100 Million Dollars Richer? No Thanks, Says This Family, Let’s Protect Nature Instead

A Texas family chose nature over profit when they agreed to turn 515 acres of their land into a protected state park.

“Together with the adjacent Guadalupe River State Park, these protected lands encompass nearly 5,000 acres of habitat that sustain plants and wildlife, benefit water quality, and provide opportunities for people to spend time in nature,” says Texas State Parks director Rodney Franklin.

The Urbanczyks family has lived on the ranch for decades and could have made around $125 million from a proposed plan to turn part of their property into a 2,400-home subdivision. However, when Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) in collaboration with the Nature Conservancy and other philanthropic organizations proposed to buy the ranch for $25 million and turn it into a nature reserve, the Urbancyks family did not hesitate. The 515 acres have recently been handed over to become a protected state park, with the TPWD planning to open part of the new land to the public for special events such as weddings and family reunions.