Lone Star Land Steward Award: O2 Ranch

Texas Parks and Wildlife 2011 Lone Star Land Steward Awards for the Trans Pecos Region: O2 Ranch, Brewster and Presidio Counties

Owned by the Lykes Brothers since 1941, this 275,000 acre ranch began major restoration efforts in 1998 with ranch wide deferment from grazing. Over the years, Charles P. Lykes Jr. and ranch operator Homer Mills have partnered with Sul Ross State University, NRCS, TPWD and USFWS to protect, restore and monitor riparian areas and associated uplands. Treatment of 4,000 acres of shrub encroached land provides crucial habitat for grassland species such as prairie dogs, pronghorn, and burrowing owls. With assistance from TPWD’s Landowner Incentive Program, restoration efforts in the Terlingua Creek watershed have decreased invasive shrubs and bare ground, increased grass and forb cover, and reduced soil erosion. Committed to education and research, the O2 supports numerous research studies and hosts field tours for students, resource professionals, and landowners.