Landowners. Government. Working hand-in-hand to achieve common goals. Better habitat means greater wildlife resources. That means more income for the landowner. And survival of endangered species for the government.
A Fish and Wildlife program called Partners for Fish and Wildlife gives landowners technical assistance to improve wildlife habitat. It is a two-way conversation to help them build wildlife conservation into their land use practices.
“If you have an understanding of something, it is a lot harder to be confused about it,” said Benjamin Tuggle, Fish and Wildlife southwest regional director.
With this program, landowners work directly with Fish and Wildlife staff to implement wildlife conservation into their management practices.
This partnership has already proven to be successful. The Partners for Fish and Wildlife received a 2014 Recovery Champion Award for its conservation efforts in West and Central Texas.
“We think that not only is the landowner going to be better off, but the species that they care about and we care about as an agency is going to be better off,” Tuggle said.
He said species such as the dunes sagebrush lizard avoided the endangered species list because of these efforts.
However, there are still many other opportunities present for conservation in Texas, as well as other regions of the country.
The partnership is a win-win for all. Landowners have the ability to profit from the wildlife present on their land, Tuggle said, and government restrictions will be limited as the habitats are restored.
“Private landowners have an opportunity to make the greatest conservation input over time, because they control the land,” Tuggle said.