George Ranch
During his lifetime, Bill George managed the 5,117-acre George Ranch in Presidio County to sustain and improve its native rangeland that is part of the famed Marfa grasslands.
“Mr. George devoted 20 years to managing his ranch and stewarding his grassland pastures with great care,” said TALT CEO Blair Fitzsimons. “Through his bequest, the ranch will remain undeveloped and open forever creating a conservation legacy not only for him and his family, but for all of Texas.”
The Marfa grasslands are rich in nutrients for cattle and wildlife alike. Home to diverse vegetation, the grasslands provide essential habitat for plains species such as pronghorn antelope and grassland birds such as Baird’s sparrows and grasshopper sparrows, whose populations continue to decline as habitat becomes rarer.
In July 2019, TALT accepted the donation of a conservation easement from Patricia R. George, Mr. George’s widow, as prescribed by his will. The George Ranch was once part of the neighboring Mimms Ranch. Both properties are now owned by the Dixon Water Foundation.
The proximity of the George Ranch along with its established pasture and paddock infrastructure made it an attractive purchase for the Dixon Water Foundation, which owns a third ranch with a TALT conservation easement several miles south of these two.
“The ranch and the Texas Ag Land Trust easement are a natural fit for us,” said Robert Potts, CEO of the Dixon Water Foundation. “Both are in complete alignment with our mission to promote watershed health through sustainable land management and regenerative grazing. Plus, it complemented our other management efforts in the region.”
To date, TALT has negotiated agricultural conservation easements on 233,000 acres throughout Texas, including 101,037 in the Greater Big Bend Region. Each conservation easement is individually tailored to meet the needs of landowners and their goals for their property.
“Thanks to the George family’s commitment to conservation, a piece of Texas’ wide open space, with its unique grasslands, is permanently conserved for future generations to enjoy,” Fitzsimons said.