86R14690 SME-D
By: Kacal H.R. No. 690
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A group of ranchers and farmers from across the Lone
Star State have received recognition as the 2017 and 2018 winners of
the Lone Star Land Steward Awards and the Leopold Conservation
Awards; and
WHEREAS, Established in 1996 by the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, the Lone Star Land Steward Awards celebrate excellence
in private land conservation by recognizing landowners for their
outstanding stewardship of our state's land, water, and wildlife
resources; more than 225 Texas landowners have been recognized to
date, and each year, the overall state winner is presented with the
Leopold Conservation Award, which is sponsored by the Sand County
Foundation; and
WHEREAS, The recipient of the Leopold Conservation Award in
2017 was the Dixon Water Foundation, owner of Dixon Ranches in
Parker, Cooke, and Presidio Counties; the 2017 Ecoregion Award
winners also included Mark Brown of Brown Ranch in Fayette County,
Mike Harris and John Sewell of Harris Ranch in Uvalde and Kinney
Counties, Kim Bergman and Pam Mabry Bergman of Three Mile Creek
Ranch in Gillespie County, the Michaux family of Solana Ranch in
Bell and Williamson Counties, Greg Grant of Arcadia in Shelby
County, CEMEX USA and J. Austin Ranches of El Carmen Land and
Conservation Company in Brewster County, and Rod and Mary Hench of
Wild Wings Ranch in Scurry County; and
WHEREAS, In 2018, the Leopold Conservation Award went to
Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence of Laborcitas Creek Ranch in Brooks
County, while the 2018 Ecoregion Award winners included Deborah
Clark and Emry Birdwell of Birdwell and Clark Ranch in Clay County,
Christopher Harte and William Harte of Spicewood Ranch in Burnet
County, Nelson Roach of Couch Mountain in Camp County, Tamara and
Justin Trail of Trail Ranch in Shackelford County, the
Hughes-Sasser Partnership of Billingsley Ranch in Presidio and Jeff
Davis Counties, and the Alum Creek Wildlife Management Association
in Bastrop County; and
WHEREAS, The natural beauty and ecological diversity of the
Lone Star State depend greatly on careful stewardship by its
landowners, and these conscientious and hardworking Texans are
helping to preserve precious natural and cultural resources for
future generations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the 2017 and 2018 recipients of the
Lone Star Land Steward Awards and the Leopold Conservation Awards
and extend to them sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for each recipient as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.