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Officials mark 30 years of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan, outline renewal and visitor center plans
Summary
City and county officials marked the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan's 30th anniversary, highlighted species and cave protections secured under the plan, and described a multiyear permit renewal that will update science, public engagement and compliance. Travis County also previewed a visitor center expected to open in 2028.
City Council member Paige Ellis and Travis County representatives on Friday celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP), described ecological gains the plan has delivered and outlined a multiyear renewal process that officials said will modernize permitting and strengthen species recovery targets.
The BCCP, first signed in 1996 after years of negotiation and local activism, pairs a regional habitat conservation plan with an incidental take permit under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act. Kimberly Harvey, the BCCP secretary, told the coordinating committee the plan initially required protection of core habitat—including 28,428 acres for golden‑cheeked warbler habitat and 2,000 acres for the black‑capped vireo—and management of roughly 62 named caves and numerous rare plants and invertebrates.
"This program exists because of the…
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