Partnering for Grassland Bird Conservation

on the Upper Texas Coast

By Jennifer Wilson, Texas Mid-Coast

National Wildlife Refuge Complex

North American prairies have sharply declined. The United States once contained over 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie. Less than 5% remains. Prairies have also disappeared in coastal Texas. At one time, 6.5 million acres of tallgrass prairie are believed to have existed on the Texas Gulf Coast. Less than one percent of that remains.

Today, grasslands exist in varying conditions and not all are prairie or function exactly as prairies did. However, they may host a range of native plant and animal species and are vital to the grassland birds that use them. The decline of North American grasslands continues. According to World Wildlife Federation, in 2021 alone, 1.6 million acres of grasslands in the United States and Canada were converted to other uses. Grasslands of the Texas Gulf Coast are still expected to be highly vulnerable to conversion for uses other than conservation.

On the upper Texas Coast, multiple efforts are underway to preserve, enhance or restore grasslands. Coastal Prairie Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Wildlife Refuge System are examples of partners that engage in these activities. At Texas Mid-coast Refuge Complex, we are working with the USFWS Coastal Program, Ducks Unlimited, and The Nature Conservancy to restore hydrology and increase native plant diversity on roughly 7,200 grassland acres at San Bernard and Brazoria refuges. Another example is the Coastal Grassland Restoration Incentive Program (C-GRIP) implemented by the Gulf Coast Joint Venture. This program offers incentive opportunities for private property owners interested in enhancing or improving their grasslands to support birds.

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