The Texas Land Trust Council (TLTC), through its Conservation Lands Inventory (CLI), is using the power of geographic information to better understand and convey the successes, geographic impact, and economic benefits of conservation efforts throughout Texas. The Inventory provides tabular data and visual geographic information on all of the lands protected through or in partnership with land trust organizations across the state.
The Geographic Information System (GIS) database and associated maps reveal how the efforts of land trusts are collectively impacting the Texas landscape. The data highlight which regions of Texas have seen greater conservation efforts, and which have seen less, due to a variety of factors including local funding availability and landowner interest. TLTC collects and updates the data and associated maps and charts, every two years. Our latest update reveals that land trusts have helped conserve over 2 Million acres across Texas, over 1 Million of those with conservation easements. The CLI remains a unique resource for information on private land conservation found nowhere else in Texas.
Research and analysis of this data reveals important economic benefits provided by lands that have been permanently conserved by Texas land trusts. Economic values for those benefits were calculated using an ecosystem services approach. Lands were evaluated for their impact on water quality and quantity, inland and coastal flood prevention, and rural economies (agricultural production and wildlife benefits).
The analysis found more than $1 Billion in annual benefits to Texas taxpayers from the lands protected and conservation easements held by Texas land trusts. This monetary valuation of the benefits that conserved lands provide allows us to more clearly articulate the worth and cost-effectiveness of land conservation to decision makers. The findings illustrate the substantial value that these lands bring to the Texas economy.
The Conservation Lands Inventory provides current data and visual information on all of the lands protected and conservation easements held by land trust organizations across the state. The goal is to utilize this information to benefit the entire land trust community, ensure high quality geographic data, provide statistics for public outreach and education, and help the land trust community to better use technology for more effective conservation. The Inventory serves as a central repository for that information and is evolving to meet current and future needs.
The Conservation Lands Inventory reflects the substantial impact of the ranches, farms, forests, watersheds, and other open spaces conserved by Texas land trusts. This data and associated analyses continue to help improve conservation planning and develop tools and information to educate the public about the many benefits of land and water conservation.
