Hays County Commissioners recently approved the Parks, Open Spaces and Natural Areas Master Plan.

Officials have worked with citizens and an advisory board for a year to finalize the plan, which will guide the parks planning process in the unincorporated areas of Hays County for the next 10 years.

The county oversees 1,225 acres of parkland and 3,083 acres of open space.

To be considered for Texas Parks & Wildlife Department grants, counties are required to update their parks master plans every 10 years.

Hays County Grants Administrator Jeff Hauff said that as funds become available, the county can move forward with creating or adapting spaces addressed in the plan.

According to the county, the newly adopted plan recognizes residents' requests to fill unmet needs in unincorporated areas of the county and to complement the work being done by individual cities.

Among the priorities detailed in the plan is a need for parks and public spaces that preserve water corridors as well as special areas that reflect the attributes of the Hill Country that initially attracted residents to the area.

The plan calls for Hays County to take a leadership role in addressing those priorities and to seek collaborative ways for parks funding and development.

Hays County developed its first master plan in 2002. A copy of the new plan is available at www.co.hays.tx.us/parksmasterplan.