A closer look
A $19.5 million purchase by the county in 2019, the 93-acre property is set to feature multiple trails and a three-story, 63,000-square-foot facility. The facility will house a new visitor center for the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and provide workspace for the expanding natural resources department staff.
In an effort to “ramp up public access,” the visitor center will give a sense of what the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve is, staff told commissioners during the initial presentation of design plans.
As the new facility becomes a reality, the space will serve as a hub for public education and engagement, said Emily Ackland, the natural resources program manager for the county.
According to schematics presented by Jackson & McElhaney Architects, the firm awarded a $2.4 million design contract, the property will feature:
- A first-floor visitor center
- Second- and third-floor staff office space
- Exhibits, including a large three-dimensional model of a sinkhole and other collaborations with the historical commission and Central Texas Indigenous communities
- An Indigenous peoples land acknowledgment
- An atrium
- 3.1 miles of trails, with 2 miles designed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards
- A fully ADA-accessible replica cave
- An amphitheater for outdoor events and learning opportunities
- A children’s nature play area
- Rainwater cisterns demonstrating water reuse techniques
- Native plant gardens
Some context
The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve was first created in 1996 to protect land habitats for eight endangered species: two migratory songbirds called the golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo, and six karst invertebrates found in caves.
The preserve is one of the nation’s largest urban preserves, according to its website, covering more than 33,000 acres, made up of over 140 individual tracts managed by both public and private partners, such as the county, city of Austin, The Nature Conservancy and Lower Colorado River Authority.
The organization also regulates development in the area, issuing permits in western Travis County that require the preservation of habitat land.
Authorization for the Balcones Canyonlands Preservation Plan, issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was initially set to expire in 2026; however, the permit to fast-track development while protecting endangered species was extended another 15 years by Austin and Travis County officials in September 2023.
Both the city of Austin and Travis County are required to offset habitat loss in the area by purchasing and preserving wildland where the endangered species can live. In exchange, local developments undergo expedited permitting processes, which would otherwise take several years.
Since 1996, the BCCP has resulted in:
- 1,200 applications from private landowners for BCCP permits
- 300 public infrastructure projects built with these permits
- Over 17,100 acres of protected wildlife habitat acquired to offset these projects
