TCU Iron Skillet victory bet brings mayoral donation to Fort Worth’s open space efforts

TCU’s win against the Mustangs this weekend marked a historic triumph for the team — and a victory for Fort Worth’s green spaces.

The Horned Frogs football team won what could be the last “Battle for the Iron Skillet” rivalry, a contest waged by Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University since 1946. 

As part of a civic wager between the cities, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson will make a donation to Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker’s nonprofit, the Good Natured green space initiative. 

Founded by Parker in 2023, the initiative aims to push the city’s open space conservation efforts forward by acquiring 10,000 acres of green space by 2028. 

“Mayor Johnson’s donation to the Good Natured initiative will contribute directly to our land acquisition goal and further our mission to preserve, protect, and expand Fort Worth’s natural heritage and open spaces for generations to come,” Parker said in a statement. 

Neither Johnson or Parker specified the dollar value of the donation. 

Parker’s initiative complements Fort Worth’s open space conservation program established in 2019 in response to urban sprawl. The city was losing about 50 acres of open space to development each week that same year, mostly fueled by population growth. 

As of today, over 1,000 acres have been saved through Good Natured, said Allison Docker, the city’s green space champion. Of that total, about 600 acres consist of open space, and the remaining acreage consists of parkland. 

Fort Worth is in the process of adding another 100 acres of open space by early next year, Docker said. 

City leaders have invested millions in open space acquisitions. That includes land near the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, Lake Arlington and the Tandy Hills Natural Area. 

More recently, City Council members approved a $13.4 million purchase in December for a 300-acre park in north Fort Worth. 

In October, council members approved a $1.6 million purchase of land to expand the future Rock Creek Ranch Park. That parkland now sits at 355 acres. 

Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.

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