Story and photos compiled by Wade Day, Public Affairs Specialist, San Angelo, Texas

Engaging with the land (ArcGIS Story Map)

Ranch Manager Brian Wright of White Ranch in Mason County, Texas, has been the driving force behind the changes happening on the land.

As the ranch manager, his list of responsibilities are many. 

From animal care, sanitation and water well technician, just to name a few – his hands are in it all. 

The plan at the ranch is to create more open space, specifically for wildlife conservation and ecological restoration. To accomplished this, invasive brush was removed that was choking out native vegetation. This created better habitat for wildlife and livestock.

Wright needed a partner for his plan and found it in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas. With assistance from NRCS and Wright’s determination, desired changes are taking place on White Ranch.As the manager of the White Ranch, Brian Wright has overseen changes that have benefitted the property. With restoration as the goal, the conservation work completed with the assistance of NRCS has started to reap benefits.

The Legacy

Founded in 1888, White Ranch has been in operation by just one family and is currently owned by Elizabeth Nicholson King. The sixth-generation ranch was established by John W. White and George W. Littlefield. 

The working cattle ranch now sits at a respective 9,500 acres of which 7,500 acres are grazable. 

Initially, Wright found his way onto the White Ranch as a caretaker for John Rector (JR) Nicholson, who at the time was 85.

“His daughter, Elizabeth, was a little concerned about him being out on the property by himself,” Wright said. “And so, I actually came to the property to help take care of JR and keep him on the ranch as long as I could.”

For that to happen, Wright needed to get JR to reengage with the ranch.

“I thought it was important to get him back out on the land and then I started working into, 'Well, show me the ranch,'" said Wright. 

The plan worked and it wasn’t long before JR showed an interest in getting back out on the land. 

“It was like, ‘Let me go show you this,'" said Wright. “As he was showing me, I’d throw out suggestions, ‘This would be great to clear this area and have a nice spot on top of the hill to see the landscape.'" 

Through this process, JR was able to reengage with the land he loved. Wright was also able to gain firsthand knowledge of the ranch and how to improve it. 

After JR’s passing in 2017, Wright’s role changed from caretaker to ranch manager. Elizabeth asked him to improve the ranch in every way he could. 

That’s when Wright partnered with the NRCS to develop a conservation plan.

Making progress with patience

One of the first projects he worked on with NRCS was clearing away about 220 acres of brush on the property. Wright utilized both mechanical and chemical control methods, depending on the brush species and the situation.

In conjunction with the removal of brush, Wright has worked on improving the vegetation and available forage through native seed planting and pollinator planting projects.

“Working with Brian has been a pleasure,” said Jacob Sanchez, former soil conservation technician with the NRCS Mason Service Center. “Having such a large property and having a heritage farm, he definitely understands the importance of conservation and what we at NRCS do as an agency.”

Another major issue on the property was the aftermath of years of overgrazing. 

“It had a horrible history of being overgrazed, probably 20 to 25 years ago, and it was still in the recovery phase even after that long a period of time,” said Wright. 

He took the stocking rate and moved it down to fewer animals per acre of land. The years of overgrazing resulted in a negative trend in the biological health of the ranch. For the land to recover, less pressure from grazing animals was needed. The stocking rate needed to reflect the situation that the property was in.

“We brought it down to one cow for every 40 acres,” said Wright. “We’ve slowly been able to decrease that over time to where we’re usually ranging between a cow for every 15 to 20 acres.” 

Conservation practices implemented through NRCS programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) have helped to improve conditions. 

Practices such as cross fencing and rotational grazing systems were utilized, allowing movement of animals and implementation of proper stocking rates on the ranch. Due to these conservation measures, overgrazing is no longer an issue. 

In addition, NRCS has helped Wright with water development. 

Water is a serious concern for ranches, especially with the added burden of the current drought. 

NRCS assisted Wright with several projects to make water more available for livestock and wildlife. 

The water system design for the White Ranch included a water well, solar pump, pipelines and water storage facility. This allowed them to distribute water to multiple pastures where it was needed the most. 

Fireguards were another practice that Wright has worked with NRCS to implement.

“One of my favorite tools is prescribed fire,” said Wright. “They’ve (NRCS) helped us to put in the fireguards to where we could safely do a burn in the future.”

NRCS assisted in writing the prescribed burn plan on the property that was facilitated through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Wildlife explosion

Wright is very happy with the results of their labor. 

Bird populations have increased in the areas where conservation practices were implemented.  

“By going in and manipulating the land, it may be five years out, but you can get the brush back to the stage where birds really like that area,” said Wright. 

Other wildlife species have reaped the benefits as well. 

“As we create more open space by taking out brush, we create better habitat for the deer who live here,” said Wright. “We create better habitat for just about everything.”

Another wildlife population that has benefitted from the work on the White Ranch is the Texas Horned Lizard. 

Wright is currently working with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, students from Texas Christian University Horny Toad Project and biologists with the San Antonio Zoo. They have visited the ranch to conduct population genetic studies of horned lizards to help inform future reintroduction and management efforts.

“They take DNA on all of them — it’s interesting,” said Wright. “Last year they found some babies that were born from the reintroduced lizards.”

The Future 

Wright is satisfied with the restoration work across White Ranch.  

Still, his focus is always on the future. 

Wright currently works with Nicholson King and the rest of the family. He wants to make sure each family member’s interests are include in whatever the future of the ranch will hold. 

His greatest hope is to make sure the ranch remains healthy and viable so that it stays in the family for generations to come.

“We’re trying to get everybody reengaged with the ranch,” he said with a smile. 

Wright has been a caretaker in one form or another from the start at White Ranch. 

“This is my church,” Wright said. “This is where I live. This is what I love. Get a job that you love, and you never have to work.”

He’s thankful, too, for NRCS. 

For NRCS Mason Resource Team Leader Dandy Kothmann, the feeling is mutual.

“It’s just an honor for us to be here and maybe help them continue that heritage of stewardship,” said Kothmann.

“Dandy has just been a true blessing,” said Wright. “She has a lot of experience, which has been great to be able to go in and get advice from somebody who’s been there and done that. I may not know all the answers, but I know who to call. And that’s huge.”

A relationship born out of mutual respect and a shared passion to improve the land has evolved to the true stewardship that Wright exemplifies today. He’s improved the entire ecosystem of the ranch, one practice at a time.