Pronghorn-Friendly Fence Modifications in West Texas Grasslands

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) in Alpine, Texas, collaborated with local landowners to prioritize areas for pronghorn-friendly fence modifications. The team removed old, unused fences and accompanying fence posts, and adjusted the height and bottom strand of existing restrictive fences to allow pronghorn passage. With roughly 95% of the land privately owned, the team conducted direct outreach with landowners, facilitating cooperation between landowners and state agencies to complete the modifications. Project partners completed over 1,700 fence modifications, connecting more than 310,400 acres of grassland habitat. The project was funded by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).