About TCPI

PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Conservation Easements.  Landowners may enter voluntary conservation easements with a qualified land trust to permanently protect these vital conservation lands. TCPI funds will pay landowners 50% of the value of a conservation easement.

Habitat Management. Landowners may receive financial assistance in planning and implementing management practices to enhance and improve wildlife habitat.TCPI funds are available to private landowners who share in the cost of eligible practices.

STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS

The coastal prairie ecosystem requires large contiguous protected areas to survive, as the foraging, mating, and brood-rearing requirements of many species require large, connected areas of land to maintain healthy populations. Protected landscapes are also vital as stopover habitat for migratory birds in the Central Flyway.

In Texas, where approximately 95% of lands are privately owned, unprotected lands along the Texas Gulf Coast are under significant threat of development or fragmentation. TCPI partners have identified critical coastal prairie habitat zones of at least 5,000 acres that can sustain the coastal prairie ecosystem on a landscape level. While any project within the 13-county area may be eligible if it meets the criteria for the TCPI, those within the strategic zones will be prioritized.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

Farmers, ranchers, and landowners who own agricultural or natural lands within the 13-county region that includes Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Matagorda, Victoria, Waller, and Wharton counties are eligible to be considered for the program. Within the 13-county area, projects that are located within the identified strategic focus areas are prioritized.

Project proposals are prepared and submitted in coordination with local TCPI partner staff who work with individual landowners. Approved projects will meet eligibility requirements established by TCPI partners.

WHAT IS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT?

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified land trust to protect the conservation values of a property. This may include the natural habitats of wildlife or plants, or the preservation of open space – including farms, ranches, pasture land, or forest. 

After an agreement is entered, the land trust will visit at least once a year to ensure that the terms of the agreement are being met. Landowners who place a conservation easement on their land continue to enjoy the ranch or farm for decades to come, knowing it will be protected even when passed down within the family or sold to a new owner.

WHAT HABITAT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ARE INCLUDED?

The TCPI is expanding access to NRCS funded practices that improve native plant biodiversity and improve water quality.  These practices may include brush and invasive species control, native prairie restoration, protection of riparian areas, wetlands enhancement, grazing management, and other practices that improve wildlife habitat on working lands. TCPI representatives may visit with producers to identify suitable practices for the property in alignment with program goals.

HOW TO APPLY

Local TCPI partner staff work with individual landowners who are interested in the program. Approved projects will meet eligibility requirements established by TCPI partners.

TCPI partners are currently accepting Conservation Easement and Habitat Management projects for Round Three funding with the deadline to submit projects set for Friday, September 13, 2024. Please contact TCPI by emailing tcpi-info@coastalprairieconservancy.org or through the online contact form in order to be contacted by a TCPI partner regarding a potential project.

Free Conservation Planning and Technical Assistance is available to landowners year-round to develop a conservation plan.

GET INVOLVED

In addition to the generous funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, partners rely on the generosity of philanthropic donors to fund this important work. Please email Ali Dodson at adodson@coastalprairieconservancy.org if you are interested in supporting the conservation of the Texas Coastal Prairie.