The Katy Prairie Conservancy is the recipient of a $2 million grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, according to a Sept. 24 press release.

The grant will fund the Coastal Prairie Strategic Habitat Initiative II project, which will facilitate the permanent preservation of a 2,433-acre ranch in Jackson County with a conservation easement. According to the release, the parcel includes bottomland forest, native prairie, wetlands and agricultural lands—as well as an abundance of wildlife. The project also includes the donation of additional easements in Jackson and Brazoria counties.

According to the press release, the grant will also support the restoration of 360 acres on the Texas mid-coast. That restoration will increase acreage of suitable roosting and foraging habitats for upland, shorebird and waterbird species.

“This project is an exceptional opportunity for coastal prairie conservation,” said Mary Anne Piacentini, president and chief executive officer of the Katy Prairie Conservancy. “It will increase connectivity along the Central Flyway, a major highway for migratory wildlife, and allow for the protection of priority lands in our strategic focus areas.”

According to the press release, the $34 million in NAWCA grants that have been approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission will provide the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners the ability to help conserve or restore 177,000 acres of habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds and other birds in 20 states, including Texas. Since it was founded more than three decades ago, NAWCA funding has advanced conservation efforts in all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico while working with more than 6,500 partners on over 3,100 projects.