Protecting land resources for future growth

Editor’s Note: This is Part Two in a series looking at conservation measures for land and water resources in Hays County.

When one thinks of Texas, the concept of wide open spaces– land as far as the eye can see–immediately comes to mind.

That land is precious to the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network which created the Hill Country Land, Water, Sky, and Natural Infrastructure Plan, based on input of from thousands of Texans. According to the network, the purpose of the plan is to steward natural resources and expand opportunities for all socioeconomic groups to experience these resources.

The Texas Hill Country is made up 11 million acres, across 18 counties. The state’s booming population growth, paired with accompanying rapid development, is impacting all of the state’s natural resources.

According to the THCCN website, land, water and sky are deeply interconnected.

Texan by Nature Programs Director Taylor Keys said land conservation goes hand in hand with water conservation. Conserving the land may impact the severity of flooding and may keep recharge zones for the Edwards Aquifer intact.

Key’s organization is an intermediary that works to accelerate strategic partnerships between conservation groups and businesses.

Keys said land conservation may involve the dedication of properties for nature preserves and green spaces, or it may be as simple as incorporating native plants in landscaping projects and planting more trees.

The Nature Conservancy’s director for Texas Suzanne Scott said protecting land and water and wildlife is good for natural systems.

“Having more shade and open space can also save on water and energy costs and reduce the risk of flooding. Nature can also allow for stormwater to soak in rather than run off yielding better overall community resiliency,” Scott said. “Studies show for every dollar invested in conservation, four to eleven dollars are returned in natural goods and services.”

Scott said land conservation has social and health benefits as well.

“Spending time outdoors is linked to reduced stress, improved moods, increased physical activity and even improved sleep,” Scott said.

Keys said Texas is a large state divided by 10 distinct ecoregions. It has a $1.9 trillion dollar economy that is largely dependent on natural resources and is driven by ecotourism, agriculture, oil and gas, and the food and beverage industries.

“Our success as people and our economic prosperity are really dependent on the long-term sustainable use of our natural resources,” Keys said, adding that in order to allow them to function at their highest capacity, people here have to be sure not to degrade them and restore resources when necessary.

Keys said Texas has a population of 30 million and is growing daily.

‘So, as our population continues to grow and is expected to grow to 54 million by 2050,” Keys said. “With that comes the need for more land and the need for more resources. That’s why it is so important to protect what we have.”

In addition to population stresses, Keys added land conservation is negatively impacted by natural disasters and a lack of funding.

Texas Conservation Alliance Executive Director John DeFillipo said one of the problems facing land conservation is mismanagement of natural resources when creating renewable energy.

“TCA firmly believes that renewable energy is definitely something we need, but we want it to be responsible in thinking about the effects that it can have on habitat,” DeFillipo said. “In East Texas and other parts of the state that are new to renewables, particularly solar farms, there is a lot of habitat that is being taken over.”

Keys said, typically, land conservation involves restoration which TxN defines as an action to improve the environment in some form. She offered the example of ecosystem services that restore native plants, which have the potential to increase carbon sequestration — atmospheric carbon dioxide capture and storage — and planting trees for improved air quality and reduced water run-off.

“It’s important to take an ecosystem approach when we’re restoring land to make sure that everyone and everything benefits,” Keys said.

“Land conservation … doesn’t happen overnight and can really take decades to restore a piece of land to a pristine state,” Keys said. “No matter the scale, it’s just important for people to get involved.”

Keys said land conservation means land preservation — setting aside of land by creating conservation easements with landowners that ensure land is kept intact and undeveloped in perpetuity — rather than divided and sold. She said too many fences may negatively impact wildlife.

Keys added that Texas land is 95% privately owned, and this requires cooperation by landowners.

“Land conservation isn’t possible without collaboration,” Keys said.

DeFillipo said environmental justice is important to keep in mind, as well, especially with communities that traditionally were not considered in statewide decision making. He said often the ones being left out are rural communities or those downwind or downstream from the communities making the decisions.

“We want those voices around the table,” DeFillipo said.

Keys said the land in the Hill Country acts as a sponge for the Edwards Aquifer, with the water soaking into the recharge zones through the limestone to replenish the groundwater beneath.

“It’s important to make sure that those habitats are well taken care of, and in a state where that water can infiltrate through the limestone into the aquifer to provide the people of the Hill Country with water,” Keys said.

In an article published in May by The Texas Tribune, it stated the Texas House gave final approval to two bills, Senate Bill 1648 and Senate Joint Resolution 74, that would create a Centennial Parks Conservation Fund to invest $1 billion to acquire more land for the state parks system, pending voter approval.

“We [TxN] don’t engage in legislation or lobbying,” Keys said. “But that type of legislation is important, because natural resources aren’t always easy or affordable to access and/or participate in through recreation opportunities like hiking, hunting, fishing.”

Keys said TxN has a collaboration with the Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Children and Nature Network. Together, these groups developed the Nature Challenge which is an application for people to use to find easy ways to engage with nature locally.

DeFillipo said he wants the public to know that they can get involved by using native plants in landscaping projects. He said small improvements of habitat around one’s home or condo can provide respite for species that move and migrate like insects and birds.

DeFillipo said TCA works with communities, schools and other partners throughout the state on habitat restoration. In East Texas, for example, TCA plants longleaf pine in the Pineywoods. TCA has a partnership with the Dallas Zoo where they propagate native vegetation for Blackland prairie restoration.

Keys said TxN has been working with energy companies to plant native vegetation around pad sites, roads and pipelines to provide habitat for native animals and insects. She said the organization also works with solar companies to elevate their solar panels so native vegetation can be planted underneath. TxN worked with NRG Energy, a nuclear electric power generation company, to turn their reclaimed mine into a one-acre community garden that donates to local food pantries.

Great Springs Project Chief Executive Officer Garry Merritt said the project’s mission is to add an additional 50,000 acres of conserved land over the recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer, between San Antonio and Austin, and to connect a spring to spring network of trails including: San Antonio Springs with Comal Springs with San Marcos Springs and Barton Springs.

“This is what people are asking for,” Merritt said. “People are feeling the development pressure. They’re seeing the land use changing. They’re seeing the weight of how quickly the area is changing, and it’s important to all of us that we still have places where we can be outside.”

DeFillipo said another way to participate is to reach out to government representatives, either at the local or state level, when something environmentally detrimental occurs or is going to occur, particularly when it comes to development.

Keys said she is far from anti-development, but prefers to see it done responsibly.

San Marcos River Foundation Executive Director Virginia Parker said the SMRF works with developers to nudge them toward green infrastructure development practices.

“If they’re over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, helping them understand that larger barriers to karst features are important,” Parker said.

According to the United States Geological Features Survey website, “Karst terrain is created from the dissolution of soluble rocks, principally limestone and dolomite. Karst areas are characterized by distinctive landforms (like springs, caves and sinkholes) and a unique hydrogeology that results in aquifers that are highly productive, but extremely vulnerable to contamination.”

Dianne Wassenich, former San Marcos River Foundation Director and Great Springs Project board member, said the river foundation and the Greenbelt Alliance are working together to complete a local land conservation project.

She said the plan is to create a trail that starts at Dunbar Center on MLK Drive in San Marcos, and leads to Wonder World Drive where it intersects with Hunter Road. The new trail would connect with the Purgatory Creek trails via the already existing trail under the Wonder World bridge.

“That will mean people in town, in San Marcos, will be able to go to that intersection without having to be in a car,” Wassenich said.

Wassenich said as soon as the funds are available from the county park’s bond to purchase the right-of-way from the Dunbar Center to Wonder World Drive, the project will begin. She said that she understands the paperwork for the project is underway.

San Marcos River Foundation Executive Director Virginia Parker said SMRF, along with various partners, has worked on a local land conservation goal for more than 20 years. They hope to create an 18-mile contiguous greenbelt loop around the city of San Marcos. “Which will not only be a wildlife corridor,” Parker said. “That’s green space that will never be built upon.”

Keys said she was excited to see the THCCN’s Natural Infrastructure plan and cited this as a great step in the right direction for the Hill Country.