LANCO COUNTY — Blanco County landowners Bob Keith and Dwayne Hoppe have a few things in common.
They both appreciate a stout cup of coffee, value hard work and love the land. They also both like a soaking rain – especially during the drought that has plagued the Hill Country for 1½ years.
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TOP: Bob Keith, Dwayne Hoppe, LCRA Board member Connie Granberg and Frana Keith stand with the new "Creekside Conservation Partner" sign at the Cypress Valley Ranch gate.
SECOND: Bob Keith (left) shows off recent brush clearing at a cross fence on his ranch to C.A. Cowsert, district conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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But don’t think these two ranchers are clones. Hoppe is a native, having been born and raised on the same Blanco County land his grandparents ranched. In contrast, Keith was considered a “newcomer” some 26 years ago when he bought about 1,000 acres near Hoppe’s ranch in Cypress Mill.
Though they come from different backgrounds, Keith and Hoppe share a common goal of conserving the land. Recently, Hoppe, a board director of the Pedernales Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), joined with the Lower Colorado River Authority in recognizing Keith as a model land conservation steward.
A generation of conservation
Keith and his wife, Frana, have worked hard at this land conservation business for more than a generation. The couple has raised a family, fought droughts and floods, and tirelessly worked to improve their piece of the Hill Country that they fondly call Cypress Valley Ranch.
As a conservation goal, the Keiths have implemented a rotational grazing system which allows them to periodically move cattle to fresh pastures, and rest other pastures. This system mimics the grazing patterns of the once great buffalo herds that would intensely graze an area, and leave it naturally aerated and fertilized. They have also selectively removed invasive brush species such as Ashe juniper (also known as cedar) trees. This has allowed them to create open areas where livestock and wildlife can find food and to leave brush strips that serve as shelter for wildlife.
“When we moved here, we saw an opportunity to restore this land, and have been working to do so ever since,” Keith said.
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| This is one in a series of stories on landowners who are tapping an LCRA program to implement best management land conservation practices.
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Creekside Conservation Program
To help fund this restoration, the Keiths recently participated in a selective brush management effort sponsored by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and the Pedernales Soil and Water Conservation District. The LCRA Creekside Conservation Program helps landowners to pay for projects that keep precious topsoil from washing into waterways of the lower Colorado River basin. The program is funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board. Participating landowners can receive up to a 50 percent reimbursement for projects such as brush management and grazing management systems.
“This program provides a holistic approach to land management, benefits livestock and wildlife, and is reproducible by other landowners,” said C.A. Cowsert, district conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
In recognition of their stewardship efforts, the Pedernales SWCD recently presented the Keiths with a “Creekside Conservation Partner” sign which they prominently display on a fence.
“This is a testament to what can be achieved when we work together in the interest of conservation,” said Connie Granberg, an LCRA Board member who recently toured the Keiths’ ranch.
As for the future, Hoppe and Keith both plan on sharing a few more cups of coffee, predicting when the next good rains will arrive, and keeping a lookout for greenhorns moving to the area. They just might place a bet on who won’t make it – and stand ready to lend a hand.
For more information on the LCRA’s Creekside Conservation Program, contact Bobby Humphrey, conservation specialist, LCRA Conservation Services, at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 7155.
