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$1 Million secured for the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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Sena. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Texas’ senior Senator and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has announced that the committee has approved $1 million for the expansion of the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).
The refuge borders the Lake Travis View’s readership area.
The bill is now ready to be considered by the full Senate.
“The Balcones Canyonlands NWR is a priceless Texas treasure and home to many threatened and endangered species,” Hutchison said. “This funding will help continue and expand protection of this important wildlife habitat.”
The Balcones Canyonlands NWR was established as part of a larger effort to help conserve the Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo in Central Texas. Funds will be used to acquire a 750 acre tract of the Brooks Blake Ranch in Burnet County that has come on the market and is in the approved acquisition area for the Refuge. The Ranch includes prime Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat and would interconnect two existing tracts of the Refuge, helping to form a large contiguous block of Texas Hill Country habitat.
Just out of curiosity, how much have the owners of this tract contributed to Sen. Hutchison’s political campaigns? In the current real estate slump, are there any competing private buyers? If so, how much have they offered?
These seem like obvious questions the Lake Travis View might want to investigate.
Charles, you provide great local coverage with limited resources. I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise. Keep up the good work.
My alarm bells go off whenever governmental bodies buy real estate from private individuals because it is so easy for them to overpay and give the seller a hidden windfall.
Yes, there would be a vote but we all know that elected officials routinely approve each other’s little favors without asking many questions.