Nongame and Rare Species Program

Discovering Populations, Documenting Change

The mission of the Nongame & Rare Species Program (NRSP) at TPWD is to: “To conserve and recover threatened, endangered and high-priority species and habitats through research, management, policy, and partnerships.”

The NRSP is responsible for: (1) determining Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), (2) conducting & facilitating research needed to conserve SGCN, and (3) developing and implementing conservation plans to improve SGCN status. Texas currently has 1,124 SGCN, and 240 species state or federally listed as threatened or endangered.

By taking a proactive approach, we work to prevent the need for future threatened and endangered species listings and to recover listed species.

State Wildlife Action Plan for Texas: The State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) purpose is to provide a statewide "roadmap" for research, restoration, management, and recovery projects addressing Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and important habitats. More information is on the SWAP page.
Species of Greatest Conservation Need: Texas hosts over 1,300 species that are considered to be Species of Greatest Conservation Need. These are species that, due to limited distributions and/or declining populations, face the threat of extirpation or extinction but lack legal protection. More information is on the Species of Greatest Conservation Need page.
Staff Publications: Peer-reviewed technical articles authored by staff biologists available for viewing and download on the Staff Publications page.
Native Pollinators on Private Lands: Information on the biology and management of native insect pollinators in Texas is on the Native Pollinators on Private Lands page.

Federal and State Listed Species: In Texas, animal or plant species of conservation concern may be listed as threatened or endangered under the authority of state law and/or under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Species may be listed as state threatened or endangered and not federally listed. More information is on the Federal and State Listed Species page.
Nongame Grants and Research: The Nongame and Rare Species Program offers funding through the Conservation License Plate and State Wildlife Grant Programs to support implementation of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Texas Conservation Action Plan. More information is on the Nongame Grants and Research page.
Wildlife Diversity Webinar Series: This monthly webinar series highlights research and conservation efforts to benefit rare and at-risk species in Texas. See the list of upcoming webinars, sign up for notifications and access archived webinar videos on the Wildlife Diversity Webinar Series page.