Presenter: Ted Hollingsworth

Commission Agenda Item No. 21
Action
Conservation Easement Donation – Brewster County
Black Gap Wildlife Management Area
August 2006

I. Executive Summary: The purpose of this briefing is to ask the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission) to consider acceptance of a Conservation Easement on 9,470 acres adjacent to the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (BGWMA) from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (Foundation).

II. Discussion: In May 2006, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission) was briefed on a strategy for working with public and private partners and the Government of Mexico to significantly increase conservation in the Big Bend region of West Texas. This strategy includes acquisition of inholdings in Big Bend Ranch State Park and the BGWMA, boundary and adjacent landowner agreements to protect resources of mutual concern, and acceptance of appropriate Conservation Easements on significant adjacent tracts.

A conservation easement on approximately 9,470 acres of mountainous habitat south of the current BGWMA has been conferred to the Foundation, with the intent of transfer to TPWD, consistent with this conservation strategy. The tract itself will remain in private hands, but future development will be constrained to help ensure that the land continues to contribute to primary conservation goals, including re-establishment of the desert bighorn sheep and maintenance of significant corridors for wildlife moving back and forth between protected areas on both sides of the Rio Grande. Monitoring the tract for compliance with the terms of the conservation easement will be accomplished with existing WMA staff.

III. Recommendation: The staff recommends the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopt the following motion:

"The Executive Director is authorized to take all necessary to accept the donation of a Conservation Easement on approximately 9,470 acres of land adjacent to the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area."

Attachments – 1

  1. Exhibit A – Map of Conservation Easement Area

Commission Agenda Item No. 21
Exhibit A

Map of Conservation Easement Area

This image is a representation of where the donated property lies in relation to Black Gap WMA.

For help in interpreting this map, please contact Ted Hollingsworth.