New Park for Austin (TX)

AUSTIN, TX, 6/25/02 – Today the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the city of Austin celebrated the city’s acquisition of a 304-acre park in southwest Austin. TPL hosted a reception on the land to honor the Austin Parks Department, Austin City Council, and Milburn Homes. The park is part of a larger tract known as the Bauerle Ranch, which is being developed by Milburn Homes.

According to Jesus Oliveras, park director for the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, “Bauerle Ranch is a unique approach to acquiring parkland by combining the efforts of a public agency, a nonprofit organization and a developer. We were able to secure over 300 acres of parkland along Slaughter Creek. The people of south Austin will now have a wealth of parkland close to their doorsteps.” Located within the Slaughter Creek watershed, the land includes stock ponds and important natural resources such as mature stands of live oak and post oak and limited quantities of mature cedar.

The Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit land conservation organization, helped the city acquire the Bauerle Ranch property as an addition to the Austin Parks and Greenways program. In November 1998, Austin citizens approved a $35.5 million bond initiative to finance the purchase of open space for parks and greenways. TPL worked in partnership with the city and citizens’ groups to organize this successful parks and greenways financing campaign.

The Trust for Public Land was founded in 1972 to conserve land for people. TPL’s land conservation projects range from community gardens and playgrounds to regional parks, historic landmarks, and wilderness areas. During its 30 years of operations, TPL has added more than 1,310,000 acres of land valued at more than $2.32 billion to our nation’s common wealth of public open space.

In Austin and in Travis County, TPL has worked actively since 1991 to protect critical lands for people. TPL has worked in partnership with the city of Austin to acquire the Mary Moore Searight Park in 1991, the Barton Creek Wilderness Park (1993-95), and the 250-acre Colorado River Park (1994-95). In 2001, TPL acquired 581acres to add to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve in Travis County.

For additional information about the Trust for Public Land’s work and projects in Texas and across the country, visit www.tpl.org.