TCA is now accepting applications for our Fall 2026 internship program. Find details at https://www.tcatexas.org/internships to learn more about the 3 available positions and how to apply.

Front entrance sign, taken by Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge TCA's annual meeting will be held on Saturday, September 26, but will officially begin with a tour of the grounds on Friday afternoon, September 25. (RSVP's will be available soon). This page will be updated as more information becomes available such as our guest speaker, exact times of events at the Nature Center and Refuge (possible bus tour, hayride, guided hike on Saturday morning or late aft

PDF Print 2026 Summer Newsletter Texas Conservation Alliance Expands Leadership Team From Grahame Jones, Executive Director As Texas continues to face growing challenges related to water, wildlife habitat, working lands, and rapid population growth, Texas Conservation Alliance is investing in the people needed to meet those challenges. We are excited to welcome two outstanding conservation professionals to our leadership team: Katy Gilray as Statewide Director of Conservation

Photo by Connie Thompson In late May, TCA submitted lengthy comments to the Texas Water Development Board regarding the Draft 2027 State Water Plan. Below are excerpts that highlight TCA’s comments: TCA commends TWDB for its continued emphasis on conservation and reuse, which must remain cornerstone strategies in all future versions of the Plan if water providers are to maintain adequate water supplies for Texas’ future. The greatest flaw in the Draft 2027 State Water Plan is

Mountain Lion, courtesy of San Antonio Express News Thanks to all TCA folks who commented in favor of the proposed rule change to require reporting of mountain lion mortalities. Roughly 70% of the comments received by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission were in favor of adoption. A couple of days before the Commission meeting, however, the proposal was pulled from the agenda. Chairman Paul Foster affirmed the need for data that the rule change would have provided while sa

Join us on Thursday, November 19th, at the Yeti Flagship Store Join Texas Conservation Alliance and Gulf Trust for Connected Through Conservation, a special evening celebrating the people, partnerships, and shared values that drive conservation across Texas. Hosted at the YETI Flagship Store in Austin, the event will bring together conservation leaders, outdoor enthusiasts, land stewards, and supporters for an inspiring evening focused on the future of our lands, waters, wild

As Texas continues to face growing challenges related to water, wildlife habitat, working lands, and rapid population growth, Texas Conservation Alliance is investing in the people needed to meet those challenges. We are excited to welcome two outstanding conservation professionals to our leadership team: Katy Gilray as Statewide Director of Conservation and Skyler Nix as Director of Policy and Advocacy. Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Katy Gilray brings more than 25 yea

TCA is excited to share an exceptional new film, The Neches River: Wild Heart of East Texas. Produced by Ellen Temple, with direction and cinematography by Curtis Craven, the 57-minute film captures the magic of the beautiful Neches River. “For more than 30 years, TCA has focused on protecting the Neches River, its lovely bottomlands, and its wildlife,” says Janice Bezanson, TCA’s Senior Policy Director. “This film made me fall in love with the Neches all over again.” Watch i

Renewable Energy Wind and Solar Farm Texas has long led the nation in energy produced by wind turbines. When TCA took on a landscape analysis of renewable energy in Texas this past year, what we found was a stunning growth in industrial-scale solar facilities as well. Texas is No. 2 in the nation in solar “farms” and likely to be No. 1 by the end of the year. While this augurs well for reducing fossil emissions, it doesn’t come without problems. TCA conducted over 30 intervie

Check out TCA's Fall 2025 Newsletter, print and digital copies avaiable.

Native tallgrass prairie at Lake Ringgold site As reported last summer, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rubber-stamped a state permit approving the proposed Lake Ringgold, despite a strong recommendation to deny the permit by Judge Christiaan Siano, who had conducted the hearing in the case. Since then, TCA and landowners impacted by the proposed reservoir have filed a petition in District Court to overturn the permit. TCA and other plaintiffs expect a he

Sulphur River The proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir captured statewide attention in the Texas legislature this session when State Rep. Gary VanDeaver introduced HB 2109 to require that any reservoir that had been in the State Water Plan for more than 50 years be removed from the Plan. What followed was an exceptional hearing before the Texas House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, resulting in a 12-1 vote in favor of sending the measure to the House floor. After

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Grahame lives in Austin with his wife Julie and has two daughters, Gabbie and Jali, pictured above with the canine member of the family, Waylon. Texas Conservation Alliance is delighted to introduce our new executive director, Grahame Jones. Known to many in Texas’ conservation community, Grahame brings decades of wildlife advocacy to TCA. Grahame served twenty-seven years with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), retiring in 2020 as Director of Law Enforcement. Af

With other TCA leaders, Genie Fritz accepts the National Wildlife Federation’s 2011 Affiliate of the Year Award. With sadness and great respect, Texas Conservation Alliance says goodbye to its co-founder, Eugenia “Genie” Fritz, following her extraordinary 100-year life. With her husband, legendary Texas conservationist Ned Fritz, Genie helped establish TCA, then known as Texas Committee on Natural Resources (TCONR), in 1971. As the daughter of a diplomat, Genie grew up trav

The State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is the conservation strategy document developed by the wildlife agency for each state to give habitat managers, landowners, partners, researchers, and others a blueprint for what information is needed and what can be done to help fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The Texas SWAP is up for a comprehensive revision over the next year and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is asking for our help. The SWAP identifies species at ris

Opponents of Marvin Nichols Reservoir have been garnering widespread media attention to the enormous negative impacts of the 66,000-acre Marvin Nichols Reservoir, proposed on the Sulphur River in northeast Texas. Roughly 250 Texans – from elder citizens to babes in arms – turned out at a special meeting of the Region D Water Planning Group (North East Texas) on October 30 to voice their opposition to Marvin Nichols Reservoir. A month before, dozens of East Texans traveled to

Last November, Texas voters earmarked a billion dollars in state funds (without raising taxes) to be used to acquire additional land for state parks. Passed during the 100th anniversary year of the Texas State Park System, the money will be used for launching new parks and expanding existing ones. These new public lands will provide additional outdoor recreation, especially near underserved urban areas, and will protect majestic scenery and valuable wildlife lands all across

Armand Bayou in Pasadena, TX on September 28, 2024 TCA Annual Meeting Armand Bayou Nature Center Big Success Members, guests, and friends gathered at Armand Bayou Nature Center (ABNC) September 27 & 28 for TCA’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Nature Activities Event. On Friday, Ben Jones, vice president of conservation and education at the Houston Zoo, and former executive director of TCA, led an immersive and fun tour of the zoo! Later, ABNC nature guides led a safari-style tour of

As TCA enters the fourth year of the Lights Out campaign, we’re proud to build on the program‘s successes. Many Texans now recognize the state’s critical location for migratory birds and understand the dangers light pollution poses to them. This year, Lights Out, Texas! statewide partners are also addressing the issue of glass design in urban environments - a factor that contributes to the nearly one billion bird deaths from window collisions annually. To reach a wider audien

Spending time outdoors and connecting with nature is more important than ever. Recognizing the value of learning from the natural world and the creatures around us, TCA has introduced new recreational programs, including birding, paddling, and camping. Additionally, we continue our mission with the Texas Conservation Action Team (TXCAT), restoring prairies, removing litter, and planting native trees to reduce the impact of human activities. Through hands-on conservation even