The 69-mile long Village Creek is recognized as one of the last free-flowing streams in East Texas. It’s a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and home to rare fish and mussels. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) worked for some time to protect Village Creek from the encroaching urban development in nearby Lumberton. A few miles of the river flows through Village Creek State Park, which also includes a diversity of  longleaf pine uplands, wetlands and cypress swamps. Back in 2009, we helped TPWD double the size of Village Creek State Park, conserving the river and surrounding natural area for future generations.

Through a creative combination of public and private grant funding, we were able to offer 1,500 acres of undeveloped timber land to TPWD at about one-quarter of its market value. The land expands Village Creek Park’s southern boundary and more than doubles the park’s original 1,090 acres. 

The land we protected also adds to Big Thicket National Preserve’s Village Creek and Neches River Corridor units. With this addition visitors have more outdoor recreational opportunities and state park personnel have vehicle access to the eastern third of the park.

Learn More

• Our Work at Big Thicket National Preserve
• Places We Protect: Wild Havens