
Mara Asmis
Wildlife and Wild Places Intern
The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve protects habitat for endangered Golden Cheeked Warblers and other species
Wildlife and Wild Places Intern
Executive Director, Environment Texas Research & Policy Center
On September 21, 2023, the Austin City Council approved the submission of an application to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that would extend the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan to 2041.
The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve is one of the largest urban preserves in the United States. It consists of 140 “tracts” managed by various parties and houses the eight endangered species originally listed in the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan, including the Golden Cheeked Warbler, Black-Capped Vireo, and six karst invertebrates. The Black-Capped Vireo has since been removed from the Endangered Species List but still enjoys the protection of the preserve. 3,600 of its 33,000 acres are regularly open for public use, as well.
The Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP) was first signed in 1996 to make up for lost habitat in response to the listing of several species in the Central Texas area as endangered. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits harming endangered species or their habitat, and landowners seeking to develop such habitat generally need to apply for a permit through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Since landowners are responsible for complying with the ESA, the BCCP is an expedited option available for landowners in western Travis County who want to develop the endangered species’ habitats, which would be illegal without a permit. The BCCP permit process involves calculating a mitigation fee based on the number of acres of endangered species habitat impacted by the proposed project. The collected fees are used to purchase and manage land for the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve.
Once the BCCP permit ends, which was originally set to happen in 2026, the permitting process that allows development on endangered species land and provides funding for the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve would expire. However, the existing Balcones Canyonlands Preserve would never be developed on.
During negotiations of the BCCP, scientists concluded that 70,000 acres must be preserved for the Golden-Cheeked Warbler population to recover. The minimum conservation goal, 30,428 acres, was met in 2012, and to aid in the conservation process, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife created the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. Together, the BCCP and U.S. Fish and Wildlife have preserved 33,000 acres and 27,000 acres respectively. However, there is more to protect. The BCCP has yet to successfully preserve the minimum required habitat in seven “macrosites” and 62 caves. According to Travis County, these targets must be reached by the end of the permit term.
On September 21st, the Austin City Council voted on three authorizations impacting the BCCP, including the amendment to the agreement with Travis County regarding the BCCP to reflect “current industry standards”, the negotiation and execution of an amendment that would reflect the current organization structures, and approving the submission of an application to U.S. Fish and Wildlife extending the BCCP permit to 2041.
Wildlife and Wild Places Intern
As the executive director of Environment Texas, Luke is a leading voice in the state for clean air and water, parks and wildlife, and a livable climate. Luke recently led the successful campaign to get the Texas Legislature and voters to invest $1 billion to buy land for new state parks. He also helped win permanent protection for the Christmas Mountains of Big Bend; helped compel Exxon, Shell and Chevron Phillips to cut air pollution at four Texas refineries and chemical plants; and got the Austin and Houston school districts to install filters on water fountains to protect children from lead in drinking water. The San Antonio Current has called Luke "long one of the most energetic and dedicated defenders of environmental issues in the state." He has been named one of the "Top Lobbyists for Causes" by Capitol Inside and received the President's Award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society for his work to protect Texas parks. He is a board member of the Clean Air Force of Central Texas and an advisory board member of the Texas Tech University Masters of Public Administration program. Luke, his wife, son and daughters are working to visit every state park in Texas.