A voluntary species conservation plan for the dunes sagebrush lizard was approved Feb. 17 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

The Texas Conservation Plan (TCP) for the dunes sagebrush lizard was spearheaded by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs with the help of stakeholders representing landowners, the oil and gas industry, agriculture and state and federal agencies.

Despite recent rains, much of Texas is still in a severe drought and the long-term outlook is mixed, according to Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Regents Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and the state climatologist.

Nielsen-Gammon says recent rains have helped to alleviate conditions over parts of the state, with some areas reporting the wettest February ever. But much of Texas still needs a lot of rainfall to break a year-long drought that has been one of the worst in history, he said.

Scientists on the Research and Management System for Endangered Species (RAMSES) team have covered a lot of ground in the past several years, conducting intensive studies in counties all over Texas for two avian species that are critical to local land management decisions.

These projects are supported by the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) and aim to determine the distribution and abundance of the golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) and the black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla). Both species’ breeding ranges are in central Texas.

The Attoyac Bayou Watershed Partnership will hold its next meeting March 8 to continue discussions on the development of the Attoyac Bayou watershed protection plan.

"Anyone interested in protecting and restoring water quality in the Attoyac Bayou and improving or protecting its watershed is invited to the meeting," said Crispin Skinner, Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program agriculture and natural resources agent for Nacogdoches County.

Recovering from the historic drought of 2011 will be the focus of the Drought Management Symposium for Range and Pastures, set for March 6 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 10345 State Highway 44, Corpus Christi.

"Despite recent rainfall, our subsoils remain moisture-starved as we still need 15 to 20 inches to restore the rainfall we didn’t get last year," said Jeffrey Stapper, a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent in Nueces County.

A group of water conservation initiatives developed and promoted by the Harlingen Irrigation District (HID) of Cameron County was recognized as one of nine global "good practice" projects included in a special report presented to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January.

A Catalogue of Good Practices in Water Use Efficiency highlights agricultural, municipal and industrial water efficiency and conservation projects that can be replicated elsewhere. The catalogue was prepared by the Stockholm International Water Institute, and it defines a "good practice" project as one that "demonstrably improves the efficiency or productivity of water use (through water savings and/or yield increase)."

As many landowners have learned, you just don’t stock a pond or lake with largemouth bass and automatically get trophy-size fish, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

Growing big fish takes top management, which can be learned at "Bass Tech: The Technology to Manage for Success," a statewide symposium set March 23–24 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center Conservation Center Building, 5550 Farm-to-Market Road 2495, Athens, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist.

Bacterial Source Tracking: An introduction for laboratories and public agencies to the foremost tool for identifying sources of fecal pollution, Bacterial Source Tracking: Learn why Bacterial Source Tracking is the foremost tool for identifying sources of fecal pollution, Stormwater Management: Rain Gardens, Feral Hogs Negatively Affect Native Plant Communities, Water Education through Service Learning, and upcoming training courses.