Conserving land and way of life in Texas

The lands, waters and open spaces of Texas are a part of our history, our character and our way of life.

The acres around us are more than just land; they’re part of our Texas identity.

About 85 percent of all Texans live in urban areas, and as our cities grow, they put more pressure on our farms, ranches, forests and scenic places.

Texas loses an average of 73,000 acres of land a year to development — and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

That’s why it’s more important than ever that we help conserve our state’s irreplaceable lands, waters and cultural heritage.

Our farms, ranches, forests and scenic views also are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Middle-class ranchers are being forced to sell off lands that have been in families for generations. And when the land is lost, so is a way of life.

To counter these losses, our land trust members work with landowners to implement an innovative and entirely voluntary form of land conservation that keeps landscapes open, natural and available for productive agricultural use — while also keeping them in the hands of private owners.

This method, known as a conservation easement, allows landowners to donate their development rights — often a tract’s most valuable asset — in exchange for an income tax deduction.

This approach has been tremendously successful across the state, and Texas now has more than 930,000 acres of irreplaceable lands protected by conservation easements.

In Denton County, landowner Skip Barnett worked to protect a ranch that’s been in his family since 1888.

Over the past 125 years, the land around the ranch has changed drastically.

Today, the covered wagons and horses of the past have given way to highways and housing developments.

However, working with the Connemara Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust set up to protect land in North Texas, the Barnett family has placed 990 acres of native grasslands and cropland under two adjacent land trusts, ensuring that the ranch is protected forever.

Local conservation success stories are possible largely because of a federal tax incentive put into place in 2006.

Unfortunately, Congress allowed this law to expire, leaving in limbo landowners who want to place lands into conservation. Deals such as these in our communities are hanging in the balance.

When Congress returns from its summer recess in September, the clock will be ticking for our senators to take urgent action to restore this vital conservation tool and make it permanent.

At a time when Washington seems hopelessly gridlocked, this conservation incentive is a welcome source of bipartisan agreement.

Politicians from across the political spectrum support making the tax incentive permanent — in fact, it passed the U.S. House of Representatives this year with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Many House members from Texas voted for this important measure, and it’s now pending in the Senate.

Making this tax incentive permanent would represent the most significant conservation achievement this century — and we’re closer than ever to realizing it.

For the sake of our lands, our waters and our future generations, we ask the Senate, including Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, to act to restore and make permanent the land conservation tax incentive before the end of this year.

Our beautiful landscapes are a part of what defines and inspires Texans of all ages, and preventing the loss and fragmentation of Texas’ natural heritage is important to us all.

Lori Olson is executive director of the Texas Land Trust.

This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Conserving land and way of life in Texas."