion and the regulatory landscape for project planners interested in implementing the nature-based solution.

Extension Publication released on Feral Pigs and Disease Concerns

The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI) released a new publication titled “Disease Concerns Associated with Feral Pigs” that covers the science behind the most common and emerging diseases associated with this animal and the way diseases are transmitted.

Farm and ranch lands program safeguards millions in water conservation, flood prevention and ag productivity

NRI released the 2024 evaluation report today for the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program (TFRLCP) publishing key findings to support the program’s efforts to help safeguard the public benefits derived from working lands.

Bighorn Sheep Relocation in Sonora, Mexico

Mountain sheep (Ovis spp.) abundance across North America has declined more than 60% from historic times due to factors such as overgrazing, habitat fragmentation, and disease transmission from domestic livestock and exotic species.

Sawdust Magazine: Q&A with Dr. Roel Lopez

Dr. Roel Lopez sits down with Stephen F. Austin University's Sawdust Magazine to share about how his time at SFA shaped both his research and his advocacy for a "learn by doing" style of teaching.

Lone Star Healthy Streams workshop set August 30th in Industry

Focus on watershed health and best management practices for grazing livestock, backyard poultry, and feral hogs.

Lone Star Healthy Streams workshop set August 13th in Wallisville

Focus on watershed health, soil health, and best management practices for pastures, livestock and feral hogs.

NFWF Announces Record $33.5 Million in Conservation Grants to Restore Longleaf Pine Habitat and Help At-Risk Wildlife

Supporting rural communities, this largest grant slate in program history will impact more than 500,000 acres of longleaf pine habitat, increase longleaf seedling capacity, and improve wildlife populations across eight southern states

NRI Scientists Mentor Youth in the Norman Borlaug Youth in Agriculture Program

Because we are uniquely positioned to speak on land trend issues, we seek to share our expertise about critical natural resource issues with all Texans. Most recently, we had the chance to mentor some of our future leaders and on how they can work together to improve Texas lands from their own hometowns.

Podcast Ep. #6: Small Acreage & Wildlife Management with Chase Brooke

The NRI podcast crew recently had an opportunity to sit down with Chase Brooke, an AgriLife Extension Small Acreage and Wildlife Management Specialist, to shed some light on the little bit of grit and luck it takes to steward your small slice of Texas and the wildlife that thrive because of healthy working lands.

NRI assists GOHUNT and NDOW team with a bighorn sheep research

NRI's Marcus Blum joins the Nevada Department of Wildlife to capture data to assess sheep health and determine if the sheep are sick with pneumonia.

Six Texas freshwater mussels, the “livers of the rivers,” added to endangered species list

AP News, Dallas—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared six species of freshwater mussels found in Central Texas as endangered and another as threatened. Environmental scientists refer to freshwater mussels as “the liver of the river” because they filter harmful substances like algae from bodies of water. But the species, once found in abundance in Central Texas, have declined in recent years due to population growth and development destroying its habitat.

Case Study Quantifies Value of Restored Native Vegetation in Eagle Ford Shale Play

College Station, TX—Texan by Nature (TxN), in partnership with EOG Resources Inc. (EOG),  EcoMetrics, LLC, and Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI), released report “Valuing Native Vegetation Restoration on Oil & Gas Rights of Way,” which details the results of a new case study designed to quantify the environmental and economic return of native rangeland restoration in the Eagle Ford Shale play.

Announcing the 2024 Sentinel Landscapes Designations

Today, the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, comprised of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), and Department of the Interior (DOI), announced the designation of five new sentinel landscapes. In these landscapes, natural and working lands thrive alongside military installations and ranges.

The ESA and the Role of Private Lands with Tiffany McFarland

One of the most important aspects of our work is sharing conservation knowledge and experiences with private landowners, citizen scientists, and policymakers. This exchange with the public is crucial for any kind of conservation success, and we are honored to share our findings through our researchers, experts, and communicators. For the last 15 years, one of NRI’s research associates, Tiffany McFarland, has been involved with the research and management of endangered species. This spring, she had the opportunity to visit with land stewards about the role of private lands and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Ranching & Wildlife Expo, where she shared background information about the ESA and why private land managers are so important to ensuring the longevity of rare species.

Texas A&M AgriLife wildlife data included in global study

As activity-related restrictions were implemented across the globe in early 2020 to slow the spread of COVID-19 — a period of reduced human movement referred to by researchers as the “anthropause” — biologists saw an extraordinary opportunity for research.

SERPPAS Protects Military Lands, Defense Communities, and the Coast

The southeastern United States is home to a large military presence and contributes to national security through the important land, sea, and air space needed for realistic training and testing. The military’s influence in the Southeast extends beyond defense; it drives economic growth for many communities, manages considerable natural resources, and owns vast tracts of undeveloped land.

African Swine Fever Negatively Impacts Global Pork Production

Diseases affecting wild and domestic swine (Sus scrofa) play a significant role in the success of the global pork industry. Supply chains have faced substantial challenges in recent years due to African swine fever (ASF), a highly contagious viral disease that affects both domestic and wild pigs. This virus is transmitted by direct contact with infected animals or indirect contact with contaminated objects. Symptoms in swine are characterized by high fevers, hemorrhages, and high mortality rates, reaching up to 100% in some cases. Fortunately, humans cannot contract ASF and no cases have been confirmed in the United States through the rigorous monitoring and surveillance protocols enacted by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS). However, the disease has still taken a substantial toll on global pork production and trade.

Podcast Ep. #5: Life Skills and Wild Pig Management with Jay Long

Managing species of all kinds from endangered to invasive, we were honored to have NRI’s Jay Long for Episode #5 of The Land Steward Podcast, “Life Skills and Wild Pig Management”. In true spirit, this episode is full of relatable challenges and prescriptive solutions that you can use today—what a great time to be a land steward.

Nevada’s first big-game moose hunt will be tiny as unusual southern expansion defies climate change

RENO, Nev. (AP) — In what will be a tiny big-game hunt for some of the largest animals in North America, Nevada is planning its first-ever moose hunting season this fall. Wildlife managers say explosive growth in Nevada moose numbers over the past five years, increasing to a population of more than 100, justifies the handful of harvests planned.

FFA Career Development Event at Long Acres Ranch

Agriculture itself changes very little. However, as we learn more, along with tools and technology advancement, our approach to agriculture changes. The next generation will build upon the current generation as it has always been done since the beginning of time to advance these agricultural changes.

AgriLife Today: Spring highways see increase in cold-blooded commuters

Texas A&M AgriLife experts share reasons for turtle sightings along roadways, ways to help

AgriLife Today: Wild turkeys are strutting into spring

Collaborative conservation efforts, research aim to bolster wild turkey populations across Texas

The Wildlife Society: Q&A: How to Conserve Wildlife Without Conflict

Imagine a world of conservation without conflict, where landowners, state and federal agencies, and environmental organizations all got along, working toward the common goal of helping imperiled species thrive.

It’s easy to see such a notion as a pipe-dream in a world fraught with endless lawsuits and protests. But one organization believes such a step is possible—in fact, they have made great achievements in the conservation world operating on such a principle in just over five years.

The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership Releases the 2023 Sentinel Landscapes Accomplishments Report

The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is pleased to announce that the 2023 Sentinel Landscapes Accomplishments Report is now available.

Podcast Ep. #4: Finding Natural Resource Professionals in Texas and Wildlife Tax Valuations

In the spirit of teaching and extending science, we were excited to kick off the new year with Episode #4 of The Land Steward Podcast, “Finding Natural Resource Professionals in Texas and Wildlife Tax Valuations”. This episode is chock full of personal and relatable experiences—what a great time to be a land steward.

NRI Partners Awarded Grants Through America the Beautiful Challenge

The Department of Defense’s (DOD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program is pleased to join the Council on Environmental Quality and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in announcing over $141 million in grants through the new America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC). The 74 new grants will support projects that conserve, restore, and connect habitats for wildlife while improving community and installation resilience across 46 states and three U.S. territories.

Sierra: Ocelots Find an Unlikely Haven in South Texas

A thick humidity lingers during most seasons in South Texas. Spiny hackberry, blackbrush, and other thorny plants create dense walls of vegetation. The Texas sun shines often, dousing the hundreds of thousands of acres of ranchland in near-white light. But upon closer look, one might catch a flash of a golden fur coat, spotted with black blotches and bands or big, luminous eyes peeking between a thicket of shrubland. These wild cats are ocelots—and they’re among the only two small populations remaining in the entire nation.