09/26/2026
Ned runs deep within the Whole Earth family! What a legend!💚
TODAY is NED FRITZ DAY! In 1983, acting Governor Lloyd Doggett decreed Sept. 24 to be Ned Fritz Day. The team at Ned Fritz Legacy insists now that it be celebrated every year.
Ned was a man of many achievements, born of his love for nature, aided by his brilliant mind, savvy lawyer skills, and passion for people. Rare is the day you are not impacted by Ned Fritz (February 8, 1916 to December 19, 2008)!
• Land trusts in Texas, part 1 — started the land-trust movement in Texas as first acquisitions director of The Nature Conservancy Texas. Time: 1960s.
• Texas environmental movement — founded with his wife Genie the first Texas-focused environmental nonprofit, now known as Conservation Alliance. Time: 1960s.
• Trinity River — led efforts to keep it from being a concrete ditch of a barge canal from Fort Worth to the Gulf. Time: early 1970s.
• Big Thicket National Preserve — used his legal and political skills to push legislation establishing it over the finish line, saving 113,000 acres. Time: early 1970s.
• Great Trinity Forest — brought initial attention to the 6000-acre bottomland forest and thwarted plans to destroy a rare grove of Texas buckeye trees. Time: early 1980s.
• Forests nationwide (especially East Texas) — fought against clearcutting on federal lands, started a national forest reform movement, and achieved clearcutting policy changes (though not an end to the practice). Time: 1980s.
• East Texas wilderness — ensured 35,000 acres were preserved as wilderness. Time: 1980s.
• Land trusts in Texas, part 2 — founded with his wife Genie the first Texas-focused land trust, now known as Land Conservancy. Time: 1980s.
See all of Ned's achievements at the Ned Fritz Legacy website, search Legacy List. (Facebook is forcing pages to pay $15 a month for including links. I manage four nonprofit pages and can't afford that. So sorry, no URL.)
As the Living Lorax of his time, honor Ned by spending time with a tree or in the forest today. You'll feel better, guaranteed. See Wild DFW: Explore the Amazing Nature Around Dallas-Fort Worth for places to go.
Photo of Ned exploring a cave while in his late 70s by David Bezanson.
