Recently, Tom Smith, a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee, died.  The Houston Sierra Club gave Tom a Special Service Award in 2004 for his work acquiring land for the National Wildlife Refuge System.  Almost any National Wildlife Refuge in the western U.S. and in Texas has Tom’s imprint on it.  He was that good, that dedicated, and that omnipresent.

I remember meeting Tom for the first time in 1982 as the State of Texas attempted to prevent and take Matagorda Island from the National Wildlife Refuge System for which it was meant to be given.  Tom deftly waded through federal and state political wars and provided a steady hand so that ultimately Matagorda Island retained its federal ownership and the State of Texas was allowed to set-up Matagorda Island State Park on that federal public wildlife land.   Truly he was an exemplar of what a “public servant” is.

Tom was also a mentor and friend to Mike Lange, who followed in Tom’s footsteps and has acquired Columbia Bottomlands Ecosystem lands and other coastal Texas habitats for almost 30 years.  Tom helped Mike with his work and indeed almost to the end was trying to set-up new deals to protect wildlife lands.  One of Tom’s rules of life was patience.  When Mike got restless about a land deal because it was not happening, Tom would say, “Don’t worry Mike, we’ll get it eventually!”

After Tom retired, he worked for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which is set-up to acquire lands to add to the National Wildlife Refuge System.  Look at Anahuac, McFaddin, Texas Point, San Bernard, Brazoria, Aransas, and other National Wildlife Refuges in our area and Tom’s brilliant work is hidden, but was crucial for their existence and expansion.

Our hearts and sympathies go to Tom’s daughter, Jean, and the rest of his family and friends.  Tom lived his life in selfless service to the public.  He did not care about headlines about himself, only results which protected wildlife lands.  Our hats are off to Tom and the way he protected and made our community and federal public lands better.  If we know Tom, right now he is advising “the one upstairs” about which public lands should be protected from climate change.  What a man!!! 

Author: Brandt Mannchen