Aransas Draft Land Protection Plan

The Service has prepared this draft plan with the intent of establishing a limited acquisition boundary for Aransas National Wildlife Refuges. Within the proposed boundaries, the Service would work only with willing sellers to expand conservation through fee title and conservation easement conservation easement
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or qualified conservation organization that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on a property in the future. Conservation easements aim to protect habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife by limiting residential, industrial or commercial development. Contracts may prohibit alteration of the natural topography, conversion of native grassland to cropland, drainage of wetland and establishment of game farms. Easement land remains in private ownership.

Learn more about conservation easement acquisitions consistent with our Strategic Growth Policy. The goal is to deliver in-perpetuity conservation on up to 95,000 acres of land for Aransas NWR. Acquiring these lands or easements is intended to enhance wildlife populations through the protection of habitats for such species as whooping crane, black rail, mottled duck, Attwater’s prairie-chicken and other species of high conservation value.In addition, these protections will help prevent the future listing of endangered or threatened species and support the delisting of listed species.