Coastal Prairie Conservation Initiative. McCan, James^*,1, Feuerbacher, Kirk^*,2, Anderson, Timothy^*,3, ¹ McFaddin Enterprises, Victoria, TX² Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX³ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Corpus Christi, TX

ABSTRACT- Less than 1% of the 9,000,000 acres of the coastal prairies region that extends from southwest Louisiana into southern Texas remains in relatively pristine condition. Burning and grazing are vital processes in the coastal prairies and cannot be implemented at any meaningful scale without the cooperation of willing landowners. The best hope for reversing the decline of the coastal prairies lies with the areas ranchers. Landowners in the coastal prairies regard the wildlife as one their most valuable resources. The driving forces behind prairie fragmentation have been the fragmentation of the areas ranches. The Coastal Prairie Conservation Initiative grew from recognition that the key to viable wildlife populations in the coastal prairies is viable ranching operations. The Coastal Prairie Conservation Initiative is a cooperative effort undertaken by several private landowners, the Coastal Prairies Coalition of the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, Sam Houston Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc., The Nature Conservancy, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The objective of the initiative is to provide habitat for viable populations of prairie wildlife species. The objective is accomplished by providing financial, technical, and regulatory assistance to landowners engaged in reclaiming, restoring, and conserving native coastal prairie. The landowners participating in the Initiative are its greatest asset. We are fortunate to be working with families who have been in the business of managing coastal prairie for several generations. Our best hope for success lies with them.

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