In no other state is the identity of its people so closely tied to the land as it is in Texas. Texans have historically and passionately defined themselves through their sense of place. As one considers the remarkable diversity of the landscape of Texas and the array of cultures that have arisen from the land, the fierce individuality of the people is easy to understand. Today, the very foundation of that deep sense of who we are is threatened by forces that are changing the character of the land more rapidly and profoundly than at any other time since the introduction of agriculture. Few remnants of the real Texas remain, and the realities of public policy and finance in the nineties present an uncertain climate for protecting those natural treasures that have managed to survive. And some have survived. The best and most significant of them are presented in this book, along with a twenty-first-century strategy for protecting them. If we want our children to understand what it means to be a Texan, we can do no less.