Nearly six feet tall with wavy red hair and green eyes, Ned Fritz was a striking figure in the courtroom. His eyes twinkled on the trails of the East Texas forests he so passionately defended. More than being Texas’ greatest environmentalist, Ned was a wonderful person. David Gray, TCA board member, says of the group’s founder: “Ned had the courage to speak truth to power and to speak out against abusive policies and proposals. Yet he was always respectful, polite, and unders

Endangered whooping cranes are among the many species threatened by crude oil loading facility and desal plant.

At Baytown and Buffalo Bayou, Bachman and White Rock Lakes, and Ray Roberts Lake State Park, TCA’s summer interns organized their communities to restore wildlife habitat. These emerging conservation leaders removed over 1000 pounds of litter pollution from Texas waterways, planted thousands of native prairie plants, and advocated for migratory bird protections with city councils and county commissioners. Habitat restoration is essential. The United Nations ranks habitat loss

Long-time TCA board member Richard Donovan started out as mad as fire at TCA. He attended a meeting to protest a statement Ned Fritz had made about allowing fires in the national forest to keep burning, to allow natural processes to unfold. By the time the meeting was over, Richard had joined our organization, eventually becoming a leading supporter and vice chair of the board of directors. Richard’s name is synonymous with the Neches River in East Texas. Building on his popu

Become a TCA 50 founding member and help build a pipeline of emerging conservation leaders for our next 50 years! TCA is seeking 50 conservation champions to join the TCA 50 Support Circle. A special gift of $1,000 or above helps train and equip TCA troops in the trenches protecting Texas rivers, forests, and wildlife. Join the TCA 50 as a founding member today by donating at tcatexas.org/support-us . About TCA's internship program: TCA internships offer emerging conservation

By Ben Jones, Executive Director Summer swept in with a bang, but the resilience of wildlife never ceases to amaze. Don't you wonder, "how do they survive out there?" Saw a big flock of northbound wood storks soaring over I-45. They wander from the coast this time of year knowing the ponds are shallow and the fishing is easy pickins. I'm hearing purple martins warbling in the air; they could be on their third brood by now. Green treefrogs chirp and coyotes chorus-yip at night

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, long supported by TCA, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives June 14! If it also passes in the U.S. Senate, the measure will provide $1.3 billion annually to states for wildlife projects that will prevent extinctions and change the future of our nation’s wildlife for generations to come. Kemp Ridley's Sea Turtle Texas’ share of the revenues would be approximately $50 million per year. The funds would be distributed to Texas Parks a

Join TCA and Patagonia in submitting comments on the Region C Initially Prepared Plan – tell Region C we don’t need the proposed Marvin N

Susan Petersen, TCA’s longest serving board member, says that volunteering for TCA is the source of constant surprises. Susan started her volunteer career in the 1970s when Ned Fritz sent her to a hearing on having wilderness areas in East Texas where she found herself in a group full of people hostile to the project. Susan Petersen Then he had her working with a state legislative aide to draw boundaries for a proposed state park (on land she’d never seen!) and testifying bef

What is a Wildlife Habitat Garden? By creating a natural garden, with native plants, you are providing essential elements of wildlife habi

By Camilla Price Meet the bobcat and coyote, two of the most adaptable and elusive animals in Texas. These predators thrive in natural areas and urban green spaces, but misunderstandings by the community can put them at risk. Learn more about bobcats and coyotes, what to do when you encounter them, and why it’s important for us to coexist with wildlife. Bobcats are medium-sized wildcats weighing 15-30 pounds. In Texas, we have two subspecies: the desert bobcat in the west and

Conservationist Ben Jones was on the front lines of a campaign that darkened the night sky across Texas. Ben Jones and Tim Brys in downtown Dallas The original article can be found here: " Bird rescuer Ben Jones is a 2021 Texan of the Year finalist ". Dallas Morning News Editorial. December 30, 2021. Texan of the Year finalists will be announced through December as we approach the naming of our 2021 Texan of the Year on Jan. 2. Find the full list at dallasnews.com/opinion/tex

Larry Shelton, TCA’s National Forest Policy Coordinator, met with the Forest Service, Sabine River Authority (SRA), and a representative of the Sierra Club to review progress on two separate projects proposed under a marina and resort development permit. This permit would have allowed for development of 70 additional acres at the existing Haley’s Ferry Boat Ramp and up to 450-acres at a new El Camino Real (ECR) site in the Sabine National Forest. The first phase for ECR would

Cost Savings Turning off non-essential lights can save significant amounts of electric power and reduce utility bills, extend the life of light bulbs, and decrease bulb replacement costs. Ameliorate Wildlife Habitats Studies have shown that artificial lights at night (ALAN) contribute to bird-building collisions and disrupt nocturnal animals’ mating and feeding behaviors. By adopting this certification, everyone can contribute to prevent bird window collisions and create a h

Huge progress has been made in making the 7,000-acre Neches Neches River National Wildlife Refuge accessible to the public – and more activi

With a core belief that, “doing leads to caring” TXCAT will offer hands-on conservation opportunities for Texans of all backgrounds.

TCA’s Vice Chair Richard LeTourneau has been fighting conservation battles since he was a teenager. And he’s still fighting them. To recognize his amazing body of work, Texas Conservation Alliance is proud to award Richard the Ned and Genie Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is reserved for people close to TCA who have dedicated many years of service to protecting our state’s vital natural resources. Richard LeTourneau has taken on the chores that aren’t fun. He’s ser

Some of the best conservation news in ages was the July 22 passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. This legislation will permanently...

More than a dozen governmental and non-profit organizations and numerous individuals filed formal requests for a Contested Case Hearing.

East Texas has amazing natural diversity – big rivers with towering hardwood trees, wetland creeks and sloughs teeming with wildlife,...

Texas Conservation Alliance and the Panola County Chamber of Commerce joined forces to nominate the Sabine Sandbar Trail on the Sabine River