Protecting the
State’s Natural Resources
Economic Impact Series
Challenges Affecting Natural Resources
and the Environment
 Urbanization, land conversion, exotic species invasion,
drought, and other environmental factors threaten the
state’s natural resources.
 Population growth, increasing water demand, nonpoint
source water pollution, and drought have placed the
state’s water supply under tremendous stress.
AgriLife Extension’s Response
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service delivers a
wide range of researched-based educational resources and
programs on water quality, water use efficiency, wildlife
and fisheries practices, ecosystem and parks management,
tourism, and open-space planning to improve habitat.
 These programs delivered more than 7,300
educational events, planning meetings, and workshops
in 2013, and reached over 115,000 educational
contacts.
 In addition, AgriLife Extension’s Texas 4-H Youth
Development Program engaged 127,000 youth in
natural resource and environmental learning activities.
 AgriLife Extension frequently partners with a number
of private organizations and local and state
government agencies to deliver these programs.
Economic Impact
The following highlights demonstrate the economic
impact of selected natural resource programs in 2013.
 Programs aimed at water resources focus on watershed
health and protection, onsite wastewater treatment
systems, private water well management, water use
efficiency, and soil nutrient management.
 Wildlife management programs led to an estimated
economic gain of $6.8 million by reducing property
damages from feral hogs, while quail biology and
habitat programs resulted in anticipated benefits of
$3.4 million.
 Programs for enhancing and managing wildlife and
fisheries focus on restoration and conservation of
wildlife habitat, disease and predator control, harvest
management practices, and aquaculture and pond tools.
 Texas Master Naturalists contributed 349,000 hours
of volunteer service, which was valued at $8.1 million
and brings the total to $53.8 million since the
program’s inception in 1998.
 Land and ecosystem programs address the ecology and
restoration of rangeland and coastal wetlands, including
best practices for brush, pasture, rangeland, and weed
management.
 Water conservation programs produced potential cost
savings of $3.9 million. Private well owners estimated
benefits totaling $1.4 million from groundwater
protection education.
 Programs for community and economic development
bolster parks tourism, open-space planning, and
outreach to support planned development and growth,
and the $28 billion nature tourism industry.
 Participants in ecosystem management programs
reported anticipated economic benefits of $34 million.
 AgriLife Extension assists the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department in coordinating the Texas Master Naturalist
Program. The program encompasses 44 chapters and
9,000 volunteers who help with research and provide
stewardship and outreach education at nature centers,
parks, and other nature-based sites totaling more than
206,000 acres.
Extending Knowledge | Providing Solutions
AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu
 The USDA has adopted AgriLife Extension’s
chemical weed and brush control recommendations as
guidelines for $34 million in cost-share programs on
more than 1 million acres in Texas.
Contact:
Douglas L. Steele, Director
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
ph. 979.845.7967
e-mail: dsteele@tamu.edu
agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/impacts
MKT-3558BO I 2014
Educational programs of Texas A&M University System members are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information,
or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating