Stewarding the Future: Conservation Insights & Impact The Stewards of the Wild Statewide Conservation Committee Newsletter Issue 3 | May 2026
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The Laguna Madre: Mother of our Texas Coast |
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The expansive Laguna Madre that runs along Texas’ southern coast can look barren at first glance—but as Dr. Kim Withers makes clear, it is anything but. Just beneath its stark surface lies one of the most unusual and finely balanced ecosystems on Earth.
Dr. Withers, Associate Professor of Biology at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, has been a lifelong student of the Laguna Madre, researching it for the past four decades. “One of the most unique and important aspects of the Laguna is its 400+ square miles of wind tidal flats,” says Withers. “I did my dissertation in 1990 on those tidal flats, and that was sort of the beginning of my love affair with the Laguna Madre.”
“It’s a true lagoonal system,” Withers explains, noting that unlike most estuaries, it has limited, intermittent connection to the Gulf. With almost no river input, evaporation drives salinity to extreme levels, often far saltier than seawater. Globally, only a handful of hypersaline lagoons exist, making the Laguna Madre exceptionally rare. Together with the Laguna Madre de Tamaulipas, just to the south in Mexico, it is the largest and arguably the most famous hypersaline lagoon in the world.
What makes the system even more remarkable is how it functions. Historically, it has operated in a natural “boom-and-bust” cycle. Infrequent but influential hurricanes would open passes and flood the lagoon with fresh rainwater, lowering salinity and boosting fisheries. Over time, evaporation would resume, salinity would rise, and productivity would decline. “This boom-bust cycle was the way that the system functioned,” Withers says.
“The Tamaulipas system still works this way, and the Texas Laguna functioned that way until they dredged the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW),” said Withers. That dredging of the shipping channel, completed around 1949, reduced salinity extremes and marked the start of seagrass expansion. “The reason there's seagrass in the Laguna Madre now is at least in part due to the GIWW. Prior to it being dredged, as much as I’ve been able to tell, there was little to no seagrass in the upper Laguna Madre.”
Today these underwater grasses — made up of shoal, manatee, and turtle grasses—account for almost 80 percent of all Texas seagrass beds, providing critical habitat for endangered species like Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and serving as fertile nursery and feeding grounds for popular sportfish like red drum, spotted seatrout and flounder, and for numerous invertebrates (crabs, shrimp, mollusks, etc.).
But to fully understand the elaborate food web of the Laguna Madre, we must circle back to Dr. Withers’ favorite element of the lagoon—its vast wind tidal flats. Here, a thin mat of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae in layman’s terms) grows, serving as the very foundation of the Laguna’s food chain. Though easy to overlook, these flats and what they provide are essential. “Most people look at those tidal flats, and they think there’s nothing out there… but there’s a lot, and it’s all working.”
“And those tidal flats are also associated with the beach and washover passes. It’s all part of a coastal mosaic,” says Withers. “You have the beach that, with the right kind of tides, can provide lots of exposure for birds to feed. Then there are the washover passes, where birds fly back and forth and may roost. And then there are the tidal flats, which, when exposed, also have lots of food. The beach is usually exposed when the tidal flats are not, and vice versa, and so that complex of habitat is what provides the resources that these shorebirds need.”
But even subtle shifts can disrupt this delicate system. As sea levels rise, vegetation begins to take hold, and birds that are visual foragers lose critical habitat. Sea level rise is also making it harder for cyanobacteria to survive. The key to maintaining the life-sustaining cyanobacteria mat is long exposure (to air) and short inundation (by water). Too much inundation, and the cyanobacteria will actually drown. Gradual sea level rise is making inundation more regular and longer lasting.
And the effects over decades are slowly surfacing, at least anecdotally. “When I was working on my dissertation, the thickness of the mat was probably 1.5 to 2 inches thick, and you just don't find that thickness anymore because it's harder for the cyanobacteria to grow up.” This is where millimeters make a difference, and further thinning of the mat could eventually ripple upward through the food web and disrupt fish and bird populations alike.
Despite these changes over time, the Laguna Madre remains remarkably resilient, largely because so much of it is protected. More than two-thirds of the lagoon is sheltered by two large conservation-focused private ranches, the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, and Padre Island National Seashore, which serve as a buffer for the critical habitat and help preserve both water quality and function.
If you want to dig deeper under the surface of the Laguna Madre, we recommend you start with The Laguna Madre of Texas and Tamaulipas, Revised Edition, co-authored by Dr. Withers. And if you ever have the chance to see the Laguna Madre in person, we encourage you to look past the stillness and witness our wild things hard at work sustaining life at scale.
----------------------------------------------------------------------Additional Reading/Resources:
Home - The Lower Laguna Madre Estuary Program Laguna Madre – WHSRN Texas Parks & Wildlife TV Series: Laguna Madre Feature Mother Lagoon - Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine
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Avian Flu in Texas: What You Need to Know
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Avian flu is back in Texas, and it’s something anyone who cares about wildlife should have on their radar. Officially known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the virus has been present in Texas since 2022 and continues to show up in wildlife, particularly during migration season.
So, what does that actually mean for conservation, and for those of us who spend time in the field? “HPAI is a flu virus, a zoonotic flu virus,” explains Dr. Sara Wyckoff, wildlife veterinarian with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). “That means infected animals can pass it to people.”
The virus primarily affects wild birds, where it can be especially severe. Infected birds often show neurological symptoms, such as stumbling, inability to fly, tremors or appearing disoriented. “Usually when they have clinical signs, they will pass away within 24 to 48 hours,” Wyckoff says.
In Texas, cases tend to cluster in a few predictable areas: the Panhandle, Central Texas and the coast.
Each hotspot has its own explanation. In the Panhandle, large numbers of migratory waterfowl gather in playas, creating ideal conditions for the virus to spread. In urban areas like Austin, scavenger species like black vultures can perpetuate outbreaks by feeding on infected carcasses. Along the coast, dense populations of waterbirds and seabirds increase transmission risk.
Seasonality also plays a role. “We’ve been having detections every year that spike in the winter time when migration happens,” Wyckoff notes.
While birds remain the primary concern, scientists are paying close attention to the virus’s movement into mammals. In Texas, cases have been documented in species like foxes, skunks, raccoons, cattle, and even domestic cats. That shift is one reason HPAI is considered a “One Health” issue affecting wildlife, agriculture and human health alike.
“It’s actually a statewide agency collaborative effort,” Wyckoff explains, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department handling wildlife cases while other agencies respond to livestock and human health concerns.
The good news is the risk to the general public remains low. “Even though this disease is zoonotic, it is a low risk of transmission for people,” Wyckoff says. Most human cases have been mild and linked to close contact with infected livestock, not wildlife. For hunters, landowners and outdoor enthusiasts, the guidance is straightforward and familiar.
“Stay away from dead wildlife. Don’t go towards sick wildlife,” she says. If contact does occur, simple precautions—washing hands, changing clothes, and monitoring for symptoms and contacting your primary health care provider if you feel unwell—are effective safeguards.
For now, HPAI cases typically decline in warmer months and return in the fall. “Late fall is when we’ll start to see them spike again because of migration,” Wyckoff says.
The bigger concern isn’t today’s risk, but what comes next. “The bigger concern is just watching the strains to see how they change over time,” she adds. That’s why ongoing monitoring, testing and public awareness remain critical.
For Stewards of the Wild members, the advice is simple but important: stay observant and report what you see. If you encounter sick or dead wildlife, contact your local TPWD biologist. And remember, good stewardship sometimes means keeping your distance. Because in this case, giving wildlife space is one of the best ways to protect both animals and people.
----------------------------------------------------------------------Additional Reading/Resources:
Texas Animal Health Commission Avian Influenza | Texas DSHS Avian Influenza | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service USDA HPAI Wild Bird Detections USDA HPAI Wild Mammal Detections
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Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Conservation at the Capitol
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An interview with:
John Shepperd (JS), Executive Director, Texas Foundation for Conservation
David Yeates (DY), Director of Strategic Initiatives, TPWF
Q: As we look ahead to the next legislative session, where do things stand?
JS: “We’re coming off a Session where we held steady. Our major conservation victories in 2025 were killing a bunch of bad bills. We didn’t lose anything, and sometimes the most important thing is keeping things from going backward. That puts you in a position to move things forward next time.”
Legislative leaders recently released their committee charges, which are formal directives issued by the Speaker of the Texas House and Lieutenant Governor that instruct House and Senate committees what to study ahead of the next Session. Typically, the interim charges are a springboard for bills that will be filed in the upcoming Session.
DY: “This is when a lot of groundwork happens. Those interim charges really drive the conversation heading into the next session.”
Q: What issues from the last session are most likely to carry forward?
JS: “Funding is still the big one. We didn’t get the stopgap funding for Fund 9, and we didn’t get funding for the farm and ranch lands program. Those issues are going to come back.”
Fund 9 is the primary state account that funds critical TPWD functions, supported largely by hunting and fishing license sales and boat registration fees. It helps fund wildlife management, fisheries, and law enforcement operations. Unfortunately, due to rising costs and mandated salary increases, Fund 9 is projected to run into the red before 2030. If unaddressed, this would mean a reduction in the important services TPWD provides for the people of Texas.
DY: “That’s where you’re going to see continued focus because it is critical to make sure TPWD has sustainable funding. We also expect to see some attention on the New World Screwworm, which could devastate both cattle and wildlife populations, particularly in South Texas.
These conversations are already underway. The House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee will evaluate the long-term sustainability of Fund 9 and identify potential solutions and provide an update on the Screwworm Action Plan.
Q: How is the focus on water shaping the conservation conversation?
DY: “Water is going to be front and center. It already is. That conversation touches everything—land, wildlife, people, and economic development.”
JS: “You can’t separate water from conservation. It’s all connected.”
The House Natural Resources Committee will study groundwater management, long-term water supply strategies, and regional planning to meet future demand.
Q: Coastal conservation—especially oysters—saw some movement last session. What’s next?
JS: “For the first time in a while, we didn’t have bad oyster bills. We had good ones, and those were primarily focused on oyster mariculture. If that industry can really get on its feet, it will ultimately reduce the pressure on public oyster reefs.”
That work is continuing through the House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee, which will review oyster reef health, mariculture expansion, and the effectiveness of the commercial oyster license buyback program.
Q: Energy development, particularly wind, is also a focus. What are you watching there?
JS: “There’s definitely more attention on wind turbines and where they’re located, especially around migratory bird paths and sensitive areas.”
DY: “That conversation is evolving. It’s not just about development, it’s about impacts, and what happens over the life of those projects.”
On the Senate side, the Natural Resources Committee will study renewable energy development more closely, including the decommissioning of wind and solar facilities and long-term impacts on landowners and landscapes.
Q: What should conservation advocates be paying attention to during the interim?
DY: “This is the time when a lot of these ideas start to take shape. The issues that are being studied now in the committee hearings will show up next session.”
JS: “You’re already seeing focus on things like water, oyster reef health, and funding. Those issues aren’t going away.”
Beyond that, the House Agriculture and Livestock Committee will examine invasive species and agricultural resilience, issues that directly intersect with habitat health and land stewardship across Texas.
Q: What’s the outlook heading into the next session?
JS: “In a session like the last one, success doesn’t always look flashy. Sometimes it’s just holding the line.”
DY: “And now it’s about building on that. Making sure the priorities we’ve been talking about actually move forward.”
Q: How can Stewards of the Wild members stay engaged and make a difference?
DY: “Staying informed is the first step. Pay attention to what committees are studying during the interim. That’s where the next session’s priorities are taking shape.”
JS: “And don’t underestimate the value of staying connected. Whether it’s through organizations you support, conversations in your community, or simply keeping up with the issues, those voices matter.”
For those who want to follow along, committee hearings and agendas are publicly available through the Texas House and Senate, offering a real-time look at the issues being discussed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------Additional Reading/Resources:
Texas House of Representatives | Committee Schedule The Texas Senate | Committee Hearings and Events Texas House of Representatives | Interim Committee Charges Lieutenant Governor of Texas | Interim Charges
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Karst Terrain, Ecosystems Eons in the Making
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As April rains have given way to the last days of spring, millions are making plans for another memorable Texas summer. Days are filled with swimming at Barton, Comal, and a variety of other springs; watching the nightly bat flights at Old Tunnel, Devil’s Sinkhole, or Bracken Cave Preserve; escaping the heat to explore a cache of caves, from Longhorn Caverns State Park to Inner Space Cavern, Natural Bridge Caverns, the charming Wonder World of San Marcos. And more. These classic traditions are rites of passage for rising generations of Texans each summer.
Many of Texas’ best summer spots can be found within the more than 15,000 caves, sinkholes, and springs that make up one of Texas’ most ecologically important ecosystems—karst. Karst landscapes have been shaped over millions of years as slightly acidic rainwater dissolves layers of limestone, carving subsurface networks of caves, fissures, sinkholes, and aquifers. In Texas, karst regions make up roughly one-third of the state, stretching across large portions of the Edwards Plateau and the Hill Country, as well as parts of West Texas.
These formations do far more than shape dramatic caves and clear springs. Karst systems are directly tied to the health of Texas water resources, wildlife habitat, and working lands as they capture rainfall and channel it underground. The most familiar example is the Edwards Aquifer, one of the world's most productive aquifers. Fed largely through karst recharge zones, the aquifer supplies drinking water to millions of Texans and sustains iconic spring systems including Barton Springs, Comal Springs, and San Marcos Springs. In healthy karst landscapes, rainwater is absorbed quickly into the ground rather than rushing across the surface, helping replenish groundwater reserves that become increasingly critical during periods of drought.
But the same porous qualities that make karst systems effective at storing water also make them vulnerable. Pollutants spilled or used over recharge zones can move rapidly underground with little natural filtration. As urban expansion spreads across Central Texas, protecting karst landscapes is essential to the health of the state’s current and future water infrastructure.
The creation of Government Canyon State Natural Area is just one example of karst conservation in action. It gained protection in 1993 and opened to the public in 2005. The more than 12,000-acre property sits at the heart of the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, where rainfall sifts through karst into the aquifer. With San Antonio relying primarily on the Edwards Aquifer for its drinking water, this move permanently protects a vast swath of critical recharge surface area for the aquifer.
Karst ecosystems also support an extraordinary range of wildlife, much of it found nowhere else on Earth. Within Texas caves lives an entire realm adapted to permanent darkness. Species such as the endangered Texas blind salamander and several rare cave spiders, beetles, and crustaceans have evolved without eyesight, relying instead on heightened senses to navigate subterranean waters and rock chambers. Many of these species exist only within single cave systems or narrow geographic ranges, making them especially sensitive to even the smallest disturbance.
Above ground, karst regions provide habitat for grassland and migratory birds, as well as numerous wildlife species that rely on spring-fed water and native grassland habitat. The limestone cliffs and caves of Central Texas also provide critical roosting habitat for bats, including millions of Mexican free-tailed bats that consume more than their weight in pests each night, providing immeasurable benefit to Texas farmers and ranchers.
What makes karst systems remarkable is that much of their ecological function remains invisible. A healthy spring flow may begin with rainfall absorbed miles away through fractured limestone. A rare salamander may survive only because water continues to move through hidden underground passages. Entire river systems depend on aquifers replenished underground and out of sight.
Given the outsized role karst terrain plays in sustaining wildlife and harvesting rainwater, Texas’ natural springs and caves are more than just good fun. In Texas, where water scarcity, population growth, and habitat loss present compounding challenges, karst zones represent one of the state’s most valuable natural assets. ----------------------------------------------------------------------Additional Reading/Resources:
Karst Waters Institute National Park Service | Caves and Karst
Edwards Aquifer Authority Texas State University | Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center
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Considerations for Conservation Easements
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In Texas, where more than 95 percent of the land is privately owned, the future of Texas’ lands, waters, and wildlife is in the hands of landowners. One of the most powerful and increasingly popular conservation tools for ranchers, farmers, and families to preserve their land and legacy is a conservation easement — a legal agreement that allows landowners to protect their property’s natural character while continuing to live and work on the land.
We sat down with BCS Chapter member and conservation attorney Kathryn Tancig to discuss all things conservation easements, who wasted no time clearing up one of the biggest misconceptions. “It’s important to first stress that conservation easements are entirely voluntary,” she explained. “You cannot be forced into one. It’s something that you place on your property because you want to.”
That distinction matters in Texas, where private property rights are deeply valued. A conservation easement does not transfer ownership of the land, and it doesn’t open private property to the public. Instead, it places permanent restrictions on certain types of development, often prohibiting future subdivision, limiting impervious cover, and protecting open space, wildlife habitat, water resources, and agricultural uses.
For many landowners, the appeal is just as personal as it is practical. Easements can keep property intact for future generations while still allowing traditional land uses such as grazing, wildlife management, hunting, and farming. “People who live and work on the land do a very, very good job of taking care of their land,” Tancig said. “Conservation easements kind of fill in that gap between outright public ownership and unchecked development.”
The conservation benefits extend well past property lines. As we touched on in our karst zones story, by limiting impervious cover (think pavement and rooftops), easements help keep aquifer recharge zones open and unobstructed, reduce runoff and flooding, and protect downstream water quality. Many easements in Texas cap impervious cover at around two percent, helping ensure rainwater continues to filter into the soil to replenish groundwater supplies.
Tancig noted that conservation easements also safeguard something harder to quantify—a sense of place. “There’s a factor in the IRS code that talks about the scenic enjoyment of open space,” she explained. “If privately owned open space is visible by the general public, that viewshed creates aesthetic scenic enjoyment benefits for the members of the general public.” For Texans watching more rural landscapes being divvied up for development, increasingly scarce scenic views are intrinsically tied to quality of life.
Though conservation easements can protect the land, they can also provide meaningful financial benefits for landowners. When a landowner donates a conservation easement, the restrictions reduce the property’s fair market value by limiting or removing its development potential. According to Tancig, that reduction is often significant.
“A conservation easement is typically worth 40 to 60 percent of the fair market value, depending on the location of the property,” she said. “The closer you are to an urban area, the more your development rights are going to represent of that full fair market value.”
That lost development value can then be claimed as a federal income tax deduction. Conservation easement deductions are especially favorable under federal tax law, allowing landowners to deduct up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income annually, with a carryover period extending up to 15 additional years. For families with large landholdings, easements can also reduce estate tax burdens by lowering the taxable value of inherited property, potentially helping heirs retain ownership rather than sell land to cover taxes.
Tancig also stressed that donated conservation easements generally do not mean more work for landowners. “The easement doesn’t impose added responsibilities for the landowner. You still have to manage and upkeep the property as if you would, whether the easement was on it or not.”
Some landowners also pursue purchased conservation easements through federal or local programs, allowing them to receive direct compensation in exchange for protecting the land. Programs through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, local aquifer protection initiatives, and bond-funded conservation initiatives can provide a real boost of financial support for working ranches and farms with lean budgets.
For many families, their motivation runs deeper than tax planning or economics. “I don’t think landowners are conserving their land to promote one particular benefit,” Tancig reflected. “I think it’s something deeper. The landscape itself, and the memories it evokes, really live deep within those connected to land,” she said. “Land gives us a sense of place, safety, wonder, and awe.”
Many of her clients are older Texans thinking about what legacy they want to leave, and how to ensure that a beloved property remains intact long after they are gone. “They want to have peace of mind knowing that after they die, this piece of land that they have stewarded and that means so much to them, is protected. It’s a way for them to honor the previous generation and protect subsequent generations.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Reading/Resources:
Texas Parks and Wildlife: Conservation Easements Conservation Easements - Tancig Law Conservation Easements Guidebook – Texas Land Trust Council Protect Your Land — Texas Land Conservancy Protect Your Land | Conservation Easements — Texas Agricultural Land Trust
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Upcoming Statewide Conservation Committee Hosted Events:
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Looking for resources to further your conservation knowledge? Log into your SOTW Chapter site (links below) and check out the "Conservation Connections" page!
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Thank you to our Stewards of the Wild statewide program sponsor! |
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The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is the leading wildlife research organization in Texas and one of the finest in the nation. Its mission is to provide science-based information for enhancing the conservation and management of wildlife in South Texas and related environments.
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Stewards of the Wild, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s conservation leadership program, equips emerging leaders aged 21 to 45 with opportunities to actively participate in the stewardship of Texas’ wild things and wild places by providing education, networking, and outdoor experiences.
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Copyright © 2026 Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation 6220 Gaston Ave. #700 Dallas, Texas 75214 |
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