Dear Friends,
This month, we’ve had the chance to marvel, once again, at the return of whooping cranes to the Texas coast. This tallest of all American bird species (over 5’ tall) flies 2,500 miles from Canada to their wintering grounds near Port Aransas. Even more remarkable, in 1942, there were fewer than 20 birds in the flock. Thanks to a long-term collaborative effort, estimates put the whooping crane population at over 500. What an amazing conservation success! (See the “News” section below to read more about whooping cranes).
Now we’re seeking another conservation victory – one that would pave the way for many such successes: the passing of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act [H.R. 2773]. Passage of this bill would annually share $1.3 billion across the fifty United States for the protection of species designated “Species of Greatest Conservation Need”. Texas is slated to receive over $50 million annually, and we’re asking for your help to spread the word about the powerful impacts this funding will have, including:
* Expanding technical assistance programs to help both landowners and public entities restore and manage aquatic, grassland and other wildlife habitats.
* Benefitting our booming outdoor recreation/tourism economy with funds to build additional ecotourism destinations such as public parks and paddling trails.
* Funding opportunities for municipalities, conservation organizations, land trusts, researchers, nature centers and others to develop educational programs and projects that connect more Texans to nature.
* Helping prevent regulatory uncertainty for business and industry with funding for eco-friendly development strategies that allow for growth and development while protecting at-risk species.
Visit our online toolkit for resources, or simply to go to your U.S. House Representative's website and send them a message that says: “Please co-sponsor the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, H.R.2773. This bipartisan legislation is good for wildlife, good for business, and good for Texans!”
With thanks for your support,
Texas Alliance for America's Fish and Wildlife
Two Texas Critters Are Now Extinct. Don't Let the Horned Lizard Be Next.
The 1,000th Texas Horned Lizard hatched at the Fort Worth Zoo. Photo: TPWD
In September, two Texas species were declared extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Ivory-billed woodpecker and a small fish called the San Marcos gambusia are gone forever. Many more Texas species are at risk of disappearing, including a state icon: the Texas Horned Lizard—also known as the horny toad.
A coalition of zoos and wildlife scientists are working to help Texas horned lizards. Meanwhile, a landmark bipartisan proposal now moving through Congress, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, would bring the resources needed to save this species and hundreds like it. Read more...
The Whooping Cranes Have Returned!
The tallest and rarest birds in America, whooping cranes have arrived at the Texas coast after a very long migration from their summer breeding grounds in Canada. Once driven to the brink of extinction, their population is now estimated at around 500. Read more about this remarkable, ongoing conservation effort.