PROTECT
OUR
PINEY WOODS
PINEY WOODS ECOSYSTEM
Nacogdoches County sits in the heart of the East Texas Piney Woods and is home to rare and vulnerable wildlife whose habitats are at risk from industrial solar development.
Protected Species on the Spindletop Solar and Storage Site
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Federally protected and endangered
Rafinesque’s Big-eared Bat
State Threatened
Monarch Butterfly
Federally Proposed Threatened
Bald Eagle
State Threatened
Timber Rattlesnake
State Threatened
Alligator Snapping Turtle
State Threatened
Northern Long-eared Bat
Federally protected and endangered
Tricolored Bat
Federally Proposed Endangered
Wood Stork
State Threatened
Texas Horned Lizard
State Threatened
Prothonotary Warbler
Protected migratory bird (Migratory Bird Treaty Act)
Kentucky Warbler
Protected migratory bird (Migratory Bird Treaty Act)
LeConte’s Sparrow
Protected migratory bird (Migratory Bird Treaty Act)
American Golden-Plover
Protected migratory bird (Migratory Bird Treaty Act)
River Otter
Protected non-game species in Texas
American Black Bear
Download Protected Species List
State Threatened
The Texas golden gladecress (Leavenworthia texana) is a tiny, rare, federally protected plant tied to unique glade habitats in East Texas. Because it is found in only a few locations worldwide, it is a high priority for conservation efforts.
Critical Habitat Spotlight
The Neches River rose-mallow (Hibiscus dasycalyx) is a rare, federally threatened perennial wildflower native exclusively to the wetlands of the East Texas Pineywoods.
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The Nacogdoches Piney Woods provide vital clean water, fertile soil, and sustaining habitats for local families, farms, and rare wildlife. However, the sprawl of industrial solar farms, BESS facilities, and data centers threatens to permanently fragment this land and deplete our essential resources. Protecting this ecosystem is urgent to ensure our community's agricultural heritage and natural environment survive this heavy industrial encroachment.