Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program
Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program supports easement holders in purchasing agricultural conservation easements to protect working lands, sustain productivity, and conserve natural resources.
Funder: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Due Dates: March 1, 2027 (Applications open) | April 30, 2027 (2028–2029 biennium application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Conservation easement acquisition funding, subject to legislative appropriation
Summary: Supports agricultural conservation easements that protect working lands from fragmentation and development while conserving agricultural productivity and natural resources.
Key Information: Applicants must be Qualified Easement Holders proposing conservation easements on working lands.
Description
The Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program, administered by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD), funds Agricultural Conservation Easements to protect working lands from fragmentation and development. It aims to maintain and enhance ecological and agricultural productivity while supporting stewardship of water, fish and wildlife, and agricultural production.
The program seeks to leverage available funding for high-quality conservation projects and highlight the ecological and economic value of keeping working lands intact. Eligible projects address water conservation, wildlife habitat, rare or sensitive species, connected conservation landscapes, or productive open space threatened by development. Established by the Texas Legislature in 2005, the program transferred from the Texas General Land Office to TPWD on January 1, 2016.
