Texas parks commission authorizes purchase of Hill Country natural areas
The acquisitions will allow for expansions of Enchanted Rock and Government Canyon and to create new state parks near Garner and Colorado Bend
At their meeting yesterday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorized the purchase of four properties in the Texas Hill Country to add to the state parks system.
- 823 acres next to Government Canyon State Natural Area (near San Antonio)
- 3,073 acres next to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (this is in addition to the 630 acres bought last month!)
- 1,721 acres in Uvalde County, about a mile from Garner State Park. This property includes “over a mile along the Frio River, rugged hills, and a diversity of native habitat” and is intended to be a new state park.
- 2020 acres across the river from Colorado Bend State Park
Texas Parks and Wildlife staff now have authorization to negotiate the purchase of these properties. If deals are struck, these properties will be purchased using some of the $125 million appropriated for the failed attempt to purchase Fairfield Lake State Park (alas none of these properties are near there – we still need to work to find a replacement near there). The first park purchased with the $1 billion Centennial Parks Conservation Fund should come next year.
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