Balcones Canyonlands Preserves

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Amy Smith (D7)
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:35 pm

Balcones Canyonlands Preserves

Post by Amy Smith (D7) »

From Council Member Pool:

Colleagues, since last Friday you’ve likely received a number of emails from advocates regarding the trails in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. As you know, the City and Travis County partner on oversight and administration of the permit we collectively were granted from the US Department of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service. Periodically portions of the management plan are open for updates; that’s what is happening at this time. I asked the staff team managing the Preserve to provide procedural background to share with Mayor and Council for your information and which you can also use to respond to your constituents who may have contacted you. Here’s the general information with relevant deadlines for public input:

BCCP staff are currently compiling written comments on this plan through the link below. If you have not done so already, please submit your comments through this channel to ensure that staff will receive them. Comments through this survey will be accepted until November 19, 2017, at 11:45pm. · https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NM92Q55

The purpose of the Public Access chapter revision is to consolidate guidance from the BCCP Permit, Final Environmental Impact Statement and Habitat Conservation Plan, and the Trail Master Plan which applies to City of Austin properties. This document does not recommend changes to the currently approved public access uses in parks that are co-managed by City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and BCP.

Public comments will be compiled and presented to the BCCP Coordinating Committee at their December 1, 2017, meeting.

Following the December 1, 2017, Coordinating Committee meeting, BCCP staff will revise the Public Access chapter taking into account public comments and Coordinating Committee direction.
Policy Advisor
Office of Leslie Pool, District 7