Selah History:
In the Beginning

In 1969, J. David Bamberger sought to buy the worst piece of ranch land he could find in the Hill Country with the specific intention of restoring it back to functional health. For nearly 50 years the 5,500 acre ranch has become one of the largest habitat restoration projects in the state, winning numerous awards (Soil and Water Conservation Service, Texas Forest Service, National Arbor Day Foundation, the Nature Conservancy of Texas, Texas Wildlife Association, Leopold Conservation Award, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Lone Star Land Steward, National Private Lands Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Award, to name a few).

With proper management of Ashe juniper and the propagation of native grasses, long absent springs are now constantly flowing. The major spring produces an average of 3 gallons per minute (4,320 gallons/day) and furnishes all the water used by the ranch. Overflow from this spring along with other smaller springs and seeps produce the headwaters of Miller Creek. Miller Creek flows into the Pedernales River, which then flows into the Colorado River, which provides surface water for the City of Austin.

Then and Now:
A Natural Perspective

The original purchase of 3,000 acres in 1969 has been augmented in parcels over the years into what is now a 5,500-acre shining example of habitat restoration and wildlife habitat.

Birds

Early bird surveys in the late 60s and early 70s documented under 50 species. As a group, birds represent a very good indicator species, and land stewards can, using bird surveys, build their understanding of the condition of the land. BRPs current species list today boasts 221 species of birds. This number demonstrates significant diversity and vast improvement in habitat conditions.

In the early days the ranch was predominantly a cedar thicket, such that a forested habitat dominated the landscape. Supporting the Hill Country’s rich biodiversity tops our list of management goals at BRP. Most biologists agree that the Hill Country encompassed a diversity of habitat types in pre-European settlement days. About 15% of the landscape at BRP today remains in cedar thicket. Additional habitat types are grasslands and oak savannah, riparian areas, and edge habitats. Edge habitats represent the transition of one habitat type to the next, providing important resources on which wildlife depend.

BRP provides habitat for the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler (GCWA) and the recently delisted Black-capped Vireo (BCVI). Neither of these species were documented at BRP prior to the start of habitat restoration. Nesting pairs of GCWA have been repeatedly documented on the ranch preserve.

White-tailed Deer

Before the beginning of our restoration journey, white-tailed deer here were small and unhealthy due to the lack of diversity in available forage. The average field dressed weight of the deer at that time was 55 pounds. Bucks now consistently field dress at an average of 120 pounds, with the record in 2013 of 156 pounds.

Cattle

In 1969, when the ranch was predominantly covered in Ashe juniper, there wasn't much for cows to eat. Soil Conservation Service (SCS, now known as NRCS) agents told J. David that he could stock one animal unit per 41 acres. (An animal unit is equivalent to one 1,000-lb. beef cow and calf pair.)

With better landscape management, we are able to stock one animal unit per 21 acres. Over the past several years we have experienced frequent and lengthy droughts. We currently do not run livestock on the landscape and we use additional land management tools to mimic the beneficial effects of grazing.

Water

Prior to the beginning of our habitat restoration journey, no surface water or live creeks existed on the ranch. Mr. Bamberger even tried to start his own water well drilling business in the early days. He drilled 7 500-foot deep wells across the ranch and did not encounter a drop of water.

With our ongoing restoration activities, we now enjoy 7 stock tanks, ponds, and lakes, as well as and many springs. Eleven of the springs are cased to utilize for domestic purposes or livestock.

Miller Creek originates on Bamberger Ranch Preserve. Our stretch of the creek runs year-round with the exception of extreme drought conditions. Even in times of drought, the springs that supply water to five households and our Center still run due to our habitat restoration efforts.

Bamberger Ranch Preserve represents a labor of love supported by a community of employees and volunteers. The original employees included Leroy Petri, ranch engineer; William “Buddy” Francis, livestock manager; Randy Lenz, wildlife manager; and Jim Rhoades, arborist.

Lessons from the Selah Journey

It took J. David Bamberger over 25 years of toil and trial to achieve his vision of what Selah could be. He struggled with invasive plants, an abused and neglected landscape and mistaken conventional wisdom. He persisted. Today he generously shares the lessons he learned along the way. The reality is that it takes resources, commitment, and patience to restore a natural space to its closest-possible original health and abundance. In the last 20+ years, commitment and resources are still required. In J. David’s words: “Do not initiate an action you are not willing, or capable of sustaining.”

We highly recommend that you start with learning your soils before embarking on reseeding native grasses in order to help ensure germination success. Researched and printed back in the 1960s and 1970s, the then Soil Conservation Service crawled all over Texas and mapped out soils and made lists of what should grow there and what would be the best land use for those soils. Now out of print, the hard copies of the books are hard to come by, but visit your local Natural Resource Conservation District and ask, or you can download the digital version. Find your land here: Texas Soil Surveys Online Resources

If you’re located anywhere in Central Texas, you probably can’t go wrong with starting with little bluestem and side-oats grama, but do ask the experts. Early grass reseedings at Selah was provided by our friends at Douglass King Seed company in San Antonio.

Native American Seed Company has an impressive staff of experts and you can order your seeds through them by soil type or eco-region type.

If you’re trying to reclaim burn sites where you may have burned brush piles, check out research done at the CL Browning Ranch in Johnson City with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. They have a list and recommendations of how best to repair those areas.