[ad_1]
Last December, news outlets across the area began reporting on a 100-mile nature trail that would begin at the Alamo in San Antonio and end at the Texas Capitol in Austin. With a mix of pre-existing hiking trails like the Howard W. Peak Greenway and a planned hiking trail, the project would merge four counties in South Central Texas. It would hit the small towns and booming suburbs along the way, pumping an estimated $ 55.9 million into the local economy, according to the Great Springs Project (GSP), the nonprofit leading the plan.
Within a few weeks, national newspapers and magazines reported on the extensive public building project, proof of the popularity of the region, but also of something bigger: a unique idea that could become a reality in our lifetime.
The goals of the trail are both noble and practical: protecting Edward’s Aquifer, the region’s main source of water; join the sources of San Antonio, Comal, San Marcos and Barton; Preservation of 50,000 acres amid an unprecedented population boom along I-35 corridor; and offer a natural attraction for locals and tourists alike.
But for all of his great ambitions, so are the challenges of the project, starting with an aggressive 15-year schedule. Take into account the needs (and personalities) of local governments, which range from small towns to the seventh largest city in the country; the breadth of the project; and stakeholders, from developers and politicians to environmentalists and former oil industry CEOs, and things are getting a little more daunting. And then there is the fact that there is no bundle of money for it, which makes one wonder if this will ever really happen.
The Faust Street Bridge in New Braunfels will eventually become part of the 100-mile trail.
Courtesy of the City of New Braunfels
Paving the way forward
1from5
Comal County’s Alligator Creek Trail is in preliminary planning. It would connect the north side of New Braunfels to San Marcos.
Courtesy of the City of New Braunfels
2from5
The Violet Crown Trail in Austin is already built.
Katie Friel / MySA3from5
4thfrom5
Parts of the trail, like the Violet Crown Trail in Austin, are already built.
Katie Friel / MySA5from5
As the story goes, the idea for monument preservation was sparked decades ago by Deborah Morin, an Austin-based environmentalist who also happens to be married to Whole Foods Market founder John Mackey.
“[Morin] 25 years ago, she and her friends came up with the idea of conserving so much land and protecting the springs, ”explains Emma Lindrose-Siegel, Chief Development Officer of the non-profit Great Springs Project. “They didn’t expect Austin to explode with growth in the next 25 years.”
In 2018, when the region’s growth showed no signs of slowing, the nonprofit was formed to bring Morin’s vision to life. Over the past three years, the Great Springs Project has put together a Who’s Who advisory board of a mix of environmental and industrial heavyweights, including former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, San Antonio star architect Ted Flato, and Mackey.
Despite all of these big names, there is still so much fuss about how to pay for them. Although some news reports have estimated the cost of the trail, GSP disproves it, stating that a final number will not be known until the master is revealed in December 2021. Although many of the trails have already been set up, especially in the larger cities like San Antonio, San Marcos, and Austin, smaller stops like New Braunfels must create trails in order to participate.
One of the starting points.
Katie Friel / MySA
“The community’s concern was how do we pay for it? Where are the financial resources? ”Says Ylda Capriccioso, Park Development Manager for the City of New Braunfels. “Our answer to this is that we are not sure where all or part of the project funding will come from. That is why we are examining various topics – nature conservation, flood protection – all of these things to see whether we can use these funds. “
The APS intervenes in the search for financing. With its mix of business, political, and environmental awareness, the nonprofit acts as a kind of guide connecting various stakeholders with diverse funding sources ranging from federal grants to private donations.
“We provide technical assistance. We act as a catalyst for civic engagement, ”says Lindrose-Siegel. “People very much appreciate access to nature, green spaces and water supplies. And the city, county and non-profit organizations we work with reflect that. “
A ticking clock
Texas’s largest cities, including San Antonio and Austin, have seen record-breaking population booms over the past decade. Between 2010 and 2019, Alamo City’s population grew 16.7 percent, while Austin’s population rose 22.1 percent, according to the US Census Bureau. But it’s the cities in between where the numbers catch your eye. New Braunfels recorded a population boom of 56.4 percent over the same period. Meanwhile, in San Marcos, that number has risen by more than 46 percent.
The growth puts a strain on natural resources and makes protecting Edward’s Aquifer even more important. Aside from keeping life alive, conservation is also cool. As Capriccioso notes, cultural change over the past decade (and especially during the pandemic) has made conservation and access to green spaces a key indicator of quality of life, meaning that a path of this magnitude could represent a major economic benefit . (There’s a reason developers are among the project’s stakeholders.)
Swimmers on a hot day in Barton Springs Pool. Barton Springs Pool is a man-made recreational pool located on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. The pool is located in the Barton Creek Channel and is filled with water from Main Barton Spring, the fourth largest spring in Texas.
Kylie McLaughlin / Getty Images / Lonely Planet Image
“[The Great Springs Project] achieves many different things: environmental protection, water protection, storm discharge, green spaces, air quality. We’ve seen them go through a small renaissance over the past decade, ”says Capriccioso. “Many churches in Texas are doing these visionary projects.”
It is these visionary projects that are helping create a path for that 100 mile trail. Many of those involved – including Lindrose-Siegel and Capriccioso – have experience on some of the largest public works in the country. Working on the similarly ambitious Louisville Loop, Kentucky, taught Capriccioso that the sheer size of a project like this, while exciting, requires a measured approach and patience.
“It’s a very long-term project. And they don’t finish overnight. You need several years to conceptualize and negotiate, ”explains Capriccioso. “The River Walk as an example, that was a 10-, 12-, 15-year project. And it’s still going. But it has been realized and it is possible. “
Although it is arguably a lot easier if, for example, a Dell or Musk is transferring many millions to the GSP bank account, it is unlikely – and maybe it shouldn’t. So much of what this 100 mile walk will be will be the direct result of community engagement, conversations between cities and public officials. How this path is shaped, both literally and figuratively, is because a group of people has come together to represent an ambitious idea and find a way to implement it.
After the master plan is officially released this winter, the public will have a better sense of the schedule and costs, but if the project leaders give a hint, the 100 mile trail will likely happen, and maybe sooner than we think.
“Saving 50,000 hectares and preserving the four springs,” says Lindrose-Siegel, “that will be my life’s work.”
[ad_2]
