A four-generation family ranch in the Texas Hill Country is being recognized as one of the state’s top conservation leaders.
L Cross Ranch in Vanderpool has been named Conservation Rancher of the Year by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) and the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
The 3,600-acre operation, located near the headwaters of the Medina River, was selected for its decades-long commitment to land stewardship, water conservation, and public education.
Owned and operated by the Short family, L Cross Ranch raises beef cattle, meat goats, and manages native wildlife while implementing practices that protect both the landscape and the aquifer beneath it.
The ranch’s conservation efforts include brush control— particularly of Ashe juniper—rotational grazing across seven cross-fenced pastures, and improvements to water distribution through solar pumps, pipelines, and upgraded wells.
“Our goal has always been to leave the land better than we found it,” said a member of the Short family. “We’re proud to show that conservation and production can go hand-in-hand.”
The Shorts also make their land available for educational programs, training Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff, and mentoring students through youth conservation camps and USDA video features.
The Conservation Rancher award is part of the broader 2025 Texas Conservation Awards Program, which honors landowners, educators, and organizations across the state. Winners will be recognized at a luncheon on Sept. 30 at Kalahari Resorts in Round Rock.
Other statewide honorees include:
• Roger and Zachary Glass of Tom Green County, named Conservation Farmers of the Year for their no-till, cover-crop farming system in West Texas.
• Jenna Cotter, a junior high science teacher in Stockdale, named Conservation Teacher of the Year.
• David Motl of Lampasas County, honored as Wildlife Conservationist of the Year for balancing livestock production with habitat restoration.
• Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), named Friend of Conservation for its Creekside Conservation Program.
• Kleberg-Kenedy SWCD #356, recognized as the state’s Outstanding Soil and Water Conservation District. Student poster and essay contest winners from across Texas will also be honored, with top entries advancing to national competition later this year.
More information about the program is available at tsswcb.texas.gov.
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