The Preacher and the Toad

Posted: 19-Nov-2003; Updated: 20-Jul-2009

No need to describe how Bob Long differs from the typical environmentalist do-gooder; he's happy to do that himself. "I'm a gun-toting, redneck, Texas Republican preacher," he told The Houston Chronicle in June 2003.

With the encouragement of Leopold Stewardship Fund financial assistance and Safe Harbor regulatory assurances, Bob Long is offering the endangered Houston toad (Bufo hustonensis) a home on his ranch. Leopold money is helping him fence off cattle from toad breeding ponds, plant native vegetation and make other improvements. Long has applied to enroll his entire 540-acre Bastrop County property in a Safe Harbor agreement, which will ensure that he does not incur additional Endangered Species Act responsibilities as he continues his normal ranching operations.

When Long began enhancing toad habitat, the response was quick; the rancher soon heard the males calling the females. The stereotype-busting conservationist comments, "I couldn't spell 'environmentalist.' Now I am one."