Paul Burns, a former ear, nose and throat physician, spent four decades turning a once‑barren, overgrazed Brown County ranch back into a thriving prairie.
He cleared 1,200 acres of mesquite and cedar, re‑seeded native grasses, fenced springs, and shifted cattle away after a 1995 tax law change that allowed wildlife management to qualify for agricultural tax valuation.
In May 2023, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials announced the acquisition of the 2,178‑acre property for a price close to $10 million, a deal that hinged on Burns donating a 25 % match of the appraised value under the Pittman‑Robertson Act.
The department will now run the land as the Paul and Toni Fox Burns Wildlife Management Area, offering habitat for white‑tailed deer, Rio Grande wild turkeys and more, while permitting researchers and the public to monitor restoration outcomes.