Coastal Prairie Conservancy

THE HEART OF THE KATY PRAIRIE SENSITIVE RIVERINE AND WETLANDS HABITAT INITIATIVE SEEKS FUNDING TO PERMANENTLY CONSERVE AND RESTORE CRITICAL HABITAT WITHIN THE TEXAS COASTAL PRAIRIE AN IMPERILED ECOSYSTEM THAT PROVIDES CRITICAL HABITAT FOR RESIDENT AND MIGRATORY WATERFOWL WATER BIRDS AND GRASSLAND BIRDS ALONG THE TEXAS MID COAST. THE TEXAS COAST HISTORICALLY IS ONE OF THE MAJOR WINTERING AREAS FOR WATERFOWL IN NORTH AMERICA. CONTINUED LOSSES IN HABITAT AND INCREASES IN HUMAN POPULATIONS HAVE HAD HUGE IMPACTS TO WATERFOWL ABUNDANCE MOVEMENTS AND ULTIMATELY WATERFOWL HEALTH AMONG THIS VERY IMPORTANT WINTERING AREA. THE COASTAL PRAIRIE CONSERVANCY (AKA THE KATY PRAIRIE CONSERVANCY) SEEKS TO CONSERVE 2515 ACRES IN COASTAL PRAIRIE CONSERVATION (CPCS) TARGET AREA THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENT AGREEMENTS WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS. THEY WILL PERMANENTLY PROTECT THE LANDS NATURAL AGRICULTURAL OR SCENIC RESOURCES AND CAN CONTRIBUTE TO LONG TERM CONSERVATION BENEFITS BY (1) PRESERVING NATURAL GRASSLANDS AND WETLANDS TO MAINTAIN HABITAT FOR NUMEROUS SPECIES (2) PROTECTING WATER QUALITY TO POSITIVELY IMPACT WATER RESOURCES FOR HUMAN COMMUNITIES AND WILDLIFE (3) SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PRACTICES TO MAINTAIN LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE AND RURAL ECONOMIES (4) PROMOTING OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES TO LOCAL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS (5) PROTECTING FLOODPLAINS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF PROPERTY DAMAGE AND PROTECT COMMUNITIES FROM THE IMPACTS OF FLOODING AND (6) CREATING WILDLIFE CORRIDORS FACILITATE MOVEMENT OF WILDLIFE BETWEEN FRAGMENTED HABITATS AND PLACES WHERE THEY CAN BREED ROOST REST AND LIVE. THE PROJECT PROPOSAL INCLUDES THE RESTORATION OF THE 100 ACRE GATOR LAKE TO SUPPORT VARIOUS BIRD SPECIES WHILE MAINTAINING THE WATERFOWL HABITAT WETLANDS AND PRAIRIE THE REST OF THE YEAR. DUCKS ESPECIALLY MOTTLED DUCKS USE THE LAKE EXTENSIVELY. ALSO GREEN WINGED AND BLUE WINGED TEAL MALLARD PINTAIL WIGEON GADWALL BLACK BELLIED AND FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS AS WELL AS KING RAIL LONG BILLED CURLEW MARBLED GODWIT HUDSONIAN GODWIT WILLET GULL BILLED DUNLIN PECTORAL SANDPIPER LESSER YELLOWLEGS. LONG BILLED DOWITCHER SNIPE SHORT EARED OWL AND MARSH WREN. THE PROJECT PROPOSAL WILL ESTABLISH 325 ACRES OF WETLANDS ESPECIALLY ON ABANDONED RICE FIELDS LOCATED PRIMARILY IN COASTAL COUNTIES. THESE ESTABLISHED WETLANDS PROVIDE INCREDIBLE HABITAT FOR BIRDS AND ARE MANAGED FOR THE LONG TERM BENEFIT OF NUMEROUS WETLAND GRASSLAND AND SONGBIRD SPECIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MOTTLED DUCK NORTHERN PINTAIL SCAUP RING NECKED DUCK AMERICAN WIDGEON BLUE AND GREEN WINGED TEAL GADWALL LONG BILLED CURLEW BLACK RAIL YELLOW RAIL KING RAIL AMERICAN BITTERN LEAST BITTERN BUFF BREASTED SANDPIPER AND BALD EAGLE. THESE PROJECTS WILL ALSO BENEFIT THE WHOOPING CRANE. CPC HAS PROTECTED OVER 31000 ACRES OF CONSERVED LANDS THROUGHOUT ITS NINE COUNTY REGION. SINCE 1997 NAWCA SUPPORT HAS HELPED CPC EXPAND ITS PROTECTED LANDS. FUTURE NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT (NAWCA) SUPPORT CAN HELP CPC INCREASE THE PACE OF CONSERVATION. THE RISK FOR DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PROJECTS PROPOSED FOR PERMANENT CONSERVATION IS HIGH AS THE SURROUNDING AREAS ARE SEEING THE THREAT NOT ONLY OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT BUT ALSO OF WIND AND SOLAR FARM DEVELOPMENT AT A COMMERCIAL SCALE. THE THREE OAKS TRACT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KATY PRAIRIE PRESERVE AND ITS CONSERVATION WILL FILL IN ONE OF THE MISSING PUZZLE PIECES OF OUR PRESERVE SYSTEM THEREBY PREVENTING INCOMPATIBLE LAND USES. THE JONES AND THE DAWDY RANCHES INCLUDE HIGH QUALITY HABITAT THAT WILL BE LOST IF THE PROPERTIES ARE SOLD FOR DEVELOPMENT. PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE THROUGHOUT THE GULF COAST REGION NEED HEALTHY LAND HEALTHY WATERSHEDS AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. HERE AT THE COASTAL PRAIRIE CONSERVANCY WE KNOW THAT COASTAL PRAIRIE CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITIES WITH MANY BENEFITS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE PACE OF CONSERVATION SO THAT THESE LANDS ARE AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE FOREVER.

FUNDS UNDER THIS AWARD WILL PERMANENTLY PROTECT 3,351ACRES THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENT ACQUISITION AND ESTABLISH 360 ACRES OFWETLANDS AND ASSOCIATED UPLANDS ALONG COASTAL TEXAS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO PROTECT AND ESTABLISH 3,711TOTAL ACRES OF HABITAT FOR THE BENEFIT OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE ALONG THE GULD COAST OF TEXAS.

THE SERVICE HEREBY INCORPORATES THE RECIPIENTS APPLICATION SUBMITTED TO AND APPROVED BY THE SERVICE INTO THESE AWARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS. THIS AWARD IS MADE BASED ON APPROVAL OF YOUR ORGANIZATIONS PROPOSAL DATED FEBRUARY 25, 2022 HEREBY INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THIS AWARD. FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF PROGRAM POLICIES, REFER TO THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION STANDARDS, JANUARY 2021- AMENDED JANUARY 2023. FUNDS UNDER THIS AWARD WILL PERMANENTLY PROTECT 303 ACRES THROUGH FEE TITLE ACQUISITION AND 2,000 ACRES THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENT, AND ESTABLISH 425 ACRES OF WETLANDS AND ASSOCIATED UPLANDS ALONG THE TEXAS COASTAL PRAIRIE. THEREFORE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO PROTECT AND ESTABLISH 2,728 TOTAL ACRES OF HABITAT FOR THE BENEFIT OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE ON THE TEXAS COASTAL PRAIRIE. NOTE: THIS IS A PARTIAL AWARD. 100,000 OF GRANT FUNDS WILL BE AWARDED ONCE THE WORK IS IDENTIFIED REGARDING TRACT 3 (425 ESTABLISHED ACRES). SEE TBD TRACTS IN THE AWARD LETTER FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE OR CONTACT YOUR FWS PROJECT OFFICER.

FUNDS UNDER THIS AWARD ARE TO BE USED TO PROTECT AND RESTORE AT LEAST 6,232 (155) ACRES OF WETLAND AND SURROUNDING UPLAND HABITATS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS THE PROTECTION OF 5,782 ACRES OF HIGH-QUALITY HABITAT THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND WETLAND PROJECTS (INCLUDING 155 NON-ADDITIVE RESTORATION AND 450 WETLAND ESTABLISHMENT ACRES), WHICH WILL SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE.

COASTAL PRAIRIE HABITAT INITIATIVE

COASTAL PRAIRIE WETLANDS PRESERVATION PROJECT

TO CREATE A TOOL THAT ACCURATELY AND ECONOMICALLY IDENTIFIES INVASIVES ACROSS LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS USING DRONE AERIAL IMAGERY AND REMOTE SENSING APPROACHES.