What you need to know
The acquired property is located at Three Oaks Farm within the fifth-largest watershed in the Houston area and is critical for flood control, according to the release.
The property, which is part of the 19,500-acre Katy Prairie Preserve, is an essential habitat for many grassland and water birds, including mottled ducks, eastern meadowlarks and bobwhite quail, per the release.
The details
The conservation effort was done in tandem with the owners of Three Oaks Farm, permanently preventing future development while allowing continued farming, cattle grazing and wildlife management, according to the release.
"The preservation of this property is an important milestone for the Katy Prairie Preserve,” Mary Anne Piacentini, president and CEO of the CPC, said in the release. “It strengthens the ecological integrity of the preserve by protecting critical habitat for wildlife and helping to safeguard natural floodplains. As the region continues to grow, conserving intact prairie landscapes like this one becomes essential to the long-term health and resilience of our region."
The project was funded by two North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and through funding from several philanthropic foundations.
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Earlier this year, the CPC preserved 1,329 acres in the Houston area through land agreements with property owners in Waller County, Community Impact reported. One plot totaling 419 acres is located contiguous to the Katy Prairie Preserve, and the other along the Brazos River.
The agreements bring CPC’s total preserved land to nearly 34,000 acres across the nine-county Houston area.
