Ranch Protected by a Conservation Easement in Partnership with the Hill Country Conservancy
On top of Peach Tree Hill, Storm Ranch
Pictured: (L to R) Frank Davis (Hill Country Conservancy); Sandy Edwards (Sen Cornyn's TX staff); Josh Storm (landowner); John Porter (Sen Cornyn's DC staff); Lori Olson (Texas Land Trust Council)
On Monday August 11th staff from the Hill Country Conservancy and Texas
Land Trust Council attended a conservation easement site visit with two
of Senator John Cornyn's staffers out to the beautiful Storm Ranch in
Hays County, Central Texas. John Porter, from the Senator's Washington
D.C. staff, as well as Sandy Edwards, Central Texas Regional Director
for Senator Cornyn, accompanied our group which was led by Mr Josh
Storm, a third generation landowner of the ranch and the current ranch
manager.Josh took all of us on a fabulous tour, showcasing the ranch's cattle operation using rotational grazing, articulating the ranch's "entire ecosystem" management approach. Mr. Storm was such a wonderful host and eloquently described how his family had put the ranch together over the years, and how it was becoming difficult for them to keep it intact...that is, until they discovered the conservation easement tool. Then, in 2005, after researching the conservation easement process and working in partnership with the Hill Country Conservancy of Austin, they began to place the ranch under permanent protection.
The Storm Family is now working on a 4th phase of a conservation easement on their gorgeous and nearly 6,000 acre ranch. Mr. Storm is an amazing ambassador for private lands conservation, how this conservation tool works, and how it can help Texas families.
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