U.S. Department of the Interior
Office of the Secretary

Megan Durham (208) 208-4685 Tom Bauer (505) 248-6911


For Release: May 2, 1996

At a May 2 ceremony near Austin, Texas, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt praised community leaders for their pioneering work in establishing a 30,000-acre urban preserve that protects endangered species while allowing economic development. "The Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan is an Austin success story," Babbitt said. "Local people identified the problem, proposed the solution, and worked together to make it a reality with a tenacity that would make Austin's pioneer founders proud. The success of this program sends a powerful message to cities throughout the country that this type of cooperative approach can work. Future generations will look back and be grateful that today's community leaders had the foresight to preserve these unique natural resources." The May 2 ceremony at Reicher Ranch, one of the preserve properties about 20 miles west of downtown Austin, marked the signing of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit for incidental taking of endangered species in the course of activities conducted in accordance with the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan. The permit allows incidental taking of eight listed endangered species on lands covered by the permit, which includes most of Travis County with the exception of the city limits and planning jurisdictions of nonparticipating municipalities, Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, and the preserve area. The Balcones plan establishes a 30,000-acre preserve that includes habitat for two endangered birds, the black-capped vireo and the golden-cheeked warbler, and protects 35 of 39 known cave locations for endangered invertebrates. The regionwide conservation plan enables developers to work outside the preserve area without having to mitigate habitat losses for endangered species on a project-by-project basis. During the course of the 30-year permit, from 30,000 to 60,000 acres are expected to be developed in the fast-growing Austin area.

The preserve properties are a part of a unique ecosystem that ranges from wooded canyons dotted with Ashe juniper, elms, and oaks to grasslands and includes underground caves, sinkholes, and springs. In addition to the eight endangered species, the habitat is home to dozens of other rare species. The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve is a regional partnership between the City of Austin, Travis County, the Lower Colorado River Authority, The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Travis Audubon Society, and several private developers. More than two-thirds of the 30,000 acres for the preserve has already been set aside.

The partners have agreed to a Shared Vision Plan for the preserve, which outlines funding and acquisition mechanisms and allows each entity to manage its properties in the area. The Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan is part of the Administration's focus on using the flexibility of the Endangered Species Act to find cooperative solutions that protect species. More than 140 habitat conservation plans that balance development with species protection under the Endangered Species Act are now in place.