Through grassroots advocacy and community coalitions, Texas Conservation Alliance (TCA) protects and preserves wildlife and wild habitats for the future benefit of all Texans.
TCA is the State Affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation
We are proud to be the Texas Affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, the country's largest conservation organization. Partnering with NWF connects TCA to national issues and gives national attention to local efforts in Texas.
TCA History
For 55 years Texas Conservation Alliance (TCA) has advocated for wildlife, wildlife habitats, and protection of Texas’ waterways. TCA’s founder, Ned Fritz, a legend among Texas conservationists, launched TCA with the vision, energy, and integrity to ensure decades of success under the name TCONR or Texas Committee on Natural Resources.
TCA has built public support to establish numerous wildlife refuges, state and federal parks, wilderness areas, and other wildlife areas, resulting in more than 250,000 Texas acres under public protection. TCA’s efforts prevented damming Texas rivers with five unnecessary reservoirs that together would have permanently flooded 150,000 acres of bottomland habitat including forests and prairie. TCA’s forest work ended clearcutting on 200,000 acres of national forests in Texas and led to better management of all our country’s national forests. TCA has played key roles in coalitions that stopped a private toll road through the Big Thicket National Preserve, prevented canal dredging through Caddo Lake and up the Trinity River to Dallas, obtained increased funding for Texas state parks, promoted water conservation, and secured higher water quality standards for Texas rivers and creeks. TCA provides program support for our 55 Alliance Member Groups and Trains Community Groups to address pressing, local environmental issues. TCA has recruited thousands of Texans to active conservation and advocacy, and has served as a pipeline for many advocates into conservation leadership roles including through our robust, TCA Careers In Conservation Internship Program.
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TCA has long observed that Texans are much more likely to protect an area they have visited and come to love. TCA conducts education programs and outdoor activities associated with issue projects to connect families to nature and foster a conservation ethic. TCA’s Texas Conservation Action Team is a community-driven, hands-on habitat restoration program with three key purposes: 1) restore habitats by planting trees or prairie, removing invasive species, and removing litter pollution 2) educate new communities and young people about how to become involved in conservation and about the big environmental issues facing our state, and 3) promote and cultivate a commitment to Texas environmental conservation into the future.
TCA’s programs to protect wildlife habitat and water resources benefit all Texans by safeguarding nature’s essential ecosystem services such as water filtration, flood control, carbon sequestration, air purification, and more. By protecting landscapes and advocating for public lands, our work supports experiential education opportunities such as hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, birding, nature study, and other outdoor activities. Time outside has been shown to be essential to physical and mental wellbeing, benefits that every Texan deserves.