Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is joining the statewide campaign, No Land No Water™, the theme of this year’s Soil & Water Stewardship Week, which runs through May 7. To support the campaign, which highlights the importance of voluntary land stewardship in Texas, the department has partnered with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Association of Texas Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Texas Agricultural Land Trust, Texas Wildlife Association, and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

The Texas Agricultural Land Trust reminds Texans of the importance of water, but also the value of stewardship on agricultural working lands with their website No Land No Water™. Texas farmers, ranchers, and foresters are constantly aware of the significance of this natural resource, and have been working with their local Soil and Water Conservation Districts for over 75 years to voluntarily implement conservation practices that increase the quantity and improve the quality of our water, while conserving water through innovative agricultural practices.

This campaign aims to bring more awareness and support to voluntary land stewardship because the way resources are managed on private lands out in the country directly impacts the water resources available for public consumption in cities.

Rural working lands are crucial to protecting and preserving the water resources of Texas. Water sustainability depends in large part on the stewardship and conservation of these private lands. With the great majority of land in Texas being privately owned, voluntary land stewardship is vital to keeping these resources healthy.

Soil and water conservation in urban areas can also help supplement land stewardship efforts in rural areas. Recently, cities across the country have brought the land stewardship concept into their own backyards, as urban agriculture, urban farming, native wildscaping and community forests are becoming more popular. The trend is positively impacting urban communities socially and economically, in addition to educating and reconnecting people to the land.

Partnering organizations in the No Land No Water™ public awareness campaign includes Ducks Unlimited, Earthmoving Contractors Association of Texas, Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas, South Texans’ Property Rights Association, Texan by Nature, Texas Association of Dairymen, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, Texas Ag Industries, Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association, Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Forestry Association, Texas Grain and Feed Association, Texas Grazing Land Coalition, Texas Land Trust Council, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Pork Producers Association, Texas Poultry Federation, Texas Rice Council, Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association, Texas Water Resources Institute, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.