Creative Solutions for Species Management: The ESA Toolbox

Today, the DOD manages over 500 species listed as either threatened or endangered under the ESA and hundreds more “species-at-risk” that may warrant federal protection in the future. The DOD is committed to providing conditions compatible with conducting military training, testing, and operational missions while ensuring the conservation of ecosystems on which these species depend. However, in some circumstances, overlap between military mission activities and species habitats can result in area access and training constraints. Creatively managing the military mission and species conservation can reduce—or even eliminate—potential conflicts.

NRI Announces Funding for Land Management to Private Landowners within the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape

The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI), through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), is offering over $1 million in funding to support private landowners within the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape.

Advancing military readiness and ecological resiliency in the Hill Country

NRI facilitates private land conservation through the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Range-wide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine Released

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests once dominated the landscape of the Southeastern United States. From the Atlantic coastal plain of southeastern Virginia to the West Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas, these forests encompassed over 90 million acres and represented an extraordinary wealth and diversity of cultural, ecological, and socio-economic values.

When America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative (America’s Longleaf) was first formed, the extent of longleaf pine forests had been greatly reduced with an estimated 3.4 million acres remaining. Through the collaborative restoration and conservation efforts of partners involved in America’s Longleaf, that downward trend has been reversed and the current data indicate that the acreage of longleaf pine has increased to approximately 5.2 million acres. This progress is encouraging, but there is still much work to be done to achieve the restoration goals outlined in this Conservation Plan.

What Landowners Need to Know as We Reflect on 50 Years of the Endangered Species Act

To reflect on 50 years of the Endangered Species Act this fall is to acknowledge the nation’s wildlife and wild places in its simplest form. At the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, it's an opportunity to appreciate the research at the nexus of national security, conservation, and healthy working lands. Every day, we look to strengthen wildlife conservation and to keep working lands sustainable.

Service Seeks Public Input on Plan to Expand Ocelot Range in South Texas

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public input on an application for an Enhancement of Survival Permit associated with a proposed Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement with the East Foundation that would support the recovery of endangered ocelots by expanding their range in South Texas.

Defending Wildlife and Wildlands in the Hill Country

By Azalia Rodriguez, Defenders of Wildlife

As the Texas Hill Country landscape continues to change, local wildlife is being pushed to its limits.  Golden-cheeked Warbler populations are declining, indicator species in our waterways are disappearing, and migratory birds are being directed off their natural flight pathway.

Announcing the 2024 Sentinel Landscape Designation Cycle

The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is thrilled to launch the 2024 Sentinel Landscape Designation Cycle! 

Plan unveiled to protect the future of 1 million acres of salt marsh along U.S. South Atlantic coast

The “Marsh Forward: A Regional Plan for the Future of the South Atlantic Coast’s Million-Acre Salt Marsh Ecosystem” has officially launched! The culmination of two years of work by dedicated partners, the Plan outlines key strategies, objectives and actions to achieve our goal to enhance the long-term abundance, health, and resilience of the approximately 1 million acres of salt marshes within the South Atlantic states to ensure no overall loss of the benefits these wetlands provide to fish, wildlife and people. It will guide our way as we Marsh Forward together and shift our focus from developing the plan to implementing it.

The 2023 REPI Report to Congress is here

We are pleased to share that the REPI Program has officially delivered the 2023 REPI Report to Congress. The congressional report provides information on the REPI Program and supportive DOD efforts to conserve land and address threats to military readiness from development pressures, environmental constraints, and extreme weather events. 

Read the 2022 Sentinel Landscapes Accomplishments Report

The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership Federal Coordinating Committee (FCC) is thrilled to announce three significant milestones: the 2022 Sentinel Landscapes Accomplishments Report, the designation of the South Carolina Lowcountry Sentinel Landscape, and the partnership’s 10-year anniversary. 

AgriLife Today: Natural Resources Institute aids in Florida gopher tortoise recovery

Collaborative effort celebrates recent achievements and outlines future goals.

First Steps: Gopher tortoise hatchlings indicate relocation success

A keystone species found in the southeastern U.S., the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) was listed as threatened in the western part of its range in 1987 and warranted for listing as threatened in the eastern part of its range in 2011, primarily due to the destruction and fragmentation of its native habitat. These findings prompted action among conservation groups to begin captive breeding or relocation programs to bolster population numbers and ensure that existing populations have safe habitats.

Announcing the new statewide assessment: Putting a dollar amount to Texas ecosystem services

Promoting the long-term sustainability and stewardship of natural resources begins with a basic understanding of ecosystem services and their public benefits. Ideally, the ability to assign monetary value can illustrate the importance of their fundamental contributions to society. An analysis like this can serve to support land conservation strategies and policies to promote the conservation of open spaces and natural resources.

The Fight to Save Florida's Key Deer - B&C Impact Series

You won’t find Key deer in the Boone and Crockett Club’s records. There isn’t even a hunting season for these tiny deer living in the Florida Keys. That doesn’t mean Boone and Crockett Club members turned a blind eye to this whitetail subspecies that was going extinct in the 1940s. B&C members Jay N. “Ding” Darling and C.R. Gutermuth worked to end market hunting of Key deer and protect essential habitat to ensure their survival well into the future. This is how they pulled it off.

When an NRI Aggie travels to Antarctica

Antarctica is an idyllic land that, for centuries, has drawn explorers to its shores in search of knowledge and renown. More than ever, the effects of climate change are visibly stretching across its vast frozen landscapes, calling out to scientists and climate activists in search for answers.

Texas' first wildlife film is here

Deep in the Heart is a visually stunning celebration of Texas’ diverse landscapes and remarkable wildlife found nowhere else. Narrated by Matthew McConaughey, the film aims to conserve our remaining wild places, to show the connectivity of water and wildlife, and to recognize Texas’ conservation importance on a continental scale.

Texan by Nature Partners with EOG Resources, NRI & EcoMetrics LLC to Quantify Economic Value of Rangeland Restoration

Texan by Nature (TxN) announced a new partnership with EOG Resources Inc. (EOG), Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI), and EcoMetrics, LLC (ECO) collaborating on a 2-year project to quantify the environmental and economic return of restoring rangeland in the Eagle Ford shale play with native vegetation.