Texas Conservation Alliance is proud to offer Richard Donovan’s Paddling the Wild Neches. Price: $17.95 Shipping: $3.50 Tax: $1.48 Total: $22.93 To purchase click here:   Major credit cards and PayPal accepted.

About the Book and the Author A long-time board member of Texas CONSERVATION ALLIANCE, Richard canoed 325 miles of the Neches River to highlight its natural beauty and historical and ecological importance to Texans.  The book captures Richard’s thoughts and adventures as he travels downstream and, as East Texas reviewer J. Ray put it, “tells our history with such clarity that you can see the sights, hear the sounds and smell the scents.”

The Neches River has been a critical element in the history of East Texas as well as vital for its wildlife.  It served as the primary transportation corridor for Native American Caddos and early settlers.  Early timber cutters floated logs lashed together in great rafts down the river to Beaumont. Neches flood flows nurture the Big Thicket National Preserve, Big Slough and Upland Island Wilderness Areas, the popular Martin Dies, Jr. State Park, and the Angelina/Neches/Dam B Wildlife Management Area.

Paddling the Wild Neches makes the case for Congressional designation of the Neches as a National Scenic River while telling the colorful stories of East Texas’ past. In its watershed lies some of the wildest country in Texas, tucked amid the remains of one of the finest hardwood forests in the world, nurturing deer, turkeys, otters, songbirds, wood ducks, and other migratory waterfowl.

 “I began to see the threats to the Neches from the building of dams,” Richard tells audiences who gather to view his slide show. “I wanted to present the beauty of the Neches River and the giant hardwood forests that won’t be there if Fastrill and Rockland Reservoirs are built.”

The book chronicles the river's cultural history, sharing stories of early settlers and East Texas hunting traditions.  It calls attention to the recreational potential of the river for paddlers and others, whether residents or visitors.

Donovan feels so strongly about protecting the Neches that he is donating the royalties to The Conservation Fund to buy bottomland to be added to the recently-formed Neches River National Wildlife Refuge.

Readers interested in how they can help protect the Neches can contact Texas Conservation Alliance at 903-592-0909 or go to our "Contact the Alliance" web page .