Balcones Canyonlands Preserve Acquires New Tracts In Volente Area
By Rose Farmer, Travis County, Balcones Canyonlands Preserve
Article Submitted January 2003

The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) has recently acquired several new tracts in the Volente area. In fall 2001, Travis County added the 170-acre Toops tract and the 490-acre Vista Point/Shelberg tract to the Preserve, both located near the intersection of Bullick Hollow Road and FM 2769. This brings the total acreage for Preserve land owned by Travis County in the Volente area to approximately 1,600 acres.

Although the Hill Country of Central Texas is well known for its scenic views and spectacular wildflowers, the land is also home to eight federally endangered species and dozens of other rare species. This species diversity exists, in part, because of the region's unique ecosystem. Underground is a limestone honeycomb of caves, sinkholes and springs. Spiders, beetles and other creatures inhabiting these caves are found nowhere else in the world. Still deeper is the Edwards Aquifer that provides the main source of drinking water for more than 1.5 million people in Central Texas.

The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve is the result of a community-based effort to protect more than 30 species while allowing development to occur in western Travis County. It was established through a permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the City of Austin and Travis County in 1996. The Preserve will ultimately protect about 30,000 acres of prime habitat in western Travis County. Preserve tracts are owned by public and private entities including the City of Austin, Travis County, the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Nature Conservancy of Texas, the Travis Audubon Society, as well as private landowners, making it one of the country's largest urban preserves. The managing partners have currently acquired a total of over 26,000 acres.

For many years, the Hill Country's unique vegetation, including elms, oaks and Ashe juniper (or "cedar"), remained virtually untouched. Golden-cheeked Warblers and Black-capped Vireos, two federally protected migratory songbirds, thrived. However, due to Austin's explosive growth and the resulting habitat fragmentation, populations of warblers and vireos have steadily declined.

Public Access

Because of the Preserve's delicate ecosystem in the Volente area, access to Travis County's BCP land will be limited for at least 5 years to allow research, protection, and restoration of the endangered species habitat on the tracts. Public access during this period will be limited to tours provided by Travis County BCP staff. Other Preserve lands, however, have readily available public access. The public is welcome to visit the County's Wild Basin Preserve and Hamilton Pool Preserve, the City of Austin's Emma Long Metropolitan Park, Bull Creek and St. Edwards Parks, and LCRA's Westcave Preserve.

Thank you for your help in protecting this important habitat, one of Central Texas' unique treasures.

To sign up for a tour or for questions, please contact Travis County BCP staff at 854-7214 or 854-7213. If you observe unauthorized uses in the Preserve land such as tree cutting, trespassing, or poaching, please contact the BCP Rangers at 658-0439 or 658-0459.
Just for clarification:
BCCP - Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan - this is the permit that the city and county were issued by the USFWS in 1996 that allows landowners to mitigate for the clearing of endangered species habitat in Travis County through this alternative process by paying a fee to the BCCP (which will be used to purchase preseve land). If landowners can also mitigate for this loss through going directly to the USFWS.
BCP - Balcones Canyonlands Preserve - this is the preserve that serves as the mitigation for the loss of so much endangered species habitat allowed by the permit. The interagency BCCP partner group (City, County, LCRA, The Nature Conservancy, Audubon, etc.) has now acquired about 26,000 acres of the 30,428 acres required to be protected by our permit. - Rose Farmer 1/23/2003