Kordzik-Sheppard Ranch
History of the land
The Kordzik-Sheppard land has been in the Kordizk family since the late 1800s. In recent years, the family saw their sleepy hometown transform into a buzzing tourist destination while of the properties around them were subdivided and sold as real estate. This recent explosive growth prompted the family to contact Hill Country Conservancy for advice on protecting their land. The family chose to enter into a conservation easement agreement because they love the land and want to continue their legacy of stewardship for generations to come.
“After 40 years with the Navy, the Sheppards made the Kordzik ranch their home in 2010,” said landowner Tim Sheppard. “Being aware of the recent development in Gillespie County, we wanted to preserve Nancy's stepfather Guenther Kordzik's homestead which had been purchased in the late 1800s by his Grandfather Henry Kordzik and was recognized in 1982 by Jim Hightower, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, as having been owned and operated as a continuous family agricultural operation for 100 years or more.”
What's protected by the Kordzik-Sheppard easement
To immense public value, this newly established partnership will permanently protect the Kordzik-Sheppard family’s critical land and promote further stewardship of its water resources and wildlife with a conservation easement held by Hill Country Conservancy. “This agreement is carefully crafted to serve the public interest of preserving water, wildlife, soils, scenic views, and long-term productivity while ensuring that the landowner can continue to live, recreate, graze, farm, hunt, and fish on their land,” said Chief Conservation Officer Frank Davis. “But more importantly, we all benefit from this conservation easement each time we turn on the tap, knowing clean water will be there on demand.” The addition of these 732 acres brings Hill Country Conservancy’s total conserved land to over 14,000 acres in working conservation easements.
This easement was made possible by the many partners of the Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative and the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program. This will be the first conservation easement that Hill Country Conservancy has administered outside of our usual 6-county purview. The easement is significant, as it falls within an area where historic over-grazing, browse-pressure and land fragmentation are the norm. Therefore, the easement will preserve the health of the primary water source for millions living in downstream communities, including Austin, Bastrop, Smithville, and others eastward to the Gulf of Mexico.
Comments 4
This is just so wonderful! Keep up the good work. I’m so grateful to you and the ranching families who are willing to put their land into preservations status to benefit all of us.
Wonderful to hear of. My great grandfather was Louis Kordzik
My grandmother was Amelia Kordzik Seagraves. Have always wanted to find the location of the Kordzik property. Went to a number of Kordzik reunions in Luckenbach when I was growing up
This project is a great use of NRCS funding through the RCPP program to protect our wildlife and Hill Country ranching heritage!
Thank you for protecting the land of my great grandfather Henry Kordzik. My oma was his daughter Lily Kordzik.