News Articles

 

 

The San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge is preparing a Land Protection Plan and Environmental Assessment for the continued expansion of the Refuge. This expansion is within the boundary established in the 1997 Austin Woods Conservation Plan and would only increase allowable acreage.  The original Plan was intended to counter the rapid destruction of prime, old-growth bottomland hardwood forests in the Columbia Bottomlands ecosystem. That Plan responded to concerns shared by the Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, local government agencies, conservation organizations and landowners over preserving a sustainable portion of this internationally-significant ecosystem. The original overall goal shared by all of the project partners was to protect 70,000 acres - approximately 10% of the estimated original 700,000-acre ecosystem. 

 

In 1997, the Service approved the expansion of San Bernard up to 28,000 acres.  With current projects, the Refuge will achieve this goal in 2012 and is proposing to continue working with partners and enable acquisition of tracts to meet the 70,000 acre goal.  Meetings are being held to present the current program and obtain public comments on future expansion. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has worked with numerous partners who have provided funds for surveys, overhead and acquisition while the Service undertakes the lengthy acquisition process from willing sellers.  To date, more than 1/3 of the acreage acquired were from non-federal funds and include donations, mitigation and grants.

 

For more information about the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit http://www.fws.gov/southwest/