Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Presenter:
Ted Hollingsworth
Action
Exchange of Land – Bexar County
Approximately 9 Acres at Government Canyon State Natural Area
November 3, 2016
I. Executive Summary: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff has been working with an adjacent private landowner on a proposal to exchange an irregularly-shaped 9.35-acre tract of land for a 9.35-acre tract of land that has greater conservation and recreation value for the Government Canyon State Natural Area (SNA).
II. Discussion: The 12,116-acre Government Canyon SNA includes 3,021 acres acquired by the City of San Antonio (COSA) to protect recharge of the Edwards Aquifer, and transferred to TPWD in 2014 for addition to the SNA. The 3,021-acre transfer consisted of approximately 20 tracts, including a tract in the southern extremity of the SNA that is roughly a mile long by 80 feet wide, intended to provide access to another tract prior to its addition to the SNA. This tract is not over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone and is adjacent to a residential neighborhood its entire length. The neighbor opposite the subdivision owns land that sits over the recharge zone and has high habitat values adjacent to the main body of the SNA. This neighbor proposes to exchange TPWD’s long narrow tract for a tract of not less than 9.35 acres and no less in appraised value than the appraised value of the TPWD tract. In addition, the neighbor will grant TPWD an easement across his land that will provide access to the southern end of the SNA from a public street. Staff of the SNA believe this exchange will reduce management liabilities associated with the long narrow strip of TPWD land, and will increase the net conservation and recreation values of the SNA. Staff of the SNA has coordinated with COSA to ensure all parties concur with the proposed exchange.
III. Recommendation: The staff recommends the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) Commission adopt the following motion:
"The TPW Commission adopts the Resolution attached as Exhibit A.”
Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit A
A Resolution by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Regarding the Exchange of Approximately 9 acres of Land at
Government Canyon State Natural Area in Bexar County
Resolution
Whereas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) owns and manages Government Canyon State Natural Area (SNA), comprising approximately 12,116 acres of healthy and varied Edward’s Plateau habitats; and,
Whereas, the SNA is in the city limits of the City of San Antonio and includes some 33 miles of boundary in common with private landowners including residential neighborhoods; and,
Whereas, the SNA is comprised of numerous tracts acquired over many years, resulting in a park boundary that is irregular and an SNA that includes lands and habitats that vary in their conservation and recreation values; and,
Whereas, in 2014, the City of San Antonio transferred to TPWD approximately 3,021 acres of land consisting of approximately 20 separate tracts for addition to the SNA, including an 80’ wide tract approximately one mile long that had provided the city with access to an otherwise isolated tract that is now part of the SNA; and,
Whereas, this mile-long, narrow tract is not needed by TPWD for access to the SNA, and the boundary in common with the adjacent neighborhood results in complications for SNA operations; and,
Whereas, an adjacent property owner is willing to exchange the long, narrow tract for a tract of equal or greater area adjacent to the SNA with significantly higher conservation and recreation values for the SNA; and,
Whereas, the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) Commission finds that as required by Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 26, notices of today’s hearing of this matter were published at least once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation which is published at least six days a week in the community nearest to the Subject Tracts in which such newspapers are published (San Antonio Express News in Bexar County), with the last day of publication being not less than one week or more than two weeks before the date of today’s hearing and that such notices specified the date and time at which the TPW Commission would hear testimony regarding the exchange of land under consideration; and,
Whereas, the TPW Commission finds, in accordance with Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 26, that (1) there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use or taking of approximately 9 acres of TPWD land (the exchange tract) which will be exchanged for an equal or greater area of land of greater conservation and recreation value; and, (2) the program or project that requires the use or taking of land includes all reasonable planning to minimize harm to TPWD property; and,
Whereas, the TPW Commission finds, in accordance with Section 13.009 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code that the proposed exchange of the tracts is in the best interest of TPWD; and,
Now, therefore, the TPW Commission authorizes the Executive Director to take all necessary steps to exchange the subject tracts for the purposes and subject to the conditions described herein and in the motion approved in this Resolution.
Adopted and approved this 3rd day of November, 2016.
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T. Dan Friedkin, Chairman
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Ralph H. Duggins, Vice-Chairman
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Anna B. Galo, Member
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Bill Jones, Member
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Jeanne W. Latimer, Member
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James H. Lee, Member
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S. Reed Morian, Member
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Dick Scott, Member
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Kelcy L. Warren, Member
Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit B
Location Map for Government Canyon State Natural Area in Bexar County
Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit C
Vicinity Map for Government Canyon State Natural Area in Northwest San Antonio
Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit D
Site Map Showing Location of Subject Tracts at Government Canyon State Natural Area
Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit E
Close-Up Site Map Showing 9-acre Tracts Proposed for Exchange
