An introduction to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan.

1. Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan, Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, & Public Service Infrastructure
William A. Conrad
City of Austin
Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan
Secretary

2. •USFWS Regional 10(a) Permit 1996
•Established the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve
•Permit Holders: City of Austin and Travis County
•Allows for participation by private property owners and public service providers
Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan

3. Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan
•Provided TC, COA, and landowners with a streamlined approach to Endangered Species Act compliance
•The BCCP Permit allows “take” of habitat and requires mitigation by protecting land within the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP)

4. Who must comply with the ESA?
Any landowner or individual engaging in activities that result in “take”.
Private Landowners
Commercial Developers
Agricultural Users
Governmental Agencies
Infrastructure Providers

5. “Take” of Habitat Allowed Under BCCP Permit in Travis County
GCWA Habitat : 74%
BCVI Habitat : 50%
The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve
is the mitigation for that “take”.

6. BCCP Partners
City of Austin
LCRA
Potential Future Preserve
Private Land Management
Travis County
Unavailable
Travis Audubon Society
The Nature Conservancy
30,540 ac

7. The BCCP Partners
Permit Holders: Travis County & City of Austin
Managing Partners: The Lower Colorado River Authority
City of Sunset Valley
Through USFWS: Private Landowners with 10(a) permits
Informal Partners: Travis Audubon Society
The Nature Conservancy of Texas
Texas Cave Management Association

8. The Permit covers more than 561,000 acres in western Travis County.
The Permit area is illustrated in green.
The Preserve is shown in yellow.

9. BCCP Permit Commitments
•Provide landowners with a streamlined approach to comply with the Endangered Species Act
•Acquire and manage at least 30,428 acres of habitat for two endangered songbirds
•Protect 62 karst features
•Protect populations of rare plants wherever they occur on the Preserve

10. Photo by John Ingram
Endangered Birds
Photo by John Ingram
Black-capped Vireo Range Map
Golden-cheeked Warbler Range Map

11. Photo by Jean Krejca
Endangered Karst Invertebrates
in the Austin Area
All are troglobites (cave obligates) Species evolved through isolation Physical adaptations to cave environment
•Eyeless or with vestigial eyes
•Often lack pigmentation
•Longer appendages
•Live longer than surface- dwelling relatives
•Reduced energy requirements

12. Jollyville Plateau Salamanders
•Protect within Preserves (not covered for “incidental take”)
•Listed as threatened 2013
Rare Plants
•Isolated populations of Texabama Croton and Canyon Mock Orange are found in the Balcones Canyonlands area and in Alabama
•The Bracted Twistflower is a rare species threatened by habitat loss and grazing pressure from white-tailed deer
Additional Protection Provided to Other Species

13. The Role of the BCP
•The BCP isn’t just “for the birds”.
•The BCP protects all of our native wildlife.
•The BCP demonstrates that economic growth/ development and habitat protection can coexist.
•Without the BCP, economic growth and development would be at a standstill.

14. The BCCP allows development of over 50% of endangered species habitat in Travis County; thus, protection and management of the habitat within the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve is critical.

15. Key to Austin Long Term Future
•Resulted in 279 private entities participating in BCCP
•Facilitated development on 14,532 acres
•Improved compliance through BCCP participation
•Participation resulted in $4.5 billion assessed valued contributing to the local tax base

16. Within the BCP: Guidelines for New Construction
•Must be in existing or planned corridor consistent with uses prescribed by Appendix B
•Minor construction < 3,000 square feet
–Submit plan or sketch (application preferred)
–Requires BCCP approval (Secretary)
•Major Construction > 3,000 square feet
–Submit plans to BCCP and Austin Area Utility Coordinating Committee
–Requires BCCP approval (Secretary)
•Guidelines on City of Austin BCP website

17. Within the BCP: Guidelines for Infrastructure Corridor Maintenance
•Coordinating Committee Secretary should be notified of any planned maintenance within preserves
•The notification should contain
–Description of planned work
–Dates the work will be performed
•Opportunity to design and secure pre-approval
•Provisions for Emergency Maintenance
–Considered emergency if imminent threat to public health, safety, property damage, or loss of service
–Poor project planning does not constitute an emergency

18. Today’s New Challenges
•Jollyville Plateau Salamander
•Karst Substitution Process
•Proposed Roads
•Addressing threats from wildfire
–Austin Travis County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
•Identifies potential risks
•Defines practices for mitigating risk
•http://www.austintexas.gov/wildfireprotectionplan
–USFWS and BCP Partners have adopted fuel mitigation standards.
–During high fire danger, wildfire prevention plans are required but they are always encouraged.

19. BCP office – Wildland Conservation Division – (512) 972-1662
Willy Conrad
BCCP Secretary
(512) 972-1661
Kimberlee Harvey
Environmental Program Cord.
(512) 972-1686
Sherri Kuhl
BCP Program Manager
(512)972-1664 Jon White or Mike Wallace Travis County BCP 512-854-7212 512-854-7213
Questions? Come and Talk to Us!
www.balconescanyonlands.org