THE HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY (HCC)
History
A 1999 groundbreaking "peace treaty" between the Real Estate Council of Austin, the environmental community, and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce forever changed the way those organizations do business with one another. In light of the tremendous growth that the Austin area experienced, all three organizations recognized the need to balance growth with the protection of precious natural resources of the Central Texas Hill Country that are, in part, why so many people locate here.
As a result of their mutual desire to end the "scorched Earth" political tactics of the previous several decades, the organizations created and co-funded the Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) in January 2000. RECA made an initial contribution of $100,000 to HCC. In addition, RECA members are the other major contributors to HCC.
The Hill Country Conservancy works to ensure a healthy environment and economy in the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer region by preserving natural areas, scenic vistas, rivers and streams, working farms and ranches and the rural heritage of the Texas Hill Country for generations to come.
HCC's mission is to ensure a healthy environment and economy in the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer region by preserving open space and the rural heritage of the Texas Hill Country. HCC's goal is to conserve at least 50,000 acres of land focusing on scenic vistas, providing recreational opportunities, protecting water quality and quantity, and preserving the legacy of the Hill Country. This effort began with the simple desire to put differences aside for the good of the community in Austin. It is a best-case example of what can happen when people of different backgrounds and goals actually listen to one another with an open mind, and decide to work together.
The HCC Board, including several RECA Board members, represents a broad coalition of business people, professional conservationists and landowners pursuing conservation strategies through fee simple acquisition, gifts, grants, capital campaigns, conservation easements, and many other methods. The HCC Board emphasizes utilizing funding mechanisms that avoid new fees, assessments, taxes or other increases that could adversely affect business.
The HCC Board hired George Cofer, a longtime Austin environmentalist, as its first Executive Director to oversee the effort to fulfill the Conservancy's mission. For more information, go to HCC's website.
RECA Increases Pledge to HCC to $500,000
HCC's Fred Ellis, HCC President David Armbrust,
2005 RECA President Jim Knight and 2006 RECA President Terry
Mitchell
On March 8, 2006, RECA President Terry Mitchell presented Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) President David Armbrust with a contribution, representing the most significant investment made in RECA's history. RECA's Board approved a $400,000 pledge to be paid to HCC over the next 10 years for open space acquisition, a legacy for the residents of Central Texas.
Together with RECA's previous donation of $100,000, RECA becomes the first of HCC's founding organizations to pledge more than $500,000 to open space preservation in Central Texas. The $400,000 pledge is one of the largest in HCC's history.
RECA took a leading role in forming and funding the Hill Country Conservancy. RECA's initial pledge to HCC was a result of an historic partnership between RECA, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Save Our Springs Alliance. RECA honored its agreement by making five, annual contributions of $20,000 each.
In addition to RECA's previous and current financial commitments, individual RECA members have also contributed to HCC for open space acquisition funding and for the administration of the HCC. RECA is clearly leading with our checkbook, with the goal of encouraging other individuals and organizations to match the efforts of RECA and its members to provide private funding for additional open space acquisition.
Working with the City of Austin and other partners, HCC now has conserved approximately 8,000 acres of land in the Texas Hill Country valued at more than $56 million. This has been accomplished with the help of more than $500,000 of donated professional services. Separate studies published by Texas A&M University and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce reached the same conclusion: that the region's future economic growth and prosperity are inextricably tied to the preservation of its open space and other natural resources. Hill Country Conservancy works with numerous local, state and federal agencies, private individuals and corporations to craft cutting edge solutions to the complex challenges of preserving the economy and the environment.
Some of HCC's accomplishments include:
Valuable wildlife habitat has been protected on the HCC Nalle Bunny Run Preserve, which is located in close proximity to the 24,000-acre Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. These 37 acres of wildlife habitat on Lake Austin were donated to HCC in 2001 by the Nalle family, in remembrance of Anne Byrd Nalle. Habitat enhancement has begun with two construction grants from the Powell Foundation. Boy Scouts of America and the Environmental Corps division of American YouthWorks have provided the labor. In Spring 2007, HCC volunteers joined with TreeFolks to plant native trees. HCC is managing the preserve for the benefit of wildlife habitat and water quality improvement.
In December 2006, HCC received a donated conservation easement for property on Little Bear Creek near Manchaca, just south of Austin near Brodie Lane and 1626. Thanks to a substantial contribution of development rights from Rocky and Kelly Romano and Robert McDonald, Autumn Woods will remain mostly undeveloped, except for three home sites. This beautiful 132-acre property provides high quality recharge to the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Adjacent to other undeveloped land, including the City of Austin's Water Quality Protection Lands, Autumn Woods is a special place with abundant and diverse native vegetation and wildlife that characterizes the history and heritage of Manchaca and will continue to provide clean drinking water, wildlife habitat and scenic views to Austin and Manchaca residents.
In May 2007, the 500-acre historic Gibson Ranch, now known as Ragsdale Ranch, utilized the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP) funds, along with funding from the City of Austin, $500,000 of the $800,000 granted by Advanced Micro Devices in October 2006, and a contribution from the Hill Country Conservancy, to create a conservation easement on 496 acres that will protect its water, pastures and wildlife habitat forever. In addition, the original chimney, hand-dug well and log cabin on the 1870s home site will be preserved to commemorate our regional heritage. The Ragsdale/Gibson Ranch lies along both sides of Onion Creek a few miles southeast of Dripping Springs and boasts beautiful views and significant water resources. This property is located in the contributing zone of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, with Onion Creek meandering through the center of the property. Precipitation falling on land in the contributing zone flows through creeks and streams to recharge the aquifer. More than 50,000 Hays County and south Austin residents depend on clean, clear water from the aquifer for drinking and household uses.
The 5,685 acres of the beautiful, historic Storm Ranch will be preserved forever for the people of Texas under an agreement entered into in 2000. This will be accomplished by purchasing the development rights on the ranch through an alliance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the City of Austin, and private donations. The Storm family will still maintain ownership of the land as a working cattle ranch. Phase I, 2,285 acres, was closed in August 2005 for just more than $4 million. Phase II, 1,318, acres, was closed in June 2008 for nearly $2.4 million. HCC was awarded a $1,740,000 grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to finance part of the Phase II acquisition. The remaining phase of the agreement, estimated to total $10,000,0000 for 2,082 acres, is projected to close in 2009.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture) awarded HCC a $989,000 grant toward the purchase of a conservation easement on the Ragland tract. This tract is located in the Barton Springs recharge zone approximately three miles east of Driftwood. HCC is contributing $510,000 and the Ragland family is donating about $500,000 of development rights for the $2 million conservation easement, which is expected to be closed in December 2008. The 300-acre property is also a working cattle ranch.
In a landmark partnership between Hays County, Hill Country Conservancy, the City of Austin (CoA), and the United States Department of Agriculture, the Dahlstrom family has offered to sell the development rights to their 2,275-acre property on FM 967, about five miles west of Buda in Hays County, for a reduced cost of $9.9 million. The conservation easement is projected to close in 2009 using a NRCS "Farm and Ranchland Protection Program" grant of $4 million, $4.9 million from Hays County, and $1 million from the CoA. The family will also lease 370 acres, an area larger than Zilker Park, to Hays County as a public nature preserve for 10 years or more, giving the public access for hiking, picnicking, birding, etc. The Dahlstrom Flatrock Ranch lies along both sides of a mile of Onion Creek in the Recharge Zone. The CoA's and other scientists have tentatively determined that the recharge to the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer occurring on this ranch is more significant than on any other CoA water-quality land. The Barton Springs portion of the Edwards Aquifer provides drinking water to roughly 56,000 people in Hays County. In addition, the ranch is of significant archeological and historical value.
Strategic planning with a number of private corporations is underway for the development of a fifty-mile regional "Walk for a Day" trail system beginning at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and winding through Travis and Hays counties to the Onion Creek Natural Area.
A partnership with the 3M Corporation, Bury+Partners, Jones & Carter Inc., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife, University of Texas and the City of Austin led to a groundbreaking scientific study of the water quantity and quality of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer as well as restoring and conserving 85 acres of unique wetlands. The project involves the diversion of storm flow from Little Bear Creek into the Stoneledge Quarry where recharge into the aquifer will be studied. Thus far, HCC has raised more than $250,000 in grant funds and in-kind donations for the project. In October 2005, the construction plans for the diversion channel were completed. HCC is working with the City of Austin and LCRA to resolve water-rights issues before taking bids for the diversion channel.
More than two hundred acres of pristine, environmentally sensitive land along beautiful Onion Creek have been set-aside at the Orr Tract and a major aquifer recharge feature located on the property has been protected. At the same time, HCC was able to help the landowner sustain a charming, secluded Hill Country bed and breakfast for the general public to enjoy.
