Narrated by Matthew McConaughey.
|
Narrated by Manu Ginóbili.
|
Enjoy these excellent videos about the Great Springs Project from its beginning.
|
|
Landowner Outreach Initiative
Great Springs Project is more than a 100+ mile spring-to-spring trail network. We are creating vital partnerships between public agencies, community organizations, philanthropists, conservationists, and landowners. By working together, we can preserve the beauty of Central Texas and its life giving springs for generations to come.
Great Springs Project has launched our Landowner Engagement Initiative: a two-year program that will directly engage the owners of 1,400 parcels of land in our corridor towards conservation easements or conservation-based land use practices outcomes in alignment with the environmental, ecological, economic, and health benefits of Great Springs Project’s land conservation and connectivity mission. Guided by a core value of respect for private land and landowners as willing partners, GSP and its partners will work with landowners on the benefits of partnering with Great Springs Project and our conservation project partners to create a healthier, connected, and sustainable environment.
WHY LANDOWNER OUTREACH?
To accomplish our mission before 2036 - the Texas Bicentennial - Great Springs Project is working with our project partners to build 6-10 miles of trail and conserve approximately 5,000 acres every year. By engaging in concentrated landowner outreach and engagement, we are building the GSP conservation and trail connectivity pipeline for the next decade.
Landowner engagement efforts have already played a significant role in conserving remarkable properties in the GSP corridor, such as Presa Grande in northwest San Marcos. 30 years ago, the land was identified as critically important for water quality and quantity inflow to San Marcos Springs. In recent years, it was offered for sale as a developable property with hundreds of homesites. Through a multi-year effort, Great Springs Project has assured Presa Grande’s permanent protection, including over two miles of new trail, thanks to relationships based on trust, commitment, and a shared conservation and trail connectivity goal among the landowners, governmental partners, and the local community.
None of this is possible without community support and collaboration. Please read on to learn more about opportunities to volunteer, ways to give, and other joys, like where to safely bike in San Antonio. Thank you for your continued support of this good and important work. See you on the trail!
Great Springs Project has launched our Landowner Engagement Initiative: a two-year program that will directly engage the owners of 1,400 parcels of land in our corridor towards conservation easements or conservation-based land use practices outcomes in alignment with the environmental, ecological, economic, and health benefits of Great Springs Project’s land conservation and connectivity mission. Guided by a core value of respect for private land and landowners as willing partners, GSP and its partners will work with landowners on the benefits of partnering with Great Springs Project and our conservation project partners to create a healthier, connected, and sustainable environment.
WHY LANDOWNER OUTREACH?
To accomplish our mission before 2036 - the Texas Bicentennial - Great Springs Project is working with our project partners to build 6-10 miles of trail and conserve approximately 5,000 acres every year. By engaging in concentrated landowner outreach and engagement, we are building the GSP conservation and trail connectivity pipeline for the next decade.
Landowner engagement efforts have already played a significant role in conserving remarkable properties in the GSP corridor, such as Presa Grande in northwest San Marcos. 30 years ago, the land was identified as critically important for water quality and quantity inflow to San Marcos Springs. In recent years, it was offered for sale as a developable property with hundreds of homesites. Through a multi-year effort, Great Springs Project has assured Presa Grande’s permanent protection, including over two miles of new trail, thanks to relationships based on trust, commitment, and a shared conservation and trail connectivity goal among the landowners, governmental partners, and the local community.
None of this is possible without community support and collaboration. Please read on to learn more about opportunities to volunteer, ways to give, and other joys, like where to safely bike in San Antonio. Thank you for your continued support of this good and important work. See you on the trail!
Kyle City Council Approves Citywide Trail Master Plan that will Connect Austin to San Antonio
By Zara Flores
September 22, 2021
September 22, 2021
Kyle City Council approved the citywide trail master plan that will be part of the Green Springs Project that aims to connect San Antonio to Austin through New Braunfels, San Marcos, Kyle and Buda via trails with a 6-1 vote Sept. 21.
According to presentation documents, the project has been labeled a trail-oriented development, and the trail itself has been tentatively named The Vybe Kyle and will feature individual “vybes” throughout the trail where visitors can eat at restaurants, shop at retail locations, and have access to necessary amenities such as bathrooms and parking. The trail system will connect to existing trails and construct new ones throughout the city. The project passed with the stipulation that adjustments and changes can be made based on feedback from the council. City Manager Scott Sellers assured the council that the project “is a living, breathing document,” meaning improvements can always be made as it moves forward. One of the biggest concerns raised by the council was the proposed use of concrete on parts of the trail and its longevity as flooding and extreme weather may be present over time. “We have researched concrete versus a variety of other materials. When it came to porous material in the flood plain areas, the maintenance for porous materials is extremely demanding,” Sellers said. “It creates a very expensive, ongoing maintenance problem.” Council Member Dex Ellison was the lone member who voted against the plan despite being on the task force responsible for putting the project together. He said that while he is a big supporter of nature trails, this project |
was very difficult for him to be a part of at times, and the inclusion of concrete and other retail additions take away from the experience of being completely outdoors.
“I think that’s the excitement of it, of a trail, is going out and being in nature and not having a concrete improved area,” Ellison said. “With the task force, sometimes there’s compromise and cohesiveness, and we move together to make a recommendation to council. Sometimes you’re just outnumbered, and I think I’m outnumbered on this one. I cannot support this trail plan.” Parts of the trail will be built out to 12 feet wide to accommodate golf carts and light poles, benches and security cameras, among other things. Funding for The Vybe Kyle comes from a citizen-approved bond from the November 2020 election, according to the presentation documents, which allocates $2 million for construction as well as the Kyle Parks and Open Space Advisory Commission and grants. The budget for upkeep and maintenance is currently set at $500,000 a year, and the city has requested additional funding from Hays County. “There’s just a lot that is still forthcoming, but this signals the council’s intent that you’re committed to the plan,” Sellers said. “As you know, this is a very important project; it’s moving pretty quickly. These updates and map revisions will come pretty quickly back to council.” It is unclear when construction will begin, but the council will be discussing the details further at upcoming meetings. |
100-mile Trail Connecting Austin to San Antonio Could Spring $55 Million in Benefits
By Melissa Gaskill
July 14, 2021
July 14, 2021
A proposed 100-mile network of trails from the Alamo to the Capitol could generate more than $55 million in annual economic, health, and other benefits, according to a recent report released by the Great Springs Project. The project envisions trails traversing protected lands and the Edwards Aquifer to link four iconic Texas springs: Barton, San Marcos, Comal, and San Antonio Springs.
Though final trail routes remain to be determined by a Trails Plan, scheduled for completion by December of this year, the report uses a best estimate of those routes based on the springs, existing trails, and local trail plans. “This report is one of the first steps in the trails plan,” says Emma Lindrose-Siegel, Great Springs Project chief development officer. “Part of it was being able to articulate why this work is valuable, to point to the benefits of the trail itself and the goal of conserving 50,000 acres of land.” The analysis estimated the number of bicycle and pedestrian trips on the trail system, the corresponding reduction in vehicle trips and vehicle-miles traveled, potential benefits that would accrue once the entire trail system is constructed, and ecosystem services associated with land conservation along the trail corridor. “Trails make us healthier, and access to outdoors is a reason people want to live here,” Lindrose-Siegel says. “We wanted to quantify that for the community and our stakeholders.” Estimated economic benefits total $23.3 million, including estimated spending on goods, services, and lodging from non-local visitors to the trail. Transportation benefits of $11.4 million include fewer vehicle miles traveled and associated reduction in congestion, collision, roadway maintenance costs, and vehicle emissions. Estimated health benefits, $1.8 million, factor in increased physical activity and the resulting decrease in healthcare costs. Ecosystem services benefits total an estimated $19.2 million. These include improved water quality, stormwater management, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. Preserving 50,000 acres of undeveloped land and reducing emissions as a result of fewer car trips (replaced with biking or walking trips) produce the carbon sequestration |
benefits. An estimated 5,500 walkers and runners and 4,800 cyclists are expected to use the trail each day.
Lindrose-Siegel cites growing crowds on existing area trails, along with the number of people projected to use the Great Springs routes, as evidence of the need for the project.“ We anticipate people traveling to the trail for recreation, or going the whole Alamo-to-the-Capitol distance. There will be people who, say, live in Kyle and want to go to San Marcos and not get on I-35,” she says. “We anticipate a lot of bikers and trail users will be people using it for transportation.” On comparable trails, 33 percent of trail users are not from the area. If that holds here, it represents an estimated 1.1 million non-local users per year — who will spend money on food, entertainment, bicycle rental, lodging, and the like. Additional economic benefits could include jobs related to trail construction and maintenance. All the projections are based on usage estimates and survey results from similar trail systems in Texas and throughout the Southeastern United States, extrapolated through the use of various multipliers from national studies and quantified in terms of monetary value where appropriate. The report also highlights the use of the natural infrastructure of conserved land to reduce catastrophic flood damage and save millions of dollars per year. Texas anticipates $31.5 billion in statewide flood mitigation costs during the next 10 years. “That’s an important part of the report, highlighting the role of strategic land conservation in reducing catastrophic flood damage,” Lindrose-Siegel adds. “Sometimes it can be hard to see why an investment in trails is worthwhile, but as this report shows, it has so many benefits. Being able to quantify and articulate that in a way that people can relate to really helps build support for this project, which is going to have a meaningful impact on people’s lives for decades to come.” The report was produced with guidance from Alta Planning + Design and the National Park Service. |
Efforts increase to advance massive Great Springs Project in Comal, Hays counties
By Brian Rash
May 4, 2021
May 4, 2021
With an approximate length of 100 miles running continuously from Austin to San Antonio, the Great Springs Project is one of the most ambitious trail concepts in the state of Texas.
When complete, the trail will connect four natural springs running approximately parallel with I-35—Barton Springs in Austin, San Marcos Springs in Hays County, Comal Springs in New Braunfels and the Blue Hole in San Antonio. Project CEO Garry Merritt said the main idea centers on protecting the area’s natural waters while improving the quality of life for the region’s residents. “That’s what people are asking for in the community,” Merritt said. “When cities do surveys, parks and open space and trails are always one of the top things people ask for in Central Texas.” Planning and organizing for the GSP has been ongoing for the last several years, but local efforts have accelerated in the first few months of this year. Leaders of the GSP have been working with city and county governments in Hays and Comal Counties, where the majority of the trail will exist, to help solidify funding toward the definition and construction of smaller trails that will ultimately come together to form the GSP. The overarching Austin segment that begins at Barton Springs will be in large part accommodated by the Violet Crown Trail, and it will meet the Hays County portion, which is called the Emerald Crown Trail. Farther south in Comal County, there is not yet a defined overall trail plan that will meet at Bexar County to complete entire path to the Blue Hole spring in San Antonio. However, officials and staff in New Braunfels in January began taking initial steps toward funding a trail that could become a part of the Great Springs Project. Merritt said the goal is for the GSP to be complete by 2036, and along with local governments, Great Springs Project leaders are working with the real estate community, the National Parks Service, a development company, private land owners and conservation groups to develop a clearer picture of what will eventually become the longest continuous trail in Texas. “This network of trails will be connecting from the Alamo to the capital, and 2036 is the 200th anniversary of Texas becoming a republic,” Merritt said. “So, it’s a good target.” THE BIG PICTURE IN HAYS COUNTY Hays County officials are still working to allocate more funding for area trails that will eventually be a part of the Great Springs Project. A recently-passed $75 million county parks package could go a long way toward that end, according to Hays County Commissioner for Precinct 3 Lon Shell. In anticipation of the passage of that bond, county officials reformed the Parks and Open Space Advisory Commission, or POSAC, which is a body with members appointed by the commissioners court as well as county staff and a facilitator. Part of their job is to accept and make recommendations to the court on open space projects throughout the county based on its master plan, and that will include any related to the Great Springs Project, Shell said. One project that staff at the GSP have submitted to POSAC so far involves land northwest of San Marcos. “That project was recommended [to the court] by POSAC, so that means it is on the list,” Shell said. “The actual determination of funding and that project becoming a reality is what will [likely] happen ... with the help of our [POSAC] program manager, which will kind of shepherd us through that planning process.” Staff in San Marcos have said that because the city’s role the Great Springs Project planning is still strictly conceptual and without firm details, they did not want to provide an interview at this time. “Our team has had a few meetings with Mr. Merritt, but City Council has yet to weigh in on the trail to discuss specifics related to costs,” said Nadine Bonewitz, senior communications specialist for San Marcos, in an email. “The fact is that it is too early in the process for the relevant members of our team to speak about the process and project.” Shell said he anticipates funding and other planning recommendations to come through POSAC to the Hays County Commissioners Court sometime this summer, and approvals and other definitions should come after that. Besides local governments in Hays County, other entities are working to bring the Great Springs Project to fruition, including the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance. Former SMGA President Mark Taylor said once Hays County, San Marcos, Buda and Kyle signed on to be a part of the Emerald Crown Trail, he helped form a work group in 2017 called the Emerald Crown Work Group. That committee includes the SMGA, the Texas State University Meadows Center and the geography department at TSU, among other stakeholders. The purpose of that work group has been to connect with local governments to implement a plan for the Emerald Crown Trail which would involve routing corridors through the county. Taylor said plans for the workgroup were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but some initiatives are already underway, including working with members of the Great Springs Project. |
“We’re kind of fitting under the Great Springs Project’s larger vision ... of bringing an Austin-to San Antonio trail into being, along with conservation lands, along the way,” he said.
AN EMERGING PATH IN KYLE Though the entirety of the Great Springs Project is not anticipated to be complete until 2036, there are several segments that are planned to be a part of the overall trail that are either in the planning stages or are in various stages of construction. As one example, a portion of the project that runs through Hays County—the Kyle portion of the Emerald Crown Trail—is at this point well defined. Much of it is called the Plum Creek portion due to the body of water it follows from west to east across the city. “We have agreements with certain property owners or developers that have defined the trail through their property from the Blanco River on the west, to Cool Springs on the east,” said Scott Sellers, Kyle’s city manager. “Now, what we’re calling the Buda/Kyle segment, that hasn’t been quite as defined yet.” Sellers said another portion that still needs more work is what city staff and officials are calling the Kyle/San Marcos segment, which would run from Cool Springs in east Kyle south toward San Marcos. But with regard to the main segments of the Plum Creek portion, work is either ongoing or in the planning stages of fundraising. The farthest along segment of the Plum Creek portion is called the Spring Branch section, which runs from RM 150 West to James Atkins Drive. The city has solidified $387,500 for that piece—more than half from a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the remainder in matching funding from city coffers. Those costs cover work that includes concrete laying, vegetation removal and environmental studies. “The Great Springs Project is interested in this Kyle leg because it does fit into the larger north-to-south Emerald Crown Trail, but it does so in a very roundabout way,” Sellers said. “And we are using their (GSP leaders) expertise to harmonize the trails and establish more community input and feedback in the process.” COMAL COUNTY IN THE EARLY STAGES The process for creating trails that will accommodate the Great Springs Project is not as far along in Comal County as it is in Hays County. During a January New Braunfels City Council meeting, Merritt addressed officials with a presentation about the benefits of the trail and an offer to help city staff apply for a grant from the TPWD. The grant was for $250,000 to pay for a segment of what will likely become the Alligator Creek Trail. The 46 acres of land being donated by the development company D.H. Horton and which is earmarked for that segment represent the first physical ideations of a trail that could become part of the Great Springs Project. New Braunfels staff said they are waiting for a response from TPWD sometime in May. In the meantime, local proponents of the Great Springs Project are excited for its potential. “It will highlight the best parts of New Braunfels, being the green space and the local community,” said New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Director Stacey Dicke. “There would [also] be a great tourism draw for folks to come visit the state for sure.” Dicke, Merritt and several other stakeholders in Comal County are now working to identify trail linkages in the north and south. Beyond the Alligator Creek trail that runs mainly north and south through northern New Braunfels, Dicke said another possible connector could be what is called the Dry Comal Creek corridor. Both are still in the planning and design phases, Dicke said, and added there is no definite association yet with the Great Springs Project for either future trail. Another reason proponents in Comal County say they are excited for the Great Springs Project is because of the increase in public green spaces it has the potential to bring. “It is still a concern, especially in Comal County, that there is virtually no public green spaces available,” said Nancy Pappas, founder of the Comal Trails Alliance. “There are just a couple of small nature trails, and so there needs to be more of a collective effort brought about. There are little pieces here in New Braunfels, but very few of them are connected.” Along with Alligator Creek and Dry Comal Creek, Pappas mentioned Panther Canyon Nature Trail near Landa Park as another possible connector. The biggest challenge to the overall effort in Comal County remains finding funding, Pappas said, adding that collaboration efforts toward that end are going to be crucial as the Great Springs Project moves forward. Once the Great Springs Project is complete, Merritt said its combination of characteristics—its existence in a rapidly developing corridor, its connection of several metropolitan areas, its urban and rural components, its involvement of four natural springs—will make it one of the most special outdoor projects in the country. “There are some places that have regional trails that connect areas to communities, but nothing that’s got all of these components to it that I know of,” he said. |
Great Springs Project Proposes a Network of Trails From Austin to San Antonio:
Squaring conservation with development
By Lina Fisher
January 1, 2021
January 1, 2021
Can one of the fastest-developing regions in the country prioritize conservation? That's the hope of the ambitious Great Springs Project, which has inched a little closer to realizing its goal of a national parklike trail connecting two of Texas' most populous cities.
On Dec. 8, the National Park Service selected the Great Springs Project to receive backing in the form of "community planning and technical assistance" for their endeavor to build a network of multiuse trails from Austin to San Antonio. The project proposes adding 50,000 acres of protected land over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone and portions of the contributing zones in Hays, Travis, Comal, and Bexar counties, as well as connecting hike-and-bike trails to the project's namesake four bodies of water: Barton Springs, San Marcos Springs, Comal Springs, and San Antonio Springs.
The southeast boundary of the imagined spring-to-spring trail clings closely to the west of I-35 and its northwest boundary spans along Barton Creek, Onion Creek, and the Blanco River down to San Antonio. The legal mechanism by which this land would be protected in perpetuity is called a conservation easement, in which private landowners get tax cuts in return for ceding their right to develop on the land. But typically the land in those cases is not publicly accessible; Great Springs, conversely, wants to encourage public access to the trails and waterways the same way a state park might.
Co-founded in 2018 by Deborah Morin, former board member of the Hill Country Foundation, the project aims to protect endangered species and Hill Country water quality from the increasing development along that corridor, especially in Hays County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S. But Great Springs leadership also contends that it will be an "economic development catalyst," creating jobs with its ambitious construction.
"We know that more people in Central Texas means we need more places here for those people to live, work, and be outside," says Emma Lindrose-Siegel, their chief development officer. "For that reason, Great Springs Project works with developers and city and county planners to ensure that the things we love most about living here will be protected and continue to be a resource for future generations."
The project is currently in its design stages, so there's no clear plan yet as to where the trails will go, but Lindrose-Siegel says they will potentially connect to existing trails, making transportation by bike all the way from Austin to San Antonio a possibility. However much this project aims to involve the human communities along I-35, she says that only "a small amount of the total land conserved will have actual trail on it ... A priority is protecting the habitat of endangered species endemic to our region."
So far, Great Springs has made their pitch to former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, who told the San Antonio Report that the plan is "conceptually" possible, though he worries that the public access part of it could make deals with landowners more difficult to attain. Hill Country landowners might live on their plots and be averse to bike trails crossing through their private land, but there are many different types of easements, and in many cases the landowners benefit from negotiating different uses for the land. For example, Shield Ranch, northwest of Austin, hosts summer camps and partners with TerraPurezza regenerative farm to raise their sheep and pigs on the ranch's property. Easements like this allow the family that owns the land large tax cuts to be able to keep the homestead in perpetuity, while allowing other uses on other parts of the property – a win-win situation that Great Springs could take advantage of. GSP currently partners with Hill Country Conservancy, Meadows Center for the Environment, San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance, Activate SA, Comal Trails Alliance, and Hill Country Alliance, and Lindrose-Siegel says they do want to "collaborate with ... city and county governments and community groups to both amplify their work and unite conservation efforts."
Great Springs is still just in its nascency; to help get the project off the ground, they'll require large philanthropic donations, and probably federal dollars, too. The trail planning process is projected to be finished in 2021, but in order to actually break ground, they first need to seek conservation easements and partnerships with land trusts and local, state, and national parks – and, of course, that all-important funding.
On Dec. 8, the National Park Service selected the Great Springs Project to receive backing in the form of "community planning and technical assistance" for their endeavor to build a network of multiuse trails from Austin to San Antonio. The project proposes adding 50,000 acres of protected land over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone and portions of the contributing zones in Hays, Travis, Comal, and Bexar counties, as well as connecting hike-and-bike trails to the project's namesake four bodies of water: Barton Springs, San Marcos Springs, Comal Springs, and San Antonio Springs.
The southeast boundary of the imagined spring-to-spring trail clings closely to the west of I-35 and its northwest boundary spans along Barton Creek, Onion Creek, and the Blanco River down to San Antonio. The legal mechanism by which this land would be protected in perpetuity is called a conservation easement, in which private landowners get tax cuts in return for ceding their right to develop on the land. But typically the land in those cases is not publicly accessible; Great Springs, conversely, wants to encourage public access to the trails and waterways the same way a state park might.
Co-founded in 2018 by Deborah Morin, former board member of the Hill Country Foundation, the project aims to protect endangered species and Hill Country water quality from the increasing development along that corridor, especially in Hays County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S. But Great Springs leadership also contends that it will be an "economic development catalyst," creating jobs with its ambitious construction.
"We know that more people in Central Texas means we need more places here for those people to live, work, and be outside," says Emma Lindrose-Siegel, their chief development officer. "For that reason, Great Springs Project works with developers and city and county planners to ensure that the things we love most about living here will be protected and continue to be a resource for future generations."
The project is currently in its design stages, so there's no clear plan yet as to where the trails will go, but Lindrose-Siegel says they will potentially connect to existing trails, making transportation by bike all the way from Austin to San Antonio a possibility. However much this project aims to involve the human communities along I-35, she says that only "a small amount of the total land conserved will have actual trail on it ... A priority is protecting the habitat of endangered species endemic to our region."
So far, Great Springs has made their pitch to former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, who told the San Antonio Report that the plan is "conceptually" possible, though he worries that the public access part of it could make deals with landowners more difficult to attain. Hill Country landowners might live on their plots and be averse to bike trails crossing through their private land, but there are many different types of easements, and in many cases the landowners benefit from negotiating different uses for the land. For example, Shield Ranch, northwest of Austin, hosts summer camps and partners with TerraPurezza regenerative farm to raise their sheep and pigs on the ranch's property. Easements like this allow the family that owns the land large tax cuts to be able to keep the homestead in perpetuity, while allowing other uses on other parts of the property – a win-win situation that Great Springs could take advantage of. GSP currently partners with Hill Country Conservancy, Meadows Center for the Environment, San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance, Activate SA, Comal Trails Alliance, and Hill Country Alliance, and Lindrose-Siegel says they do want to "collaborate with ... city and county governments and community groups to both amplify their work and unite conservation efforts."
Great Springs is still just in its nascency; to help get the project off the ground, they'll require large philanthropic donations, and probably federal dollars, too. The trail planning process is projected to be finished in 2021, but in order to actually break ground, they first need to seek conservation easements and partnerships with land trusts and local, state, and national parks – and, of course, that all-important funding.
Great Springs Project Envisions a Network of Trails From Austin to San Antonio

great_springs_project_envisions_a_network_of_trails_from_austin_to_san_antonio.docx |
Brendan Gibbons
June 28, 2020
June 28, 2020
Twenty-seven years ago, Deborah Morin watched as the hills, streams, caves, and springs of the Hill Country outside of Austin were being gobbled up by construction.
At the time, Morin was serving on the board of the Hill Country Foundation, where she was involved with efforts to map the watershed for the Barton Springs portion of the Edwards Aquifer outside of Austin. The vast majority of that land is in private hands, meaning the health of the aquifer and Barton Springs was mostly dependent upon the decisions of private landowners. In Morin’s view, government regulation alone wouldn’t protect these sensitive waterways or preserve the land for generations. “It doesn’t matter how many laws, how many rules you have,” Morin told the Rivard Report earlier this month. “You have to buy it.” |