OUTLOOK
Land preservation projects increase as city grows
Texas Journalist Staff
The city of Austin has seen tremendous growth over the past few decades. From the technology industry in north Austin to recent housing development downtown, this expansion has pushed the city outward and upward. During this, the Trust for Public Land has fought to keep the signature Hill Country of Austin alive.
The vew to the west from Mount Bonnell Park in West Austin. Lake Austin on the Colorado River stretches under the Loop 360 bridge in the distance. | Photo by JENNIFER WILLOUGHBY
Founded in 1972 in San Francisco, the Trust for Public Land is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving land for such uses as parks, gardens and natural habitats. By working with private and public investors, it has been able to acquire and preserve many of these valuable sites. The Trust has helped protect land in 46 states, accounting for more than 2 million preserved acres, according to its Web site. In Texas alone, the group has preserved about 300,000 acres of land.
The Trust for Public Land’s work around Austin originated in the 1990s as preservation projects were started around the city. In 1991, the Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park project began in South Austin. After obtaining nearly 200 acres of land near the park, the Trust donated it to the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, allowing for a mile of riverfront property to be added to the park.
From 1994 to 1995, TPL expanded the Colorado River Park in east Austin by purchasing and donating 100 acres of riverfront property. Both this project and the Searight Park program were part of the “Parks for People” campaign. According to the Trust’s Web site, this initiative is one of five different areas in which the organization has helped preserve important land sites.
Other examples of the Trust’s initiatives include the “Heritage Lands” project which helps protect culturally and historically important houses, lands and developments. Furthermore, with “Working Lands”, the organization has strived to protect rural lands including ranches and farms.
The Trust for Public Land’s largest undertakings in the Austin area fall under the remaining two conservation programs the organization offers.
The “Natural Lands” initiative calls to preserve areas of natural wilderness surrounding Austin and supports various species of animals in their natural habitat. The Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge project is an example of this program and has been an undertaking seven years in the making.
Started in 2000, the project was designed to protect the wildlife refuge, located northwest of Austin, from intruding developments by donating land in six separate stages. From 2000, the Trust was able to successfully donate more than 2,000 acres to the refuge.
Aiding the organization in this project was Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Dallas. Hutchinson worked with the federal Land and Water Conservation Funds and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to help complete the preservation of this national wildlife refuge.
The last of the group’s initiatives, the “Land & Water” project, has strived to provide clean water and conserve the natural state of various coasts and waterways. The organization’s largest project in the Austin area today, the Barton Creek conservation, is part of this particular preservation plan.
Started in 1992, the Barton Creek project initially sought to protect an area known as Gaines Ranch from impending housing developments. After purchasing this and other areas of the Barton Creek region for $20 million, the Trust for Public Lands began a decades-long plan to clean both the creek and its subsidiary, Barton Springs.
Continuing for the next three years, the Barton Creek project provided an additional 145 acres to the Barton Creek Wilderness Park. The work on the area continued recently as the Trust announced on February 20th that it would donate an additional 44-acre piece of land to the City of Austin to enrich the Barton Creek area.
The Trust continues to work today to preserve the area surrounding Austin by collaborating with private investors and developers. Should a landowner wish to conserve his property, the Trust can outright purchase the land and utilize its resources with local politicians and preservation groups to set about the conservation process.
According to its annual report “A Land Legacy for Texas,” the Texas offices of the Trust are looking towards the future with hopes of accelerating their cause and bringing more natural reserves to Texas.
The report calls for Texas cities to acquire and preserve more than 40,000 acres within the coming years. Texas, the report states, is the 8th fastest growing state in the nation, resulting in an ever-growing need for more preserved land to be used by children, adults and wildlife alike.
Phone calls and emails to Trust for Public Land representatives were not returned.