Texas ranching family protects 6,409 acres in $8.863m conservation deal

A Texas ranching legacy that began in 1834 is now tied to one of the state's major private-land conservation efforts. An $8.863 million conservation easement has permanently protected approximately 6,409 acres of the historic T.M. O'Connor Ranch in Goliad County, according to The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The agreement safeguards one of the largest remaining intact stretches of coastal prairie in Texas while allowing the O'Connor family to continue operating the property as a working cattle ranch. The deal was supported by federal RESTORE funding, along with private contributions, creating a model in which historic ranching and long-term habitat protection continue on the same land.A ranching legacy dating to 1834The O'Connor family's connection to the property reaches back nearly two centuries. TNC says the family first established its ranching legacy in the region in 1834, eventually assembling a much larger landholding of about 600,000 acres.